I've had this game for about a week now, after effectively an impulse buy last week. What a great decision it was. I realised I didn't have many racing titles on the system, which is strange considering it was the genre I got to play first when I was younger.
Simply put this is without doubt the best racing game I've played on the Xbox 360. But I'll break it down into several categories.
Gameplay
The game physics were astounding in Forza 2, and provided the gamer with arguably the most realistic driving experience on the 360. Forza 3 improves it. The game offers a plethora of different
variants of driving settings. For example, you can turn off the racing and braking lines if you are a more experienced driver, or even further turn the ABS and traction control off, to give the races more unpredictability.
Lets talk about the cars. There is a wide selection, 400 to be precise, which range from the latest Fiat 500 to the Bugatti Veyron. Every single car (of which I used) has different handling, which adds to the game's replay value. Theres also several race cars on offer, such as the Holden V8 Supercar and both Peugot and Audi's Le Mans cars. The sheer amount of cars, from several countries makes this game great alone
The season mode is incredibly in-depth as well. Unlike in Forza 2, the season mode follows a calendar is mainly focused on World Championships, with several specific race tournaments in between, like car manufacter trophies. I finished the first season really quickly but each season adds a month, which I think is a great idea.
Graphics
It is stunning. Every car is done justice with 10 time as polygons on each vehicle, giving a glossy finish. Over 100 tracks are on the game, and each one is recreated with brillance. Its the little things like trees and backgrounds make the game an immersive experience.
My main issue with some racing games is the fact that some tracks don't account for gradients of the tracks and Forza 3 comes the closest to getting that right. Corners such as Laguna Seca's corkscrew and the Carousel at Nurburgring look fantastic.
Sound
A must for any driving game, do the cars sound like they should? An emphatic yes. Just some of the grunts and growls certain cars make, add to the realism of the game. This is a game best played loud. The background music in the race must be turned off though unless you like the same repetitive beat over and over.
Track List
As I've already said, there's over 100 tracks in Forza 3, some created by the Take 10 team such as Maple Valley Raceway, but theres some great real life tracks such as Mugello, the Ferrari test track in Italy and Silverstone, the UK's premier venue for motorsport (not the best track in the UK, in my opinion). My favourite tracks are the aforementioned Mugello and Sebring. Some tracks are downright irritating, the Almafi Coast track making Monaco look as a wide as a airfield.
Longevitity
Theres so much to do on this game. I haven't been able to try out online multiplayer or auction house, which adds to the in-game cash, but I'm certain that if it's as good as Forza 2 online, then it will be great. No lag, frenetic racing, what more do you want? (the Lawroism of the week there)
I haven't even mentioned the in-depth customisation mode, where the player can effectively put any design and manufacturer decal onto their respraid car. Theres also a offline multiplayer mode.
Verdict
The best racing title on the 360 to date, which is a vast improvement on Forza 2. A must for any racing game fan. There are little niggling issues, such as some rare races being easy due to class glitches but it easily forgivable when its such a good game.
4.5 out of 5
Images from flickr courtesy of orwar, Morten M and dave.scriven
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