![]() However, players have options to make the changing environments more manageable outside of adjusting the difficulty. I can’t say I’ve driven over a miles-long frozen lake at 100 miles per hour, but I can confidently assume the hell I paid for hitting puddles and snow mounds at that speed is somewhat accurate. Where other series like Dirt and Need For Speed specialize in and master one specific type of racing, Horizon 4 does everything well. There’s drifting events, drag racing, a stunt driver side story, and a whole lot more to choose from. It sounds played out, but there is really something for everyone here. The map itself doesn’t change, but what’s available to the player just about doubles. Seasons are then set to change on a weeklong timer and the number of event types jumps from around 6 up to 11. The options include the ability to adjust CPU difficulty and turn on or off, the driving line, ABS (antilock braking system), traction control, stability control, manual shifting, cosmetic or simulation damage, and the rewind function that allows a quick redo a few seconds before a crash.Īfter players progress from fall through summer for the first time and complete all the showcase events, Horizon 4 really opens up. These fixed seasons also encourage players to tweak the impressive amount of difficulty options to what’s just right for them. This more structured approach remains enjoyable without being restrictive (the map is always open to roam around) with every season concluding in a grandiose showcase event where players will race an unlikely opponent like a jet, hovercraft, or train. Here, players have a chance to really get a feel for how the seasons change gameplay, how fresh powder, puddles, and bone dry roads all affect handling, acceleration, etc. ![]() The first few hours of the experience eases players into the options and introduces them to the systems and events in a somewhat fixed environment where they must qualify for each consecutive season by completing races to earn ‘influence points’ in off-road, street, underground and cross-country races. The transition to and from online is seamless, and everything remains completely functional in both modes. As soon as the opening races are done, players are dropped into servers of up to 72 other people where they can party up and race with friends and strangers alike. The ambiguity of the ultimate goal actually works to Horizon 4′s benefit, though, because it allows players to set their own - anything from dominating a certain kind of race or amassing the largest collection of cars.īeyond the wide variety of events, Horizon 4 is also packed with other players. While traversing the roads of the UK, players will be taken through a “story” which boils down to little more than a phone call from one of many forgettable characters at the festival whenever they gain enough points. The open-world racer is, from what I can tell, considerably smaller than its most recent predecessor but it’s so densely packed with things to do that it’s hard to notice. Somewhere between an arcade racer and simulation experience, Playground Games has found the sweetest of sweet spots for its fictional setting of the Horizon Festival, a ridiculous gathering (this time in Britain) of thousands of drivers all looking for the blood-pumping adrenaline of a good race. This playable intro doubles as an opportunity for players to get their feet wet with how the changing seasons and weather changes affect how vehicles behave - key when selecting cars and upgrades. It was absolute joy to see everything put on the table immediately as I was then able to drive some of the best cars right off the bat in bombastic off-road and street racing situations from fall to summer, complete with graceful transitions, ridiculous jumps and gratuitous slow-mo. The game opens with an experience that plastered a smile across my face as I was shown the changing seasons featured so prominently in the marketing. Forza Horizon 4 is a racing masterpiece on every front, and it’s clear to see from the get-go. WTF I swear, if I get another hat instead of a car as a reward, I’m going to lose it.Įarlier this year in my Burnout Paradise Remastered review, I said the Forza Horizon series has come up short compared to that ten-year-old classic, and I wasn’t wrong… Until now. LOW Matchmaking for less-populated events HIGH Drag racing in a snowstorm on the freeway in the dead of night.
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