Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 is the pinnacle of Playground Games' open world racing series, and in turn, one of the best racers you'll ever play.

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Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.

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Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 59,401 reviews

graphics3,364 positive mentions

stability900 negative mentions

graphics
5,030 mentions
67 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics in Forza Horizon 5 have been widely praised for their stunning realism and attention to detail, often described as breathtaking and comparable to real life. Players appreciate the vibrant environments, dynamic weather effects, and the intricate design of vehicles, which contribute to an immersive racing experience. However, some users have reported graphical glitches and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, indicating that while the visuals are impressive, they can be marred by technical problems.
- “The graphics are stunning, the gameplay doesn't bore quickly.”
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning and the gameplay is smooth and intuitive.”
- “The graphics are incredible, the level of detail is mind-blowing with the cars themselves, and the gameplay is very solid.”
- “The game was broken from the start with graphics glitches and PC-breaking problems that made it unplayable.”
- “Still has some terrible graphic bugs (pixelated smoke, sometimes rainbow colors on all textures) for a game whose main selling point was the graphics.”
- “The graphics are identical and the gameplay is better on FH3.”
story
2,247 mentions
22 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The story in Forza Horizon 5 has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lackluster and filled with cringe-worthy dialogue. While some appreciate the attempt at a narrative and the integration of character interactions, others feel it detracts from the core racing experience, often labeling it as forced and unengaging. Overall, the game is primarily celebrated for its gameplay and graphics, with the story being seen as a secondary aspect that doesn't significantly enhance the overall experience.
- “Every dusty backroad and rain-slicked cobblestone whispers a story, inviting exploration and immersion.”
- “The game has received critical acclaim and has won over many fans with its immersive gameplay, stunning graphics, and engaging storyline.”
- “The festival atmosphere and engaging story elements further enhance the overall experience, making you feel like a part of something bigger than just a racing game.”
- “The story is bad, but you shouldn't play for the story.”
- “The story is forced, lacking emotion and the devs are so out of touch on the cultures they're trying to recreate that it's actually insulting.”
- “The story missions feel lackluster and the dialogue is just unappealing.”
gameplay
1,978 mentions
39 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Forza Horizon 5 has received mixed reviews, with many praising its stunning graphics, engaging driving mechanics, and extensive car customization options. However, some players have noted that the gameplay can become repetitive over time, and there are significant issues with online connectivity and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the game maintains the core elements of its predecessors, some feel it lacks substantial innovation, making it feel similar to Horizon 4 with a new setting.
- “Forza Horizon 5 is a gorgeous game with incredible gameplay giving every car its own personality.”
- “The gameplay is where Forza Horizon 5 truly shines, offering an unparalleled blend of visual spectacle, realistic gameplay, and endless racing thrills.”
- “With its breathtaking visuals, exhilarating gameplay, extensive car selection, and robust multiplayer experience, the game offers endless hours of enjoyment for racing enthusiasts and casual players alike.”
- “The gameplay is the worst I have ever seen in any Forza game.”
- “The gameplay gets pretty repetitive; all aspects of it are stumped in some way.”
- “The game currently suffers from some serious performance issues, utilizing less than 30% of my CPU, GPU, and RAM, resulting in stuttering framerates, maximum of 25fps, and this is not even mentioning the endless crashes, glitches, bugs, and issues I've encountered during my gameplay.”
optimization
1,076 mentions
31 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The optimization of Forza Horizon 5 has received mixed feedback from players. While many commend its impressive graphics and smooth performance on a range of hardware, others report significant issues such as stuttering, crashes, and performance degradation over extended play sessions. Overall, the game is generally considered well-optimized for mid to high-end systems, but persistent bugs and inconsistent performance on lower-end setups have led to frustration among some users.
- “The optimization ensures an enjoyable experience across various hardware configurations.”
- “It's honestly mind-blowing how great this game looks and performs, very well-optimized.”
- “The game is impressively optimized, with an incredible level of detail.”
- “The game runs horribly, even at the absolute lowest settings possible at the lowest resolution possible with FSR set to performance.”
- “The performance degradation issue with the Steam version makes the game unplayable.”
- “This game is extremely poorly optimized.”
stability
977 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The stability of Forza Horizon 5 has been a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various graphical glitches. While some users have noted improvements over time, the game is still described as "buggy" and "unstable," particularly in online modes, where connectivity issues and desynchronization are common. Overall, despite its enjoyable gameplay and visuals, the persistent technical issues detract from the experience, leading many to recommend waiting for further patches before fully committing to the game.
- “Great game, runs great even on poor PCs.”
- “The game is stable and runs great, but I don't even have words for how frustrating it is to do anything with friends on Xbox or the Windows 10 version, which is still 70% of its player base.”
- “Most importantly, it runs great, be it a potato PC or a NASA computer; this game has been optimized to infinity and beyond.”
- “I've spent more time troubleshooting (without success) than playing the game over the past few weeks.”
- “The game was broken from the start with graphics glitches and PC-breaking problems that made it unplayable.”
- “After two years, this should not still be this buggy.”
music
954 mentions
32 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The music in Forza Horizon 5 has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its diverse soundtrack and energetic atmosphere that complements the racing experience. However, there are significant criticisms regarding the repetitive nature of the tracks, heavy censorship of lyrics, and a perceived decline in quality compared to previous installments like Forza Horizon 4. Some players prefer to mute the in-game music and use their own playlists, indicating a desire for more variety and better song choices.
- “The music and graphics are the best part of this game.”
- “The meticulously curated soundtrack, featuring an eclectic mix of genres and artists, complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack features a diverse selection of genres and artists, perfectly capturing the atmosphere and energy of each location.”
- “The music is easily the worst part of this game, I believe.”
- “The music choices are worse than in FH4, in my opinion... FH4's DLCs were better too.”
- “The soundtrack is unbelievably underwhelming.”
grinding
401 mentions
1 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of Forza Horizon 5 has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing that it is excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of hours to unlock cars and upgrades. While some enjoy the grind as part of the game's appeal, others find it frustrating, particularly due to the repetitive nature of tasks and the perceived lack of meaningful rewards. Overall, players agree that a considerable amount of grinding is necessary to fully enjoy the game, leading to a sentiment that "you'll need a second life for grinding."
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Boring time sink of a game forces you to go through tedious cut scenes and races with lame cars just to unlock cars you already had in the previous game.”
- “Acquiring cars and upgrades requires an excessive amount of in-game currency, leading to a tedious grind that dampens the enjoyment of exploring the vibrant landscapes.”
- “The main problem for me though wasn't so much the constant crashing, but rather the fact that the game became incredibly boring, lifeless and just about grinding cars in the horizon festival list right after I completed all of the main races, which for me, personally, wasn't the most enjoyable thing.”
humor
188 mentions
98 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The humor in Forza Horizon 5 is a mixed bag, with many players finding it genuinely funny and entertaining, particularly in the context of its lighthearted racing premise and quirky interactions. However, some critiques highlight that the humor can fall flat due to poor delivery and cringe-worthy dialogue, making certain characters and storylines feel more annoying than amusing. Overall, while the game offers plenty of comedic moments, opinions vary on the effectiveness of its humor.
- “But it's also got heart, humor, and a world so alive you can practically taste the churros and the cerveza.”
- “This game is absolutely hilarious and yet challenging at the same time, at least if you follow the horizon story.”
- “The fifth installment in Forza's open-world fantasy car-festival series, blending realistic/semi-realistic car sim gameplay with a hilariously unrealistic car festival premise.”
- “After being dropped around the map, the main story characters start to make jokes that are supposed to be funny, but I couldn't really figure out if they were jokes or not because they were unfunny as hell.”
- “Unfunny characters can be ignored; if you don't like the story, just rush it and so on.”
- “But also, it gives me this Pokémon-like feeling for collecting cars, adventure-like world exploration, and quite funny (although sometimes cringey) stories to experience.”
replayability
122 mentions
38 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, largely due to the diverse content, including the event lab feature that allows players to create and share custom events. Many players appreciate the abundance of activities, seasonal updates, and multiplayer options that enhance the experience, although some express concerns about diminishing replay value after completing the main content. While most reviews highlight the game's potential for infinite replayability, a few note that the experience can become repetitive over time.
- “The addition of the EventLab, allowing players to create and share their custom events, adds infinite replay value to an already content-rich game.”
- “The seamless integration of multiplayer features into the game’s open world only adds to the overall enjoyment and replayability.”
- “The event lab has expanded a lot since launch and the ability for players to create their own maps that are frequently featured in seasonal playlists is fantastic and adds endless replayability to the game.”
- “Content updates for the game were abysmal and lacked any replay value.”
- “It gets more boring and boring as time goes on, the story is good, but after like 50 hours there's no more content, no more replayability.”
- “Game has a boring and super annoying/cringe story, good amount of content but not much replayability honestly unless you enjoy playing creator lab content and eliminator which I'm personally not into.”
monetization
103 mentions
3 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
59 % negative mentions
The monetization model in this game has been widely criticized as overly aggressive and predatory, with many players feeling bombarded by constant advertisements and pressured to make in-game purchases despite having already paid a premium price. While some users note a lack of pay-to-win mechanics, the prevalence of microtransactions and DLC ads detracts significantly from the overall experience, leading to perceptions of the game as a "cash grab." Overall, the monetization practices have left many players frustrated and disillusioned, overshadowing the game's otherwise enjoyable aspects.
- “There are no pay-to-win mechanics; however, the in-game purchases that are available are reasonably limited and reasonably priced.”
- “I advise you to buy the premium edition on sale as you get a lot of extras that you can't buy in-game, and also a huge plus that there are no microtransactions because the premium edition does the job here.”
- “Once you buy the game, it doesn't shove any more in-game purchases in your face.”
- “Don't get me wrong, the graphics are top notch, gameplay is fun, and the map is great, but I can't recommend this game because of the predatory monetization.”
- “The demand for in-app purchases, coupled with a barrage of bugs and an overdose of unrealistic physics, leaves you frustrated and annoyed.”
- “This game is nothing more than a low effort, passionless cash grab.”
atmosphere
100 mentions
53 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, dynamic weather, and vibrant festival setting, which immerses players in a lively and diverse open world. However, some reviewers feel that the lack of a compelling storyline and certain repetitive elements detract from the overall experience, making parts of the atmosphere feel empty or artificial. Overall, while the game excels in visual and auditory immersion, opinions vary on how well it captures the essence of its setting and maintains engagement over time.
- “The dynamic weather, diverse terrains, and the festival atmosphere make every race and exploration feel like a grand spectacle.”
- “The game's gorgeous open-world environment is a treat to explore, with stunning landscapes and a vibrant atmosphere that immerses you in the experience.”
- “It's not only the progression that makes the whole game feel boring and a waste of time, but also the world's atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is lacking in general, especially with the lack of a story.”
- “The festival atmosphere is infectious, and the freedom to explore the vast open world is truly liberating.”
emotional
39 mentions
82 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mixed response from players, with some finding it heartwarming and nostalgic, particularly in its seasonal changes and character interactions, while others criticize the storyline as bland and unengaging. Many players express moments of genuine emotional connection, such as crying during gameplay or feeling a sense of joy and escape, but this is often overshadowed by complaints about annoying characters and a lack of depth in the narrative. Overall, while the game has the potential for emotional resonance, its execution leaves some players feeling disappointed.
- “Hot Wheels expansion made me cry.”
- “Beautiful Mexican tourist guide, with stunning graphics, amazing ray tracing effects, and heartwarming dialogues focusing on positivity, equality, and accessibility.”
- “The story is quite cheesy and cringy at times but also kind of heartwarming.”
- “Boring storyline and waste of time.”
- “Unskippable cutscenes for a boring storyline.”
- “The showcase missions are great, but if you're going to randomly stop my car in the middle of a giant skill chain just to tell me that there's an arduous, repetitive sequence of random driving events that make no coherent sense and tell dull, boring storylines that did nothing but cure my insomnia, then you shouldn't even bother having it in the first place.”
character development
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the balance between the main storyline and side quests that allow for growth, while others criticize the lack of meaningful progression and poor character designs. The adjustable character design and clothing options are noted, but overall, the execution of character development and voice acting has left many feeling disengaged from the narrative.
- “The game strikes a perfect balance between the main storyline and side quests, providing ample opportunities for character development and world-building.”
- “Adjustable character design and clothing.”
- “The diversity from character design to the various racing options as well as the 'sandbox' are pure madness.”
- “I downloaded it because I thought it had RPG elements, but when I finally got a level up, the level ups had nothing to do with character development.”
- “I kind of liked collecting some of the clothes in 4, but here it was a complete waste of energy for me, and I'm also very surprised that they managed to take the very old-fashioned and frankly ugly character designs from 4 and made them even worse.”
- “Bad voice acting, character development, and all in all a sloppily laid out story made it really difficult to get hooked, and I found myself spending far more time just playing with friends or doing random challenges across the map than I did actually trying to continue the story.”