Forza Motorsport
- October 9, 2023
- Turn 10
- 18h median play time
An excellent companion piece to the open-world, frantic off-road action of Forza Horizon, Forza Motorsport is the next generation of racing that I’ve been waiting so very long for.
"Forza Motorsport offers over 500 real-world cars and 20 tracks with dynamic weather conditions for a cutting-edge racing experience. Earn performance upgrades and tackle advanced AI opponents in the Builders Cup Career Mode. Compete in Featured Multiplayer events or create your own races for endless racing possibilities."
Reviews
- The driving physics are excellent, providing a satisfying and immersive experience.
- The graphics are visually appealing, especially during races with dynamic weather effects.
- The car selection is extensive, with a variety of vehicles to choose from.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including disappearing tracks and frequent crashes.
- The car progression system is tedious, requiring extensive grinding to unlock upgrades for each vehicle.
- The AI behavior is frustrating, often leading to collisions and penalties for the player.
- graphics997 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over poor optimization and significant graphical issues, including texture pop-ins and low-quality visuals that do not meet the expectations set by pre-release marketing. While some users appreciate the car models and dynamic weather effects, others find the overall graphical fidelity lacking compared to previous titles in the franchise, particularly Forza Horizon 5. Despite some players achieving decent performance with tweaks, the consensus is that the graphics are underwhelming for a AAA title released in 2023.
“The graphics are stunning, the car selection is impressive, and the gameplay is smooth and thrilling.”
“Graphics are amazing and the physics are way better than FM7.”
“With its stunning graphics, extensive car selection, engaging gameplay, and robust multiplayer, it sets a new standard for the genre.”
“The biggest problem is with the graphics and efficiency of the game.”
“The graphics of this game look worse in every single way that I can subjectively tell.”
“The graphics issue destroys the entire experience though.”
- optimization994 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The optimization of Forza Motorsport has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame rate drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some users have experienced improvements after recent patches, the overall consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized, often feeling unfinished and unplayable. Many recommend waiting for further updates before purchasing, as the current state of optimization is a significant barrier to enjoying the game.
“I may be biased with a 4090, but great graphics, great optimization, great multiplayer in the 4k+ driver rating range (mostly gt for me).”
“As far as fps performance goes, I admit that initially it was a bit bad and sometimes the game would struggle to load and run smoothly, but in recent patches this has gotten much better.”
“The physics remain as great as ever, but now the performance issues have been addressed so everything runs much more smoothly and also seems to look a lot better too.”
“The game is not optimized at all.”
“This game feels unplayable; since release, my performance issues never went away, and I keep having this rendering bug where the track disappears entirely along with the buildings, with only grass staying visible.”
“The performance is absolutely terrible.”
- gameplay305 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the driving mechanics and physics as some of the best in the series, providing an engaging racing experience. However, players have expressed frustration over performance issues, bugs, and a grindy car progression system that detracts from the overall enjoyment. While the core gameplay is enjoyable and visually appealing, the game's optimization and restrictive mechanics have led to a less satisfying experience for many users.
“The gameplay feels amazing; I love the weight, grip, curb, and differing balance of the cars.”
“The core gameplay is excellent.”
“This game released as a pile of trash, and in January 2024, is still a pile of trash, with trash mechanics, horrible performance, and zero care from Turn 10.”
“The gameplay is not only exhilarating but also remarkably realistic, making you feel like you're in the driver's seat of some of the world's most iconic vehicles.”
“The game quickly becomes repetitive and you'll pretty much experience all the game has to offer within the first 10 or so hours of gameplay.”
- stability289 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of freezing, crashes, and various bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players have experienced issues such as disappearing tracks, long loading times, and graphical glitches, making the game feel unfinished and unpolished. While some users report improved stability after updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains a buggy mess, particularly on PC, and requires further patches to reach an acceptable level of performance.
“But... lately it's been largely bug free for me.”
“My experience on not top of the line hardware has been relatively bug free.”
“Good game, zero issues with it.. it did force my hand and I upgraded to a 3070.. runs great!”
“The game is still very buggy, sometimes races not starting, kicking you out of online, or even putting me in a race with a completely black screen.”
“Game is horribly buggy on Xbox and near unplayable on PC and is really unfinished and rushed.”
“This game is an unfinished buggy mess and I don't recommend it to anyone.”
- grinding150 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players describing it as excessively tedious and time-consuming. Many feel that the car leveling and upgrade systems force them into repetitive gameplay, detracting from the overall enjoyment and making it difficult to recommend the game, especially for those with limited playtime. While some players appreciate the depth of grinding for car upgrades, the consensus is that the current system is poorly designed and in need of significant improvement.
“It's not grindy.”
“The game is designed to waste your time, with mindless grinding to unlock upgrades.”
“Locking car upgrades behind grinding out races only serves to pad out the experience.”
“The progression system is so stupid & awful, hours & hours of pointless grinding.”
- story51 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is widely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many reviewers noting that it offers little more than a series of repetitive races and basic career missions. Players express disappointment over the absence of a compelling narrative or character development, feeling that the game fails to provide a meaningful progression beyond unlocking car parts. Overall, the consensus is that those seeking a rich story experience should look elsewhere, as the game primarily focuses on racing mechanics rather than storytelling.
“I have GT7 and that story mode is fun.”
“As of writing, I've finished all the 'story' missions and have around 80 hours of gameplay.”
“The story mode is very disappointing.”
“I didn't expect a full RPG experience or anything, but I expected some sort of racing driver backstory where you would feel some sense of progress beyond unlocking car parts.”
“There is almost no story; the car list is lacking, and the upgrade system is trash.”
- music41 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users noting a significant lack of variety and presence, particularly during races where no soundtrack is played. While some appreciate the unobtrusive menu music, it is often described as forgettable or generic, leading players to prefer racing in silence or with their own music. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a major step backward compared to previous titles in the series, contributing to a feeling of a soulless experience.
“The music in the UI is so relaxing and invites you to check every content and messages.”
“Great handling, fantastic modernized progression, and a great soundtrack.”
“Because, from day one, this game offers so much content, excellent gameplay, beautiful photorealistic graphics, superb music, accurate sounds, flawless UI experience, a huge library of cars, and tons of customizations for them.”
“The soundtrack is as close to non-existent as you can get, which is a crying shame.”
“Forza's soundtracks have taken a huge step backwards in the last 10 years, to the point where I would outright mute the soundtracks in Forza 6 and 7 and either play my own music in a separate window or just race in silence, which is what you do in this game anyway since there is no soundtrack when you're actually racing.”
“Wtf is a racing game without music even?”
- humor35 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its numerous technical issues and absurdities, with players finding it "hilariously bad" that a major studio struggles with optimization while a single modder can fix significant gameplay problems. Many reviews highlight the irony of high expectations versus the game's performance, leading to a mix of frustration and laughter, particularly when comparing it to past titles or other games. Overall, while the racing mechanics are praised, the game's shortcomings provide a comedic backdrop that some players find entertaining, albeit in a frustrating way.
“The game is very fun to play and to improve at; it's also very funny to play with friends.”
“It's funny that it takes one person to make a mod to fix a huge gameplay issue, but months for a multi-billion dollar game studio to fix a serious issue.”
“Probably won't buy the DLC; seems like a lot for mostly just race cars I don't really care about. I play these games for the economy cars because it's funny to win 1st place in some bummy economy car against a touring car or something.”
- monetization29 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 59 % negative mentions
The monetization practices in the game have been widely criticized as greedy and exploitative, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" for a full-priced title. Concerns include the potential introduction of microtransactions for in-game currency and upgrades, as well as a lack of substantial content despite ongoing updates. Overall, players feel misled by advertising and frustrated by the game's monetization strategy, which detracts from the overall experience.
“I've played phone games with less greedy monetization.”
“They are probably planning to put monetization in the game so you can buy 'car points' and unlock upgrades for the car with real money!”
“However, some users might find the microtransactions intrusive.”
“Shamefully greedy monetization practices for a full-priced game.”
“Considering the cost of the game, to me it's also a blatant cash grab.”
“This is a cash grab with no intention of making any kind of competitive racing game.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is significantly hindered by its linear progression and lack of track variety, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of championships and limited car eligibility. While some users appreciate the unique handling of different cars, the absence of customizable race options and rotating events diminishes long-term engagement. Improvements in optimization have made the game more playable, but without essential quality-of-life features and a more dynamic event structure, replay value remains low.
“The ability to replay championships with diverse cars, each offering unique handling and power dynamics, adds a layer of replayability that keeps the experience fresh and engaging.”
“The tracks should change weekly/daily to increase the variety and replayability; some tracks should be swapped from touring cars to GT3.”
“In FM8, you instead progress linearly through different series - every single one of them - rather than choosing what you want to play. In addition to that, all of the races are the same length, the championships don't randomize which tracks they use, so there's basically no replay value. Also, only about 1/3 of the car list qualifies for the builder's cup championships.”
“However, they still need to add some basic quality of life features for those of us who don't want to play online (custom race weekends, custom championships) for this game to have real long-term replayability.”
“Sadly, it still lacks more events. After completing the main career races, you are left with the open class and showcase tours. For some reason, PG still decides to remove these races after 4 weeks have passed, instead of adding them to the event list and making them replayable.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, with experiences ranging from exhilaration and nostalgia when driving iconic cars to frustration and disappointment due to technical issues and gameplay inconsistencies. The emotional rollercoaster effect is highlighted, as players feel both deeply engaged and profoundly let down, leading some to consider drastic actions like refunds. Overall, the emotional aspect of the game is marked by a mix of joy and distress, reflecting the highs and lows of the gaming experience.
“Some iconic M3 or '93 911 completely smashed me and made me so emotional.”
“It's like an emotional rollercoaster in all the right ways.”
“How can I be involved emotionally in this game and not lose the suspense of belief, when this game loses its textures and consequently its integrity right in front of my eyes?”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its electrifying energy, particularly during races, with virtual crowds reacting dynamically to player actions, enhancing the experience. However, some players feel that the overall atmosphere is lacking in certain areas, such as multiplayer and single-player content, and there are mixed opinions on the graphical quality of cars compared to other titles. Despite these criticisms, the tracks and overall ambiance contribute positively to the racing experience.
“The virtual crowds react to every daring overtake and strategic maneuver, creating an electrifying atmosphere that mirrors the energy of a packed football arena.”
“The practice, qualifying, then racing structure creates a nice race day atmosphere.”
“Fix the barebones multiplayer, fix the confusing penalty system, fix the lack of meaningful singleplayer content, fix the lack of any atmosphere, vibes, or soundtrack, and fix the actual bugs that still plague the game while you're at it!”
“The graphics are still no comparison to recent GT titles in terms of quality, but the overall atmosphere is better.”
Critic Reviews
Forza Motorsport review
An excellent companion piece to the open-world, frantic off-road action of Forza Horizon, Forza Motorsport is the next generation of racing that I’ve been waiting so very long for.
95%Forza Motorsport review
As mechanically polished as driving sims have ever been on PC. Stately and familiar, but finely crafted.
80%FORZA Motorsport Review
After such a protracted gestation period, FORZA Motorsport has returned in pleasing fashion, capably delivering petrolheads a fantastic and rejuvenated circuit racing game experience.
88%