The wide-open racer goes south of the border
The Forza Horizon series may have begun as a spin-off of Forza Motorsport, but the open-world racing game is now one of Microsoft’s top franchises. Although Forza Horizon 4 received post-launch, next-gen visual updates, the $59.99 Forza Horizon 5 is the first series title to debut on the Xbox Series X/S. I played the game’s first few hours on Xbox Series S, and while the Forza formula is starting to feel too familiar, the vibrant setting and adventurous spirit make you want to stay in its lane. Fast, Furious Forza Horizon 5 begins with your car dropping out of a plane, and the Fast and Furious antics only ramp up from there. This year’s Horizon festival takes place in Mexico, and right away the game smacks you in the face with a new attitude befitting the new setting. I made everyone call me Big Boss, and it always felt appropriate. Forza Horizon 5’s campaign consists of adventure missions and showcase events, which are races that task you with doing stuff that’s a little wilder than simply driving a car real fast. How about a competition against a team of stunt performers wearing wingsuits? Can you take a picture from the inside of a Mad Max -style dust storm? In the past, I’ve been disappointed by how relatively tame Forza Horizon is compared to, say, Burnout Paradise, but these adventure missions inject some much-need adrenaline. There’s no boost button, but it’s thrilling to jump a cliff while blasting Spanish guitar riffs, classical music, or fresh remixes of fan-favorite contemporary songs from the in-game radio.
