Expected like a real star, Forza Horizon 5 took advantage of the Xbox conference at the opening of Gamescom 2021 to reveal a new gameplay sequence. And the least we can say is that Playground Games' game is visually impressive.
We had the chance to watch this excerpt a few days before it was released to the general public. On this occasion, Mike Brown, the game's creative director, was able to answer questions from the press.
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Stunning first minutes
The sequence broadcast during the Xbox conference illustrates the first minutes of Forza Horizon 5. After a short cutscene that will link the events of the fourth opus, the player will dive directly into the deep end by taking control of different vehicles. The purpose of this “Opening Drive” is to familiarize the user with the controls of the title while making him cross the varied environments that he will have the opportunity to browse for hours. And to reinforce the spectacular side of this opening, each racing car is swung from an airplane.
Whether in the desert, the jungle, around a temple or on the coast, Forza Horizon 5 displays sumptuous scenery. Crossing a sandstorm already promises to be an epic moment and the sensations of speed are omnipresent. Apart from a slight clipping on a few elements in the distance, the game seems graphically and technically flawless.
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A Forza Horizon with supercharged content
If it is a racing game, Forza Horizon 5 is however not devoid of script elements. Players will embody the real superstar of the Horizon festival held in Britain in the fourth episode. New characters will be introduced, including Remiro who is played by Mexican comedian Abraham Vega (Telltale Games' The Walking Dead).
Once again, the seasons will have a real influence on the gameplay and will change on a weekly basis. For example, they will bring more humidity which will show through on the screen and may even raise the water level in certain places on the map. As for dust storms, they will drastically reduce visibility. Also on a visual level, ray tracing will appear on cars, at Horizon festival venues and near homes that we can buy. Also, the rendering of the vehicles present in the old games has been improved. And since we're talking about the cars of the game, the Mercedes-AMG ONE and the Ford Bronco Badlands 2021 are the two cover cars of Forza Horizon 5. Other racing beasts like the Corvette Stingray 2020 or the Porsche 911 Desert Flyer will be at the menu of this episode.
Small optimizations in every way
In terms of artificial intelligence, we learned that the animals that inhabit Mexico will have a more realistic behavior than in previous games. They will dodge our speeding car but keep calm if the player decides to approach slowly. In terms of gameplay, a “tourist” difficulty mode will be available for beginners and new assistance options will promote immediate handling.
Finally, if it was already confirmed when the game was announced last June, the Event Lab mode was mentioned again by Mike Brown. It will allow you to create new races by manually placing more or less eccentric obstacles such as ramps or even giant bowling pins. Ultimate precision, if the radios will make their return with new music under license, pieces have been specially created for the needs of the game.
In short, Forza Horizon 5 is promising to say the least and we are already looking forward to traveling through Mexican lands when it is released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC on November 8, 2021. An exclusive controller in the colors of the game will also be marketed at this same date.
