12:00 pm
Forza Motorsport 3 is finally here and we have had our grubby paws on many a car wheel this week to bring you this review.
Since it’s surprise announcement at E3 this year, fans have been losing their minds at the thought of having to wait to play it but that time has come to an end. Turn 10 have made some pretty big claims about their new title over the past couple of months and now it’s time to see if they have put their money where their collective mouths are.
Slam it in first, pound the pedal into the mat and drop the clutch. It’s go time for the Forza 3 review.
Forza 3 is Turn 10′s second attempt at a sim racer on the Xbox 360 and this time they have added a whole list of improvements to the features that already existed in Forza Motorsport 2.
Forza 3 give you lots to do and I will discuss the different elements below, the career seems like a good place to start.
Corvettes, Cobras and Calenders
The career mode is a breath of fresh air when compared to other racing titles of late, including Forza 2.The interface and menu’s are all super clean and very easy to navigate and on the whole just feels like a nice place to be while you make your way through the career and so on.
As with most racing games, you begin with a slow(ish) little front wheel drive car and have to compete in some smaller races.The pace picks up pretty quick though and before you know it, you are behind the wheel of a monster of a machine.
The best part about the career mode is it’s calendar, layout and the way in which you can progress. After every series, you are given options based around what cars you have, or if you would like to see more tracks or try something new, it keeps things flowing very nicely.
^ Photo mode can make any little car look awesome
A nice break from the norm is that special events are held on the weekends and will run over the course of say, a month, meaning that you only race one race of that series per weekend (in game days). This means that you may do a race in the series, spend the next week doing a four race event and then slip back into the second race of the championship that you were in when the weekend rolls around again.
Cars are unlocked when you win certain events or reach certain driver levels and everything keeps progressing very smoothly and eventually opens up drag events, endurances races, point to point races and more.
It’s Car-ma
Speaking of cars, there are a ton of them, 400. All of the cars have been selected for their ability to kick ass. Even the slowest of the bunch that you begin with are all the sporty versions of their models.
Each car handles differently and with the inclusion of the cockpit view, you get a wonderful feel of the car that you are in. Jack up the assists or turn them all off until you are comfortable and off you go.
Tuning is also a big part of the Forza experience and when it comes to upgrading and fiddling with your setups, Forza still has it all. For those of you who don’t like dealing with all of that jazz, there is a wonderful new function that can automatically upgrade your car for you, should you accept after it gives you the details.
Getting Behind The Wheel
There isn’t much that needs to be said about the driving physics/mechanics in Forza 3. The cars all feel real and you really get a sense of having your tires on the tarmac. Damage your car and you will have to rewind, or if in multiplayer either pit of deal with the fact that your car is pulling to one side or having issues changing gears. It’s all there and it’s just enough to keep things real without making it feel overbearing.
Hardcore gamers and casual car fanatics can both have a lot of fun with Forza 3 as Turn 10 have put a lot of effort into adding features that will keep the game accessible to all.
The usual features such as ABS, TCS and so on are all there as well as the ability to have a recommended breaking or racing line turned on for those unfamiliar with new tracks. To keep things really accessible, Turn 10 have added in two major assists that come in the shape of an unlimited ability to rewind the race as well as an assist that will actually brake for you.
It would have been nice if the rewind function had limitations, as it may cause you to lose your sense of fear, in the knowledge that every screw up can be instantly reversed and retried.
