^ When lag monsters attack, all hell breaks loose

It’s More Fun With Friends

A big part of racing games is the ability to compete against other human players and Forza 3 does not fall short on options.

Multiplayer can be played in various modes online with friends in a private lobby or against other random racers online using a very simple multiplayer interface. The best part about all of this is that you still gain driver and car levels, unlock cars as well as make money when playing online, meaning that you can head back to your career and buy more cars or upgrades.

Local online play is smooth but do beware, joining international lobbies may be a little dicey. I managed to have a couple of races with some international folk and for the most part, using a 4MB with unshaped bandwidth, it actually ran smooth enough to play. I did however have an incident where a car in front of me disappeared into the sky, only to reappear out of the ground at literally around 700 km/h as it caught up with it’s players actual position, knocking my car into the air, a couple of walls and almost a bunch of other cars.

So, just keep that in mind if you, for some strange reason, you don’t feel like playing with your buddies locally.

If The Car Is In The Shop

Racing isn’t the only thing that you can do in Forza 3 though, there are other things that will keep you busy for quite some time without you even realising it. The ability to paint your car, create custom graphics, take photos, record replays and even run auctions will give you plenty to do when you aren’t in the mood for racing.

With the inclusion of the new Storefront in Forza 3, you can now also have all of your images, replays, custom graphics, tuning setups and more all sitting in one place for people to check out.

Over time some people will start getting known for their amazing artworks or incredible tuning setups and their storefronts will be jam packed with people eager to see what else they have to offer.

On top of all that there are still quick races and hot lap modes to fill your time and with the lengthy career mode and unlimited multiplayer functionality, this game is going to keep you busy for a very long time.

Automobile Pornography

^ This week on Discovery, when Cobras attack

Ok, time to talk about eye candy.

Don’t be fooled by some of the comparison screenshots that you have seen because Forza 3′s visuals are a massive improvement over Forza 2. Reflections on the cars, higher polygon counts, super sharp environment textures, car damage and more are all there for those of you who love great graphics. Just for the sake of a mention, because it’s awesome, when you corner, you can actually see the outer rims of the tires moving as they are pushed around from the forces of the car.

In short, the game looks vibrant and gorgeous yet still manages to run at a perfectly solid 60fps. It’s not difficult to say that Forza 3 has some of the best graphics that you have seen on the Xbox 360 in this generation. Replays and photo modes are graced with extra filters and effects, which brings their framerate down to around 30-35 but since you aren’t actually racing it is a welcome addition and makes everything look even better.

Vroooom, PSSSHHH

When it comes to sound, Forza 3 also hits the high notes. Cars sound unique and the sounds of turbos, superchargers and throaty V8′s will do nothing but sing to your ears as you belt your car around the tracks.

The soundtrack for the game does even more to immerse you in the experience and this time around music actually plays during the races (unlike Forza 2) which gets you into the grove and keeps the races from boring your ears over the course of a few long laps.

In conclusion I am very happy to say that Forza 3 is the very best driving game that I have played on the Xbox 360 and is possibly going to be one of the very best of this generation. There is a ton of things to do, a whole heap of cars to race and an incredible amount of fun to be had and to make things even better, it looks and sounds amazing as well.

Conclusion

This review has been a simple one to decide on because the game does so many things that make you want to love it. Forza Motorsport 3 is undoubtedly one of the best driving games I have ever played and I happily recommend it to just about anyone who has a mild interest in cars and racing.

Scoring

Gameplay: 10
As good as it gets

Presentation: 9.5
Beautiful cars, tracks, effects and menus, with only a few hiccups here and there.

Sound: 9.5
A petrolhead symphony

Value: 9.5
A great career a ton of multiplayer options and that’s only the racing

————

Overall: 9.7

The cream of the crop. Automobile heaven, with really nice looking clouds