We spent years tearing through the muddy fields of the UK in Forza Horizon 4. We aren’t usually big fans of racing games, but FH4 was everything to us for a very long time. We loved the soundtrack, the arcade controls, how the seasons changed, and how the cars behaved. Then we moved to Mexico for Horizon 5. It was an amazing sequel, allowing us to launch supercars off dusty volcanoes and drive straight through the jungle.
Throughout that whole time, we—along with most of the community—were practically screaming for one specific location: Japan. Forza Horizon 6 drops us into a massive chunk of Tokyo. Surrounded by rural mountains, we get access to over 550 cars. This past week, we’ve been messing around in the Touge battles and driving around the docks, and we have to say, it’s a dense and beyond gorgeous experience. Playground Games kept their well-known formula, offering the recognizable core game in a completely different setting.
Wall-Riding in Tokyo
The team at Playground Games are veterans, and after the amazing successes of 4 and 5, it’s perfectly expected that they would further perfect the driving physics. Horizon 6 feels fresh, unique, and exciting. The graphics are much better and incredibly well-optimized, to the point that we didn’t run into any issues playing on high/ultra settings in front of our big TV.
We also finally get 540-degree wheel rotation. It’s incredibly immersive to see that the in-game hands actually match what your real hands are doing now. Throwing a car around a hairpin turn also feels heavier and more connected to the road. They updated the engine audio as well, which is a fantastic touch when you are driving a classic JDM car. Aside from the amazing soundtrack, the audio effects themselves are highly realistic. Our first few sessions were just using the TV speakers, but once we switched to headphones, we realized we had really been missing out. Even the smallest sounds as we were buzzing by at high speeds were exceptionally well-executed.
For those of us who like to play FH6 with others, the way the map layout changes the multiplayer dynamic is fantastic. Before even getting into a proper race, you can seamlessly pull into casual Car Meets downtown or queue up for Time Attack Circuits and Drag Meets. Since Tokyo has so much verticality, we spent a lot of time weaving through tight alleys and industrial docks.
Everything clicks from the very start, especially when it comes to returning modes like The Eliminator. This mode feels completely different now because driving in a straight line across an empty desert simply isn’t an option anymore. Hide & Seek in a dense city is equally amazing. Trying to lose a pursuer by ducking into a narrow shipping container yard gets our heart rates up in a way open fields never did. Oh, and we also get new co-op LINK skills just for driving around with friends.
It all comes down to actual driving!
Spec Racing Championships arrives to force everyone into the exact same stock car. Yup, no one can rain on our parade by bringing an overpowered V12 engine swap to a lower-tier lobby anymore. We were also incredibly happy to see that the devs added an on-screen Car Proximity Radar. This way, we know exactly who is sitting in our blind spot. It’s a massive relief, and it means winning a multiplayer race actually feels entirely earned now.
The New Old
To prove ourselves in the game, we have to pass the Horizon Invitational. From there, we earn wristbands to become rookie drivers. As expected, the races are tied together by authentic stories focusing on Japanese car culture. In time, we even got an invite to Legend Island, which acts as an exclusive hub for top drivers.
Filling out a Collection Journal
To make a name for ourselves, we had to drive to a map icon, complete the race, and earn the car. It sounds repetitive on paper, but it’s far from it. There is actually a cozy comfort to the loop. We spent a whole evening just chilling out, crossing map icons off our list, and enjoying the vibe. After a long day of work, nothing beats a relaxing drive through Japan.
The garage is our downtime
For anyone who still hasn’t played FH6, we genuinely envy the feeling of grabbing those rare Aftermarket cars or uncovering special Forza Edition vehicles for the first time. These cars come with extreme modifications pre-installed, which makes buying gorgeous homes around the map just to store them well worth the investment. If decorating the interior sounded like too much work, you could easily download garage layouts shared by the community in just a couple of seconds. You can even paint custom liveries directly onto the windows now, or, if you really want to go crazy, slap on the new Forza Aero body kits.
The biggest new toy is undeniably CoLab, which replaces the good old EventLab. Basically, it allows us to dream about building custom tracks anywhere on the map, in real-time, during multiplayer sessions. We were terrible at it—we simply don’t have the talent for design—but we were more than capable of admiring what the talented community put together. Thanks to them, we spent hours just laughing with friends, watching how they dropped stunt ramps over the Tokyo skyline, and trying to launch hatchbacks onto skyscrapers. Building out a completely open sandbox garage is also an option at a place called the Valley Estate.
The Accessibility Reality
No matter what someone’s preference is, it’s incredibly easy to have a great time in FH6. Even for those who might not care for the competitive side of the game, there is still plenty of enjoyment to be found just chilling in a car. The AutoDrive feature literally drives for you, allowing us to just sit back, listen to music, and watch the gorgeous scenery roll by. It’s a fantastic tool for accessibility, and it also makes a pretty fancy screensaver.
Another Great Sandbox!
FH6 ultimately gave us the map we’ve been begging for. Tokyo is an incredible place to drive, the Touge battles are a blast, and Spec Racing is exactly what the multiplayer needed to keep things fair and competitive. Even building custom tracks over the city skyline with friends is an absolute joy. As long as we’re okay with the fact that the core progression is the exact same familiar checklist we’ve been playing through for years, Forza Horizon 6 offers a truly unforgettable experience.
Overall Score: 9.5/ 10
ID Card
- Developer: Playground Games
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Genre: Open-World Racing
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