REVIEW – Engines whirr, smoke bombs burn, and the rhythm of electronic anthems matches the heart rate of an overexcited audience at the fifth Horizon festival. After Colorado, Southern Europe, Australia and the United Kingdom, the Horizon troupe meets in Mexico and intends to hit harder than ever. With the player in the role of the piñata with the dazed smile and who that gets slapped in the face.

Here we are: the organisers of the Horizon festival, aware of the disappointment of a handful of drivers with the UK’s lack of exoticism, have flown across the Atlantic in a bid to land cars and speakers in Mexico. Admittedly, the country that hosted the X018 has all the prerequisites to host the famous event. Three years after Edinburgh, it’s in Guanajuato that the drivers of the world will be able to make their cars squeal. The player takes on the role of a character (fully customisable) whose previous exploits in Britain have crossed borders. Described as a “superstar” by radio presenters, he is the headliner of the festival. This unparalleled reputation gives him a few privileges, such as accompanying Ramiro to the four corners of the map to find the best places to expand the festival. It’s what makes this new campaign different from previous adventures.

Campaign party

As usual, the player is invited to race, explore the surroundings and complete various challenges to become the new Horizon champion. But unlike previous instalments where challenges were automatically unlocked during the quest for the golden bracelet, Forza Horizon 5 revamps its progression system without changing the formula. Completing objectives here earns distinction points that fill up a gauge. When the meter is filled, it grants the user a token to unlock new festival antennas located in different parts of the map. Each time a new antenna becomes accessible, the player goes on an expedition with Ramiro in some very enjoyable missions. Once the expedition is complete, the festival branch events will pop up on the map. For example, Horizon Apex brings road races, Wilds brings dirt tracks, while Rush adds pub shots.

This way of progressing could have avoided the “Christmas tree” aspect with the map objectives that some drivers abhor if the title wasn’t so generous in the distinction points it awards. Because yes, like previous instalments, drivers are always rewarded in Forza Horizon 5, whether or not they come out on top in a race. Reputation tokens also unlock major Horizon elements such as new rallies (challenges against unusual machines ranging from trains to planes), Stories (chaptered missions based on a specific theme) and unique races (Colossus, Titan, Gauntlet, Goliath, Mastodon, Marathon, which traverse the entire map). This means that the player accesses the critical content of the title according to their desire rather than that of the developers. In other words, Forza Horizon 5 shows its willingness to adapt to the player’s wishes even if the program’s gargantuan content does not help this.

This way of progressing could have avoided the “Christmas tree” aspect with the map objectives that some drivers abhor if the title wasn’t so generous in the distinction points it awards. Because yes, like previous instalments, drivers are always rewarded in Forza Horizon 5, whether or not they come out on top in a race. Reputation tokens also unlock major Horizon elements such as new rallies (challenges against unusual machines ranging from trains to planes), Stories (chaptered missions based on a specific theme) and unique races (Colossus, Titan, Gauntlet, Goliath, Mastodon, Marathon, which traverse the entire map). This means that the player accesses the critical content of the title according to their desire rather than that of the developers. In other words, Forza Horizon 5 shows its willingness to adapt to the player’s wishes even if the program’s gargantuan content does not help this.

It’s only after spending a few hours in the land of Tierra Prospera that you begin to understand the extent of Playground Games’ ambitions. The British studio dares to go overboard on the most extensive playing field ever created in a Forza Horizon. In addition to the adverts mentioned above and events, the Eliminator Battle Royale mode and the Super7 feature community-created challenges from Forza Horizon 4. In addition, the developers have added the Horizon Tour, a multiplayer tournament across Mexico, as well as the Event Lab, a powerful tool that allows you to create your own routes and change the conditions for victory. Finally, the season system is retained while the dynamic weather that changes with the seasons/regions creates stunningly beautiful visual environments.

Just when we thought the only real casualty of this trip to Mexico was the Forzathon Live blimp, we actually found it as Horizon Arcade. Here, there’s no need to wait for missions to be triggered every hour. The mini-games take place at any time of the day or night and are broken down into themes (drift, jumps, destruction, etc.). It is up to the driver to choose where on the map they want to go to participate in these team events. When the co-op mode of a certain Halo Infinite is not integrated into the base game on the day of its release, Playground Games’ generosity commands respect. The rapid track generation tool called Blueprint, which seemed to have disappeared, is actually integrated into the Lab. More than ever, Forza Horizon has enough in its engine to keep players rolling for many hours. The trademark of the saga.

Next-generation graphics

Announced with great fanfare at the 2021 Microsoft Showcase, Forza Horizon 5 impressed the public with its next-generation console graphics. The problem is that after this kind of presentation, it’s easy to disappoint. The aesthetes can rest assured that the software designed by Mike Brown and his teams is very impressive. On Xbox Series X, the graphics are splendid whether you play in Quality (4K/30fps) or Performance (4K/60fps) mode. As we explained in our preview last month, Forza Horizon 5 erases the few technical imperfections found in the next-gen version of its predecessor. In Quality mode, the level of detail is less noticeable than before. The facades of the buildings finally stop appearing suddenly when approaching the vehicle, which adds a lot to the general visual comfort. It may be a small detail to you, but it means a lot to Forza fans: shadows finally stop moving jerkily during the day-night cycle. The list of killer details is long and only proves the incredible talent of Playground Games’ artists: the floors are detailed, the sky is photorealistic, the vehicles are superbly modelled, the special effects are numerous, the destructible/movable elements are considerable, and the display distance is enormous. As for the sandstorms, create an incredible post-apocalyptic atmosphere that the directors present at the festival are looking to exploit!

This technical mastery highlights the varied biomes visited during the epic, with volcanoes hosting snow in the dry season, canyons, tropical coastlines, rolling fields, arid hills, jungle, desert, beaches, swamps and the city thanks to Guanajuato. “The most beautiful place on Earth where everyone is welcome”, as the narrator says during the introductory video. These multiple biomes are not just for show, and they allow the festival organisers to create more or less tortuous routes without giving the impression of experiencing the same race twice. After seeing so much of the country, you come to feel that the classic circuits that run over several laps don’t have a place in this great delirium that is Horizon. The Mexican playground surpasses the third episode’s Australia in every way, even if it lacks a metropolis worthy of Surfer’s Paradise. The only downside to this Playground Games-orchestrated demonstration is that it’s far too tempting to interrupt a race to activate the photo mode and capture the moment. The rallies are once again eye-popping. This time, they are accompanied by expeditions packed with scripted elements that pop. We don’t want to spoil the surprises, but some great moments are waiting for aspiring drivers in the heart of this vast playground.

Racing and diesel

Despite the emphasis on exploration with all those barn treasures to unearth, Forza Horizon 5 is first and foremost a racing game. While Mexico is a big part of the experience, the other stars of this adventure are the vehicles that can be bought, earned, upgraded, or auctioned. At the time of writing, 526 cars can be driven. The Forza Horizon series may be a playground for collectors and other completionists, but it never forgets to be fun first. As the old saying goes, the uninitiated enjoy the spectacle, but the knowledgeable observe the techniques. Multiple options are available so that the game can be adapted to all tastes. The general difficulty of the drivatars can be modified, while various aids can be activated or deactivated (ABS, traction control, stability control, etc.). The more aids the player removes, the more credits they will receive at the end of a race, which are needed to buy new cars or Mexican houses. Let’s be clear: Forza Horizon 5 is played much like Forza Horizon 4. Despite the slightly redesigned campaign, there are no major changes to either the handling or the progression system. Players looking for originality may be left wanting more.

The Science Challenge

Forza Horizon 5‘s events are numerous. We count road, dirt, cross-country, street, and drag races. There are also pub shots, rallies, and expeditions. On the exploration side, we find the barn treasures as well as the bonus panels. In this episode, we notice the presence of ten Horizon stories with various themes (photos, stunts, test pilot, etc.). There is even one about ecology! This is funny for a festival that must have a non-negligible carbon footprint with all these planes and vehicles gathered for the pleasure of fans.

The Forza Horizon series is known for being festive. This is due, in part, to the tangy soundtrack and the radio hosts who give it their all. The latter are back and always have a line that fits what the player has just done. No matter which station you select from Pulse, Bass Arena, Block Party, XS, Hospital, and Eterna, there’s always a little phrase directed at the riders about their progress through the festival. For our part, we like to find tracks by Mexican artists in the playlists. This injects a bit of “caliente” into our ears. The sound design is outstanding, with different sound atmospheres from one biome to another.

High five at the top of the caldera

In the streets of Playground Games’ Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 plans to bring together adventurers from around the world. The developers have used the shared world from the fourth instalment to populate this world with living souls and added various improvements to make it easier to connect. Almost everything in Forza Horizon 5 is customisable and distributable. Deliveries can once again be designed and sent to the world, and the same goes for in-game photos. It is especially in the creation of events that the title takes a big step forward. Thanks to the Lab, the user can quickly draw tracks while placing almost anything he wants on the track. The user is then invited to modify the rules of the game via a simplified scripting system. No doubt that this tool will bring out some crazy concepts imagined by little geniuses. With its system of good-natured pre-recorded phrases, the “kudos” that can be sent to players, and the cars to be given away, Playground Games is banking on a “positive attitude” to combat all forms of toxicity. This creates a welcoming virtual world that is hard to leave.

¡Ay, caramba!

Forza Horizon 5 ripens under the Mexican sun, a recipe concocted by the team of Playground Games that already delighted millions of drivers. Like an antojito, Forza Horizon 5 can be enjoyed with anyone, anytime. Riding on everything that’s already been done technically and taking advantage of the Xbox Series X platform, Microsoft’s software climbs the volcano of fun and pours out a stream of exciting events to be experienced alone or with others. It’s the festival of the decade.

-BadSector-

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Developer: Playground Games

Genre: Racing

Release date: November 9, 2021