REVIEW – When Microsoft first started releasing its in-house titles for PlayStation, the question was how long before a really big franchise would be released. That’s not to disparage previous releases, as games like Grounded are always welcome guests, and Sea of Thieves brought something unique to the platform (Skull and Bones notwithstanding), but those aren’t usually the titles that people think of when Xbox comes to mind. With the release of Forza Horizon 5, four years after it first hit Xbox and PC, a major Xbox franchise has finally hit the platform, and those who are just getting acquainted with the Forza world can expect a special experience.

The opening scene is a real adventure train through the landscapes of Mexico. The game starts in the cargo hold of a cargo plane. The cargo door opens and a 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands drops down onto the top of a snow-capped, active volcano. The instructional part begins here, with push-button instructions showing you the basic controls. The truck drives over the top of the volcano, breaks through the hillside into the rocky desert, and then takes another giant leap into an active Baja race. The title then turns to another drop, where the Corvette Stingray C8 speeds through farmland before passing through a dust storm where visibility drops to an orange-brown haze. The camera switches again: this time a modified Porsche 911 slices through the jungle, scaring off flamingos and then stops at some temple ruins. Finally, the game switches to Baja California, where the Mercedes-AMG ONE screams its way through beach resorts and overgrown fields before overtaking the truck and arriving at the Horizon Festival.

This start will even beat the Gran Turismo around the bend

The opening scene is followed by character creation, which gives you just as many options as you need – it should be pointed out that prosthetics can be selected. You can also choose a name, which will be called the game’s GPS – unless you’ve already played Forza Horizon 4, in which case it will carry over from the previous choice. This, in turn, just goes to show how nice it would have been to have the rest of your character’s settings imported automatically, rather than having to recreate everything from scratch.

A final choice is the voice of the character – this is interesting because the driver is an active participant in the dialogue, not just a silent protagonist. You’ll notice that there are only two voices to choose from, both with British accents – which makes sense, since the game says you’re the same champion driver as in FH4. Some characters from the previous game return, such as event organisers and DJs, so FH5 is both a continuation of the previous episode and a link between episodes in the series. These little things take a backseat to the gameplay, but they work as fun gimmicks.

Open world, free competition, 500+ cars: the new home of Horizon

For those new to the series, it’s essentially a huge open-world racing game with a variety of race models. To compare it to other platform games, The Crew: Motorfest springs to mind – except that there are no other vehicle types. Depending on the settings, the physics model of the race can be fully simulation, fully arcade, or a hybrid to suit the player’s style – for example, where the race line is active but rewinding bugs is disabled. The types of races are also varied: circuits, point-to-point races, on different types of terrain. Rather than starting them from a menu, you drive yourself to the locations, where drift zones and speed gauges await. When you feel like you’ve seen it all, you can create your own races, or try out the community’s creations one by one, or with the Super 7 system, which offers seven random races. Whatever you choose, you’ll find well-designed courses with tricky turns and fast-paced stages. Sometimes you’ll be able to scramble over gorges, or scoot through a desert forest unscathed. As in the main series, the cars are a dream to drive, and if you spin out, it’s your fault.

Most driving games want you to stay on the road at all times. FH5, on the other hand, encourages you to get off the road, as there are few obstacles to stop you – at most, a thick tree or a massive building. Almost every element of the world is breakable, and the game rewards you with bonuses for smashing and breaking, making you more willing to get off the tarmac and find your own way. Destructible elements include jumps, billboards that reduce the price of a fast journey, treasure chests and barns that house legendary cars – including some Mexican specialities.

The range now consists of more than 525 models, and it’s impressive that the developers have not taken away, but only added. Familiar brands like BMW and Mitsubishi have been joined by hard-to-license names like Porsche and Ferrari. Players can still create custom paint jobs and tune their vehicles for better performance. These can also be shared with the community, but are not a condition for success – it all depends on what race settings you choose.

Online racing, battle royale and Mexican mayhem – it’s all going crazy in Forza Horizon 5

Anyone who has played FH4 after all the patches will be familiar with the online experience. Each race in the campaign can be played solo or with a convoy of friends. The world is populated by real players, but you can turn this off if you don’t want to see others – although they can’t crash into you, so no griefing should occur. Forzathon events now go by the name Forza Arcade, but the aim is the same: you and 11 other players try to complete three tasks together in 15 minutes to earn massive points, which you can then redeem for prizes in the shop. An Eliminator mode is also available in the base game – bringing the battle royale concept into the world of racing for a chaotic and unique experience. The online performance is exemplary: no ejections, tearing or lag – no matter what mode you’re running in or how many players you have.

The core gameplay is largely unchanged, and if FH5 were no more than FH4 in Mexico, it would be a joy to play, so well-rounded and fun is the experience. Although the promotion didn’t emphasise any big changes to the formula, there are still plenty of new features that make the new installment special. Mexico is at the heart of this. The idea of different biomes was already present in FH3 for Australia, but now it’s been expanded even further, with 11 different regions to explore. The opening scene has already introduced some of them, but it’s still fascinating to see the Baja coast interspersed with deserts, verdant farms with small towns and narrow streets connected by tunnels. As in the previous episodes, the character of the environment is incredibly strong, and that’s what makes the experience truly memorable.

Seasons, stories and skydivers – Forza Horizon 5 isn’t afraid to step out of its comfort zone

Seasons familiar from FH4 return, but in a slightly different way because of the Mexican setting. Instead of four distinct seasons, the year is now divided into wet and dry seasons, with separate events and seasonal prizes. It doesn’t seem like much of a change at first, but the condition of the tracks changes, so for example, the rainy season brings more slippery roads. Weather can also cause brutal events such as sandstorms or tropical cyclones. The seasons are not as pronounced this time as they were in the fourth part, but it’s good to see that they haven’t been completely discarded.

Another change relates to Showcase events, which used to be crazy races against various vehicles – these are still there, such as a race against wingsuit riders jumping out of a cargo plane. These are partly replaced by Expeditions and Stories. During the former, new Horizon Festival venues will be opened. Some are simple – for example, we go to ruins to set up a new outpost – while others are more reminiscent of Showcase events, such as when you have to get from the top of a volcano to a Baja race, as in the opening scene.

Between locations you can take on extra tasks, such as mounting an antenna for a radio station or smashing boxes on a jump for a co-pilot – a nice break from the constant racing. The Stories are also back, with similar variety and even more complexity. In one, we give a university student a lift as he collects data on dust storms. In another, we perform stunt performances on a film set. In the most moving story, we help a mechanic track down a Volkswagen Beetle that once belonged to a deceased relative. This last story is surprisingly emotional, but that’s what makes it stand out from the pack: it’s not just about car partying at last, but a real, human story – and that makes the whole game better.

In Forza Horizon 5, you can progress just by stepping on the gas!

The progression system is once again completely rethought, and FH5 feels much freer than previous episodes. There’s still a star system, which you can earn by doing tricks while driving – and with the experience points you collect, you can pack bonuses into your chosen car, such as extra star XP after drifting or crashing. The traditional XP system is still in place, so you can keep spinning the wheel of fortune as you level up, which can give you money, cars or new clothes. There are of course car songs, including the tune from the first track of the original Doom.

The real new feature is the Accolades system, which is responsible for unlocking new areas and major events at the Horizon Festival. This allows the player to unlock regions and tournament types in the order they like. So if someone likes street racing, they can unlock that first, and then use them to unlock other genres such as off-road races or stunt tracks.

This solution is not only elegant, but it also has an interesting side effect: you can unlock most of the game without competing too much. Almost every activity – be it drifting, speed driving or route exploration – has some sort of accolade attached to it, so you can make some serious progress just by driving and roaming. The prizes are pretty good, too, while the number of points needed to reach the next festival region remains fixed, not rising. While you can achieve these goals by racing, even one or two races and a couple of expeditions can be enough to move you on – there are so many side points to be gained from just exploring. An average player can unlock up to half the game before they really need to get into racing. This makes the game feel less like grinding, even if it takes the same amount of time overall as it did to complete FH4.

Giveaway cars, retro boobies, Hot Wheels – PS5 version packed with surprises

Of course, there are a few little things that players will be grateful for. You can now give cars as gifts – with all the tuning and cosmetic modifications. This is perfect for those who want to help others add to their collection. It’s also easier to see through your car collection, as you can see exactly which models are missing and get them with a click. If you complete a brand’s entire range, you’ll earn rewards, and these are typically money or accolade points, so progress is faster. Photo missions are also back, so getting all your cars on camera will earn you points too. These are small things, but they make the game a lot more enjoyable and smooth.

The fact that FH5 is coming to PS5 after four years has a number of advantages: all the patches and content additions that have been released so far – such as Hot Wheels and Rally Adventures – are already included in the base version. They’re available from the start of your career, so you’ll be able to do a lot of things from the very first hours. Cross-save doesn’t work (even if you log in with your Xbox account), but you can see your friends and records, and there’s full cross-play support. There’s also a Horizon Realms zone available at launch, with almost a full year’s worth of periodic events – such as Retrowave Highway or Ice Rink – waiting to be played. There’s also a new stadium that offers extra tracks, and the whole package is so extensive that you can get away with it for months even if you ignore the online part completely.

There is one criticism – and it’s right at the start of the campaign. After a few introductory runs, a video introduces Horizon Realms, the new feature. After the next event, however, comes another video promoting the extras available in the premium version, via the car pass – despite the fact that we’ve been given the code for the ultimate edition. There hasn’t been anything like this in the base game for a long time, and the fact that we get a video resembling a microtransaction after a few races is pretty disgusting. It breaks the flow that would give the race → free roam → event rhythm, and it’s distracting.

It’s got a great sound, and for the first time it beats to a Spanish beat – that’s the music in Forza Horizon 5

Once again, one of the strongest points of Forza Horizon 5 is the sound. The engine sounds have been remixed, and all 500+ cars sound like the real thing. Even with their eyes closed, fans will be able to recognize the vehicles by their sound. The dub work is also surprisingly good, even the character you generate has a decent voice. The radio stations offer a variety of music, from classics to recent hits, and there’s a dedicated streamer-friendly playlist.

For the first time, the music is actually adapted to the location – Spanish-language songs on all radio stations and Mexican philharmonic orchestras on the classical channel. The DJs include some returners, but there are also several new characters of Mexican origin, which makes it all the more authentic. The original soundtrack has been expanded to be less party and more adventure movie. In addition, the music this time around is a great accompaniment to more emotional moments – something this series hasn’t done so well so far.

No ray tracing on PS5, but it still looks like there is

The move to PlayStation 5 hasn’t changed the graphics settings. There’s Quality and Performance modes – the former with 30 fps and the latter with 60 fps refresh. It’s not clear if this is native 4K, and there doesn’t seem to be ray tracing either, perhaps reserved for the future PS5 Pro. The difference is more in the detail of the environment, but only becomes apparent on close inspection. Still, the game looks breathtaking on all platforms. The cars are richly detailed, the reflections on the bodywork are stunning – the optical trickery is so well done that many might mistake it for ray tracing. The environment is also stunning, especially the texture of the rocks and the detail of the vegetation. The lights are also beautiful: for example, the way the scattered light of sunset hits a hillside, or the way the lighting gradually normalises as you exit a tunnel. The weather effects are also stunning – tropical storms and dust storms pack a punch. After four years, this is still a great demo of the game engine.

Not today’s game, but Forza Horizon 5 still beats all

Despite the age of Forza Horizon 5, it’s still a brilliant open-world, arcade-style racing game. The vehicle handling is superb, the number of events is staggering, and the secret content keeps you engaged for a long time. The rhythm and structure of the game is so well paced that it’s perhaps rivalled only by Burnout Paradise – a remake of a PS3 classic. Even if The Crew: Motorfest was your only benchmark, it’s still worth taking the plunge. At the moment, there’s no other game on the market that does the genre so well.

-Herpai Gergely “BadSector-

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Download: Playground Games

Style: Open world racing game

Release date: 25 April 2025.