It seems that every time a new racing game hits the shelves the critics are quick to cry that this is the best one yet. In the case of Forza 3 they might just be onto something. With a combination of more than 400 different cars to drive, absolutely stunning and photo realistic graphics that never put a foot wrong and gameplay suited to every skill level, this really is a title worth playing whether you like cars or not.
For your very first race in Forza 3 you will find yourself behind the wheel of an Audi R8. It’s unfortunately not your own but a loaner vehicle but you may be happy to hear that, unlike the majority of racing games, almost all of the vast selection of cars
are available to you from the outset. Granted, you won’t have the credits needed to get your mitts on them right away but earn yourself enough and you’ll be able to jump behind the wheel of a Ferrari Enzo or even a Bugatti Veyron without spending hours in unlocking them. It’s a great incentive to put the less exciting cars behind you quickly!
You’re unlikely to be bored however, even when driving some of the less well bred cars as with an absolutely incredible physics engine each will handle slightly differently. If you take the plunge and turn off every driving assist you will soon start to notice the subtleties between the different vehicles. Essentially that means that even though you might find yourself on the same racetrack several times, each individual time will be different if you are in a different car.
The assists on offer to drivers help to make the game accessible to players of every skill level imaginable. Everything from traction control to auto-braking can turn what is a driving simulator into more of an arcade-style point and accelerate game. These assists are a fantastic way to get to know the game, but even inexperienced gamers may soon find themselves taking them off to experience the intricacies of the physics engine on offer. Especially with the ability to rewind the race for five seconds during gameplay to allow you to jump back in before that catastrophic mistake that you made.
In terms of appearance, Forza 3 is visually stunning. The cars are incredibly detailed and the racing liveries available at the outset look incredible. If that’s not enough for you though, you can even start to design your own looks for your vehicles with a livery editor. Fans of Forza 2 will notice that there’s been little improvement to this facet of the game, the developers obviously choosing to follow the strategy, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ However, it is now far easier to price and sell the designs that you’ve spent your time creating for in-game credits to go toward your next car.
Forza 3 is among the list of the top racing games that have ever been created. Even with a few flaws such as a career mode that may become monotonous in part and slightly irritating cinematic cut scenes of your car before each race, often preventing the perfect launch due to preset revs. These do nothing to dissuade from a title that will well and truly appeal to everyone, and with an excellent online element as well as the solo campaign, there’s hours of entertainment to be had.
