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Forza Motorsport 2 Review
Chris Leyton
08/06/2007
Forza continues its attempt to dethrone Gran Turismo as Turn 10 returns with an engaging sequel...
Halo, Fable and possibly PGR aside, Microsoft had a mixed history of introducing its own series-spawning franchises on Xbox. Despite a string of high-profile acquisitions, it's worth remembering that for every Master Chief, morally confused hero and streets of Edinburgh there seems to be an equal supply of those that promised much but soon fell into obscurity: Brute Force, Quantum Redshift and of course, Blinx the Cat. The other exception is of course Turn 10's Forza Motorsport. Conceived to provide an alternative to Polyphony Digital's omnipotent Gran Turismo series, the original Forza soon won over a legion of racing fanatics with its sophisticated racing action, novel damage model, heavy customisation options and strong online support.
Despite its qualities, one of the game's biggest strengths ultimately became one of its biggest drawbacks, fundamentally breaking the Forza Motorsport experience with certain customisations of cars and parts creating virtually unstoppable combinations. The resulting scramble to discover the unbeatable formula soon unbalanced the entire online experience, leaving the game's long-term legacy severely dented. So with the need to establish Forza on the Xbox 360 and gain an early start on Gran Turismo (and hopefully fix a few wrongs in the process), Turn 10 are back with the inevitable sequel.
Gotta Drive Em All
Understandably, Forza Motorsport 2 follows an almost identical blueprint to its predecessor. With a handful of Exhibition challenges, Time Trials and Free Run options in the Arcade mode, the staying power behind Forza 2 lurks within the Career mode that provides over 300 offline races in a variety of classifications. Split seamlessly between off- and online modes, Forza 2's array of events are tallied into a unified pool of credits to advance through the game and put towards new cars and upgrades. Taking Forza 2 online is a fundamental part of the experience, seamlessly blending into the offline career and creating a mesmerising experience where racing is part of a bigger picture of progress. Sharing credits between both off- and online modes isn't anything new, yet few titles have managed to create such compelling and satisfying results.
Expanding upon the level progression of your skills as a driver, Forza 2 introduces a separate levelling up system for the cars in your collection. The result must be similar to the fanaticism that twelve-year olds have for Pokemon, unlocking additional parts and discounts to further your cars' quest for racing perfection.
With an initial line-up of 303 cars assembled from a range of manufacturers across the globe, Forza fans can step inside cars as diverse as the staple range of high-powered beasts such as the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Koenigsegg CC85, to the humble Mini Cooper S and the iconic E-Type Jaguar. Split into seven groups (D, C, B, A, S, U, R1-4), the rewritten Performance Index introduces a numerical value up to 999 alongside to provide a wider canvas for the game's exhaustive supply of customisation and tuning options. Behind it all, Turn 10 passionately expounds upon the virtues of a "non-linear math model" and "neural-network AI", though fortunately no knowledge of computers or mechanics is needed to realise that this ultimately means an upgrade and tuning system that provides depth, customisation, realism, but above all a much needed sense of balance to the proceedings.
"Immediate Accessibility and Tireless Depth..."
Appealing to both racing videogame fans and motorsport enthusiasts through a system that provides both immediate accessibility and tireless depth is one of Forza's greatest qualities. Presenting the benefits and costs of the various parts and modifications via a chart covering the basics such as Speed, Acceleration, Braking, Handling and Rarity, whilst providing the raw statistics at the press of a button, ensures that racing fans of all kinds will gain something from tinkering with the basic setup. If squeezing every drop of performance out of a highly desirable Murcielago sounds appealing, then the wealth of Tuning options will keep you staring in front of the screen for many months to come. Split into Engine & Power, Performance & Handling, Tyres & Rims and Body & Aero, Forza 2' covers aspects as diverse and intensive as exhausts to centrifugal superchargers, tyre compounds to the type of rim, anti roll-bars to differentials. Many of these provide adjustable options in the Tuning room, which gives an overwhelming amount of precise control over the car's performance to anybody who knows the difference between positive and negative "rear toe in".
On the track, Forza 2 continues the themes of depth and accessibility with a handling system and physics engine that provides an incredibly sophisticated, yet immediately playable simulation. Given the series' aspirations, it's not too surprising to find that each car handles and feels very different to the next. There is however, a level of refinement to everything Forza 2 attempts. Cars respond to the track and surrounding environment with terrifying accuracy due to a physics engine running at 360fps; approach a turn too fast, jump on the brakes without any assists and you'll soon appreciate what Forza 2 offers!
Setting itself above Gran Turismo on at least one count, the original Forza was praised for introducing a damage model that added to its perception as a realistic driving simulator. Turn 10 have worked hard to ensure this continues with the sequel, but in many ways, the feature feels less of a generation-jump over the original game as certain other aspects of the game. Whilst the physical effect of collisions on the performance of the car is portrayed with brutal accuracy, the underwhelming aesthetic depiction comes across as a disappointment. Details such as windows smashing, scratched paintwork and parts falling off are all very functional, however it's nothing that hasn't been seen before. Perhaps there's a valid reason for cars not crunching up in a realistic fashion when you've hit the pit-wall at 180mph, but considering the improvements to the rest of the game we would have liked to have seen focus on the little details - fuel leaking, crumple zones crumpling, proper dents instead of ugly damage decals. Lawyers from the various car manufacturers and Microsoft's themselves, would likely shake their heads diligently and scoff at taking things too far, but surely an E-Type Jag into a wall at 120mph would come off worse then the mess you'll find somewhere in the screenshots.
Drivatar Strikes Back
Putting the "Drivatar" technology introduced in the original Forza to better use, AI opponents on the track feel closer to real-world competition than drones hugging the perfect racing line and failing to respond to the player's actions. Naming the opponents and tracking their performance goes a long way to building a sense of individualism and personality to each of them; however, it's not until you're actually on the track that you can fully appreciate the lengths to which Turn 10 have once again gone. AI opponents never feel as though they're cheating to remain competitive to the player, without resorting to "rubber band" techniques employed in less serious racing alternatives. The range of different techniques AI opponents employ emphasises the myriad of personalities evident on the track, some will fight aggressively, and others will stroll along as though it's a Sunday drive in the country. If the degree to which Turn 10 and Microsoft Game Studios have gone has any applicable impact on the game, then AI opponents will allegedly learn whilst on the track, adopting new strategies as the race develops and builds into an entirely convincing experience - it seems to work.
The technology also comes into play with the option of hiring a driver to compete in races that you don't want to play yourself. Beyond the obvious benefits for the gruelling Endurance races, the feature will also appeal to players turned on by the many different facets that Forza 2 offers - if modding, tuning or customising is more interesting then actually playing the game, the hire option appears to be a handy addition to progress slowly through the game.
Photoshop It's Not
Through the Livery Editor fans of the original Forza soon got to grips with its perceived limitations and managed to create surprisingly good designs to customise their motors. Recognising the appeal, Turn 10 has ensured the feature makes a welcome return for the sequel with a number of improvements. With an array of basic shapes and limited fonts, creating something that doesn't look as though it came from a primary school, initially seems like an impossible task. Perseverance and seeing what others have come up with soon provides the initiative to come to terms with what's available, and understand the techniques behind creating some of the more elaborate designs you'll come across. In the original Forza, creating designs was a fun little addition, but one that I didn't pay too much time with; something's changed with the sequel, and I find myself spending the same amount of time in the paint shop as I do on the track. With the option to spend hours designing cars and selling them in the Auction House, Forza 2 provides a welcome break from the racing action with something that provides plenty of rewards and satisfaction.
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Date Added:Fri 25th Jan 2008 16:28
Anonymous
Date Added:Fri 21st Sep 2007 21:49
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Date Added:Wed 1st Aug 2007 23:42
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Date Added:Fri 20th Jul 2007 00:02
the jedi lord of truth and justice
Date Added:Thu 5th Jul 2007 16:57
than forza motorsport 1
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Date Added:Tue 3rd Jul 2007 16:30
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Date Added:Fri 8th Jun 2007 00:04