Turning off various assists - such as ABS, traction control and stability control - returns a distinct danger to the way the cars handle across different surfaces and when carelessly oversteering into corners at speed, with the simulation model moving closer into line with the core Forza experience at that point. There's an air of simulation running through how the cars are affected by changes in weight shift and suspension when turning corners or riding over bumpy terrain, but at the same time control is easy to get to grips with using the default settings and allows for plenty of flashy driving without requiring the skills of a professional racer. This balancing act is also clearly felt in the handling model of the cars which blend together a realistic feel to racing around at high speed with an ample degree of accessibility for new players and fans of arcade driving games to enjoy. It's a look that gives the game a slightly casual feel without completely losing the authenticity you'd expect to find in more serious racing games, although not without creating a slightly surreal appearance in common with a stylised car commercial. These lighting decisions seem like a stylistic choice designed to give Forza Horizon a distinctive look that sits in between the pastel vibrancy of arcade racers and muted tones of driving games aiming for absolute realism. Sometimes, the bright daytime lighting also give cars a cut-out look against the scenery in certain conditions, which can appear a little odd. At times some of the environments appear almost photo-realistic, but this sense of authenticity is partially compromised by the slightly over-saturated presentation, featuring some bold colours, heavy use of bloom and lens flare, and cars that appear just a touch too artificially shiny under the full glimmer of the sun. All surfaces in the game accurately react to the surrounding lighting conditions, while light sources are rendered in real time, from the headlights on the cars to the soft glow of street lamps at night. The use of advanced physically-based rendering of materials helps to bring out a striking look to cars and the environments. Forza Horizon 2 delivers a dependable 30fps set-up on the Xbox One with practically no performance issues to detract from the experience. Textures mostly appear pretty crisp and clear, although the low level of anisotropic filtering is disappointing - details on the ground start to blur from just a few metres away.ĭespite a few graphical niggles, Forza Horizon 2 is an impressive sight, and the level of detail still stands out when exploring the lavish landscape Playground Games has created: foliage and crops densely litter field and farm lands, bumps and cobblestones are spread across old roads, while buildings, trees, and other objects that span the environment can be seen for miles around. LOD (level of detail) transitions are for the most part kept in check too, although we find that higher quality assets for foliage pop in quite late, which is quite noticeable when tearing through the scenery at over 100mph, while shadows frequently flicker as you approach them. While there are restrictions on how far you can drive in the demo, generally speaking if you can see an area, you can reach it, cutting across fields and driving up hillsides to get there. This is nicely demonstrated in the demo as we first make our way around cliff-side coastal roads in a yellow Lamborghini before heading inland across the countryside to our eventual destination, the Horizon festival.ĭraw distances are impressive with buildings, trees, and plants visible far into the horizon. Set across South of France and parts of Northern Italy, our first glimpses of the world in Forza Horizon 2 are filled with large, intricate landscapes spanning rolling hillsides, rocky cliff faces, and stretches of countryside filled with winding roads and fields rich with foliage and farming crops. How well that would actually work wasn't clear until the release of the Forza Horizon 2 demo earlier this week - our first chance to get uninterrupted hands-on time with the game.įirst impressions are positive. But where Playground Games' Xbox sequel hopes to differentiate itself is in its focus on delivering a rich and unrestrained open world where players are free to explore and tackle challenges as they see fit. ![]() There's certainly much in common between the two titles, with each boasting similarly advanced rendering features, tight online integration, and native 1080p visuals operating at a locked 30fps. As platform comparisons go, Forza Horizon 2 vs DriveClub promises to be one of the most exciting console clashes of this year's holiday season.
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