As usual, and unlike more rigid racing games, there's generally no such thing as a barrier when you're making your way through the world.

FH5 draws race tracks over an open world's mix of paved roads, dirt, and mountainside, and you can freely drive across the map to take on new races and challenges.

On the macro gameplay level, however, this content blurs together into the frantic freeform racing you've seen before, which isn't so bad. (Thankfully, the game's dialogue doesn't overuse Spanglish to make this point.) On the micro level, expect an appropriate amount of indigenous architecture, sun-scorched foliage, and city zones that have been transplanted wholesale from the likes of Mexico DF. The first big difference in the new title is the location: Mexico, rather than England, Australia, or anywhere else Horizon games have previously taken place. (Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.) That's unless you happen to own a current-gen Xbox or a killer gaming PC, though-in which case, FH5 primarily scores big as a drool generator. And it skips a few obnoxious modern trends, letting you simply play by yourself without microtransaction-related meddling.īut FH5 increments the digit in its title without much additional iteration, which means it's hardly a 'must buy,' especially if you already played FH4. That means it's good, it's fun, and it's pretty. Forza Horizon 5 remains merely the best open-world driving game you can buy- the same thing we said about 2018's Forza Horizon 4. In spite of this history, I went into Forza Horizon 5 hoping fans wouldn't have to wait for another expansion pack to add that kind of fuel injection-but sadly, my hopes have been dashed. Horizon's best ideas have mostly come from wacky DLC packs that reimagine the series concept, particularly FH3's Hot Wheels set and FH4's Lego pack. But while each subsequent Horizon game has improved the series' technical chops, the formula hasn't changed much. The resulting game curried a ton of favor upon launch, since it evoked the beloved and long-dormant Burnout Paradise concept-with the bonus of Forza's solid car-handling model at its core. Instead of confining you to just race tracks, Horizon's massive map ranged from busy city streets to wide-open countrysides to muddy riverside romps. Nearly a decade before this week's launch of Forza Horizon 5, the Forza Horizon series began life as a plucky, goofy offshoot of the 'serious' Forza Motorsport racing games. Links: Microsoft | Amazon | Best Buy | Steam | Official Website Price: $60 (included as part of Xbox Game Pass) Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC

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