5punk

Forza Motorsport 2 - XBox 360

Introduction
The eagerly-anticipated "next-gen" sequel to the definitive XBox driving game, perhaps the* definitive console driving game.

Gameplay
Nice. After a brief period of re-introduction it's clear the old game is still there. Instant gratification with decent cars from the get-go are the hallmark of the series, and that's still the case. Just buy a car, race it a bit, upgrade it, pwn. The original (at least in SP) was never about being the most perfect driver ever, or passing a million license tests, just (sort of) getting the job done.
Only gameplay difference I've noticed is in the "hired driver" aspect - rather than train or coach your stand-in, you simply select a CPU driver of a certain level, who then takes a de-facto cut, from 55-100% of your winnings.

Sights and Sounds
Well, I thought it looked pretty nice at first, and actually it still does show pretty much what you need to see - but it could do a bit more. Cars are quite ridiculously shiny, but the draw distance doesn't always keep up. Don't get me wrong, it pisses all over anything previously - but it's not perfect. Other games have demonstrated that there can be a lot more "going on" on the screen, but I think the clean interface serves this game well.

Stuff that sucks
Umm, it is a bit easy. Okay I know I'm like the supar-leetest drivar evar, but this pushes it a bit. You will always win a computer-controlled race if you have the best PI on the grid, but it's also a piece of piss to win manually with the worst car. MP will put you firmly in your place, but it is a bit of a munchkin-fest getting the unlocks.
It doesn't have that many tracks, cars or modes compared to the Gran Turismo series.

Conclusion
Best driving game on the 360. For now, at least - the only damn one on next-gen consoles.

Score : 8.5/10

* I love Forza and Gran Turismo equally - they're both fucking excellent games, peerless in their execution and playability.

This might be an interesting read. (summary: needs AA, Plays best with a steering wheel)

Yeah, I read that, and at first I didn't see what his beef was with the graphics, but then I saw what they did with FlatOut: UC. Totally different type of game, whose approach wouldn't fit with FM and quite glitchy - but there's so much going on the track - stuff flying everywhere, things exploding - the 360 can clearly do better than what you see in FM2.

What seems a bit odd is that he says playing with the wheel makes it harder. Surely that's completely counter to a wheel's purpose? I wouldn't know though, I refuse to try these "air" wheels, so it would have to be horse-feedback jobby. I mentioned in another thread that I'd had one for ten or so years, and only had a handful of games support it properly. By properly I mean you should feel the grip pushing back at you as you turn and if you lose it, the wheel should go suddenly light and you have to feel for grip, sometimes resulting in the wheel being wrenched out of your hands. Rumbling a bit going round a corner isn't quite the same, but suffices with a joypad.

If it's harder with a wheel, the game's broken - in Colin McRea (4 I think it was) you could feel the car start to understeer, straighten up a bit and "catch" it - something just not possible with a controller. If it's set up right, like a real racing wheel, lock-to-lock should be no further than you can turn without having to let go, so while not quite as quick as a thumb-flick, certainly not slow enough to hamper you. In the three games I played most with the wheel, Pod, Speedbusters and GP Legends - I consistently perfomed better than with a joypad, and it's hard to find a more diverse selection of racing games.

Dr. kitteny berk wrote:This might be an interesting read. (summary: needs AA, Plays best with a steering wheel)

Damn, we lost that thread. Note to self to move any linked-to threads from the News section.

It linked to http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2007/06/ ... rsport_2/1

/weird memory.

Also something you forgot in the review: Getting online with a mate then driving backwards/ making road blocks is fucking fun!

Cashy you shit!

FORZA 2 vs GT5 - Very interesting video. I've played both and it's true, the little things in life do make such a difference (The wife wont believe that though!)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p_NaGxgjd3M

I stopped watching after the second spelling mistake.
About twenty seconds in.


Mind, I think driving sims are pretty dull games anyway.