Forza 2 Motorsport Review

I've been playing Forza 2 Motorsport for the Xbox 360 for over a week now and thought the time right to post a review of the game thus far. It's probably an understatement when I say that Forza 2 is a vast game and will keep you occupied for a number of weeks if not months at least. There are so many races available in the different modes that there's something to suit everyone.

In the single player game you can either play the "Arcade" or "Career" modes. The career mode is the meat and potatoes of the game and to start with you need to choose your home region from either Europe, America or Asia. Your chosen region initially has an impact on the car models available and eventually other cars from your home region will be heavily discounted as your career progresses. After your region has been selected your given 20,000 credits to purchase your first ride and once you've selected your starting car it's off to the races where a number of event meetings all consisting of a number of races need to be completed to earn yourself some more credits.

Initially only the "Proving Grounds" race category is available but as you win races and your driver level improves additional categories and event meetings will open up. The driver level advancement is nicely paced and it ensures that you don't try to "walk before you can run" and the game gradually eases you into harder races and stiffer competition. All in all there are nine categories culminating in a series "Endurance Races" where only those with stamina really need to apply. The events are nicely varied and generally each one will have certain restrictions, for example "cars with less than 150 horsepower". Thus you cannot stick with one car throughout the game and you will need to either purchase, or win an appropriate car when you fancy entering another event when you haven't got any other suitable cars.

Every time you achieve a new driver level, or your car gains a new reputation level you will be rewarded. These can range from discounts on upgrades or cars, to opening up new relationships with manufacturers which unlock car models that were previously unavailable for purchase.

As you accumulate winnings you'll eventually start to think about upgrading your car and you won't be disappointed with the options on offer. You can buy upgrades, in varying levels, for nearly everything. The upgrades are nicely categorised, and a handy bar chart is available to show you the positive (or negative) effects it will have should you choose to purchase and fit the new part. Upgrading is not the only option available and you can further tweak the car by "tuning" it as-well. Again a number of choices are available from changing the tyre pressure and wheel alignment to altering the brake force, aerodynamics and the differential.

Not only can you upgrade and tune a car but you can also take it to the paint shop to re-spray it, apply manufacturer vinyls or if you're feeling creative you can apply vinyls in layers using preset or primitive decals to fully customise the look of your ride. Each car model allows you to add up to 1000 layers to the hood and each side and 500 layers to the front and rear bumpers. The sheer number of layers really allows you the freedom to make any design you could think of. I'm no artist and my talent (and patience) is strictly limited but I have seen some truly amazing custom paint jobs that have been created.

The difficulty level of Forza 2 is very customisable. Although under the hood this is definitely not an arcade racer Turn 10 have made a number of "assists" and variables available so you can have fun playing the game whatever skill level of racer you are. If you prefer to have a "suggested racing line", "traction control" and "anti-lock brakes" with "easy" AI opponents then that's entirely up to you. However, each variable has an effect on your overall winnings in a race and if, for example, you had all the assists and options set at the entry level then you'd have a -25% deduction applied to your winnings.

If you fancy a break from the career mode you can jump into the arcade mode which offers either "Exhibition", "Time-Trial" or "Free Run" events. Exhibition consists of 15 races whereby you can choose you car class or select a car from your career garage with the aim of getting a gold, silver or bronze medal in each race. Time-trials features 25 circuits where the sole aim is to beat the target time using a specific vehicle, and finally free-run is what you'd expect it to be and allows you to try out any circuit.

If all this isn't enough for you then you can try out the multi-player aspect and this offers the usual mixture of player and ranked matches, but there's also a number of ongoing tournaments which are continually being held for you to enter upon successful qualification. The multi-player mode also plays host to an "Auction House" where you can sell unwanted cars or buy that oh-so-sweet car with the custom paint job you've seen if you're willing to part with the credits.

Forza 2 is a beautiful game to look at, granted some of the courses may not be as complex as say something out of "Project Gotham Racing 3" but this sacrifice has ensured that the game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second with a complex physics engine. If you're ever in doubt as to how much is actually going on underneath that glossy hood you just need to turn on the telemetry display (either during a race or replay) to get feedback on a number of physical attributes effecting the car such as the G-forces or the tyre wear as you take a corner.

Although there's not a vast number of actual racing locations available, each one has a number of different circuit alternatives. These all add to overall total number so that it becomes a respectable figure. Each circuit is nicely detailed and varied enough from one another to provide a challenge.

The cars are a big part of this game and there are a staggeringly high number (over 200) available from all sorts of global manufacturers. Although I've not tried out every car I have driven a fair few and each one has handling that is noticeably different to one another. Unfortunately there's still no inside camera view and I guess it's a casualty to ensure a smooth frame rate, but I've found the "bumper cam" to be perfectly adequate. If you don't fancy the bumper view there's also the bonnet camera and a couple of chase camera views.

The beauty about this game is that you don't have to be a gear head to have fun playing it. The options are there so you can customise and tune to your hearts content but it's not a requirement. Turn 10 have successfully developed a game that is accessible to all but have still maintained a hardcore racing game at its heart and for this they have to be commended. Without a doubt Forza 2 is a fantastic game and instantly takes its place on the podium along with other great racers.