Forza Motorsport Review Megathread
(I'm only adding well known critics below, unless specified the review was done on Xbox Series X)
| Reviewer | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 8/10 | After six long years, Forza Motorsport is off the lift and back in our lives. It looks great, feels great, sounds great, and it’s brought with it the most impressive multiplayer we’ve seen in the series so far. With 500 cars and 20 track locations it’s hardly a small start but, now positioned as a platform, Forza Motorsport has the potential to expand into a seriously rich racing destination over the coming years. If Flight Simulator on four wheels is the plan, I’m here for it. First on the list of improvements Turn 10 should focus on is revamping the new RPG-inspired upgrade system that turns progression into an unnecessarily long road ahead of each individual car, and maybe bringing back the joys of split-screen multiplayer racing to complement the excellent online modes. |
| IGN France | 9/10 | Although it may lack personality, Forza Motorsport is one of the most technically impressive games in existence. The handling and generosity of this iteration make it the best car game around. |
| IGN Spain (Reviewed on PC) | 8/10 | Forza Motorsport is an absolute masterpiece that takes simulation to its maximum exponent, but also the demonstration that Turn 10 Studios is failing testing at the user experience level |
| GameSpot (Reviewed on PC) | 9/10 | Forza Motorsport has been gone for a long time, but it's evident that Turn 10 has used the time to reevaluate its formula and implement some striking changes that will likely ignite a new passion for simulation racing for petrolheads and bring in a swathe of new players. The inclusion of car-specific progression creates a stronger relationship between you and each car you own in your garage, with the methods of leveling each on up pushing you to hone your racing craft in the most rewarding way the series has delivered thus far. Forza Motorsport does this all without forgetting its heritage, delivering a standout simulation racing experience that looks and sounds stunning, while feeling reliably accurate and satisfying on the tarmac. It would be nice to have more locations to enjoy Forza Motorsport breadth of vehicular content on, but it would be a lie to say I didn't have a massive grin on my face during every lap that I completed. |
| EuroGamer | 80/100 | A generous and lavish racer, with thrilling driving, that wants you for the long haul. |
| VGC | 80/100 | The new Forza is the best in the series to date when it comes to the look and feel of serious motorsport racing. Its relative lack of modes means it's something of a one-trick pony at launch, but that trick is an impressive one. |
| GamersRadar+ | 70/100 | The game engine here is demonstrably better than Forza Motorsport 7's but, in terms of breadth of gameplay, presentation, general excitement, and enjoyment gleaned from racing the AI cars, the older, now-deleted Forza Motorsport 7 is clearly superior. More content including tracks and event series will be added over time, so it will certainly improve, but right now the career mode here is so sedate and one-note, it's hard to recommend Forza Motorsport's offline mode over any of its peers. |
| Polygon | Unscored | Forza Motorsport is serious business. Put the time in, Turn 10 is saying; do your laps, shave off the seconds, make that one small tweak, grind out that win. I respect its focus, and its refusal to pander to fun-addled Horizon players, instead offering them a clearly articulated invitation to join its more austere church. This is a game about going round in circles, a little bit faster every time, and it’s quite unapologetic about it. That’s proven compelling enough to base an entire sport around, so perhaps that’s fair enough. But just a little more variety would have gone a long way. |
| Metro GameCentral | 80/100 | A fabulously detailed racing game with a huge car roster and engrossing single-player modes, slightly marred by forcefully encouraging you to perform practise laps before races. |
| Windows Central | 80/100 | Forza Motorsport (2023) isn't just a new beginning for the legendary simulation racing franchise, it also represents a previously unreached peak for the series. Turn 10 Studios have done an incredible job delivering one of the best core driving experiences of any game, but not everything has been properly rebuilt from the ground up. |
| Player 2 | 100/100 | Forza Motorsport is not only a world class racing sim, but it is a welcoming, encouraging experience for racers of all abilities. Its desire to help and improve racers is perhaps only surpassed by the technology the game is built on. Pure racing at its best |
| Press Start | 8/10 | Forza Motorsport ticks all the right boxes for just about any racing fan – honing in its focus on the love of cars and offering up a balance between approachable racing and hardcore simulation. Progression changes might rub some the wrong way, and its AI drivers desperately need more practice time, but a long hiatus for the franchise has birthed a solid baseline for the future. |
| GTPlanet | 4/5 | |
| God Is A Geek | 9.5/10 | An excellent companion piece to the open-world, frantic off-road action of Forza Horizon, Forza Motorsport is the next generation of racing that I've been waiting so very long for. |
| Video Gamer | 9/10 | Forza Motorsport’s refined handling, next-gen visuals, and responsive physics tempt you with an accessible yet familiar thrill, especially when you avoid spiraling into a bend. |
| Gaming Trend | 95/100 | Forza Motorsport really does create a platform that leaves an open track to expand on. This is the easiest Forza to get into and it performs at such a high level, you may forget it's just a game. There's nothing standing between you and the racetrack. |
| Press Start | 8/10 | Forza Motorsport ticks all the right boxes for just about any racing fan – honing in its focus on the love of cars and offering up a balance between approachable racing and hardcore simulation. Progression changes might rub some the wrong way, and its AI drivers desperately need more practice time, but a long hiatus for the franchise has birthed a solid baseline for the future. |
| Tech Raptor | 5.5/10 | In an ironic twist, what was once a shining jewel in Xbox’s catalog, and the apex of simulation, has now become a timid companion piece to the infinitely more fulfilling Forza Horizon. |
| INVEN | 8.5/10 | The latest Forza Motorsport, returning to authentic circuit racing after six years, has further enhanced user-friendliness, accompanied by various technological advancements. The game offers immersive gameplay that goes beyond competition, adding the joy of overcoming one's own lap times, all set against visually pleasing landscapes. However, there seems to be room for improvement in reducing the significant repetition required when customizing one's own vehicle. |
| Well Played (Reviewed on PC) | 8.5/10 | Turn 10 has displayed its technical proficiency and understanding of the sim-racing genre once more with this stellar entry into the Forza Motorsport series. It is a shame that an always-online requirement casts a shadow that looms over what is an otherwise genre-defining game. |
| TheSixthAxis | 8/10 | Sometimes it's worth trying to reinvent the wheel, and Turn 10's renewed Forza Motorsport takes the series in some new and worthwhile directions. The 'CarPG' levelling and pre-race practice sessions really help to foster familiarity and confidence with cars and tracks over time, and Forza is now on a par with Gran Turismo and others for the online race structure. It all sets the foundations for years of new cars, tracks, races and further improvements that I'm looking forward to seeing. |
| Saudi Gamer | 7/10 | Forza Motorsport feels like a platform that can be improved in the years to come. But on launch, it lacks a lot of content, and does have so many technical and graphical downsides with false promises that make it a disappointing game on launch, with a bright future. |
| Sector.sk | 9/10 | More than 500 cars, 20 completely redesigned tracks, each with different variations, an already rich career and addictive multiplayer. And that's just the beginning of the new Forza Motorsport. Turn 10 is truly delivering a next-generation racing game that strips away the bells and whistles to focus on the driving and the experience. You're going to drive a lot, you're going to improve, you're going to unlock new things and you're going to have fun. That's the most important thing. |
| Gamer.no | 70/100 | I'm absolutely sure that with a few extra doses of content, this could be a dream game for racing fans. As it stands, I'm sadly just missing a bit more gameplay here to hold it all together. |
| Gameblog | 9/10 | Forza Motorsport is back on Xbox and PC, and in a big way. The long wait is rewarded with a game of exceptional quality, both in terms of content and technology. A must-have for any racing fan, despite a few small details that could have been improved at launch. |
| TierraGamer | 88/100 | Forza Horizon is visually a masterpiece. Its audio is excellent. The production used all its resources to demonstrate all its graphic potential. The point is that as a simulation game, it is terrific but could be more excellent and as accurate as its direct competition. We do not mean that Forza Horizon stops being an enjoyable and entertaining experience. We have one of the most attractive titles that can be played on an Xbox Series X or S, which is the most important thing. |
| ZTGD | 80/100 | This reboot of Forza Motorsport is impressive visually. This is genuinely the best-looking game I have seen in a while. The rebuilt tracks are great, the racing feels good, the career mode has plenty to see and do, but I can’t help but feel like this isn’t the leap I was expecting. |
| Hey Poor Player | 80/100 | I’m not sure I’ve ever played a racing game that feels better than Forza Motorsport. Whether you’re controlling the fastest car in the game or the slowest, it’s compelling to push each vehicle to its limits and keep finding ways to improve your ride. I wish the experience around this core gameplay found more ways to create a compelling journey, but fans of the genre are mainly coming for the racing itself, and they’ll find everything they need in Forza Motorsport. |
| Gaming Bolt | 90/100 | Turn 10 Studios' flagship racing series has never been better. With exceptional gameplay, gorgeous graphics, a compelling Career Mode and a swathe of options, Forza Motorsport is simply incredible. |
| DailyStar | 100/100 | It’s beautiful, brilliant to play and packed full of cars worth tinkering with. All in one easy-to-access package. This title tops the podium. |
| GamerSky | 8.5/10 | The reboot of Forza Motorsport has been a success. Its extensive support options and accessibility settings make it perhaps the most suitable racing game for beginners. The changes to the gameplay and rules also make for a more realistic racing experience. Unfortunately, this long-awaited six-year wait has failed to fully showcase its highlights. |
| Stevivor | 7.5/10 | I’m not a car person. Or, if I need to be, the car person in me still prefers Forza Horizon to Motorsport for the stuff around car racing that isn’t just hardcore car racing. I’m certainly no expert, but I think car fans will love this. That said: is it for everyone? No. |
| Spaziogames (Reviewed on PC) | 8/10 | Forza Motorsport is certainly a very welcome return. The title doesn't change so much, offering a large fleet of cars, different tracks and a good driving system which, however, lacks some details. The drive system has been improved, but without achieving the best possibile result. While driving almost all cars, we feel excessive understeer and oversteer and this makes for some in-game moments slightly frustrating, especially in the single player races. |
| Tom's Hardware Italia | 8.5/10 | Forza Motorsport is exactly what we hoped it would be: a great racing game with solid gameplay that can be enjoyed both with gamepads and finally also with a high variety of gaming steering wheels. Its sim/arcade nature makes it highly accessible for any type of gamer, from those who prefer a more immediate experience to those who want to try their hand at hard-fought races |
| Level Up | 9/10 | Forza Motorsport is one of the best racing video games in history and it shines where it needs to. Turn 10 has created a monster whose engine roars, motivating and intimidating at the same level. |
| Noisy Pixel (Reviewed on PC) | 90/100 | Forza Motorsport is a gorgeous racing experience across each and every lap. The title excels in rewarding players during every race, and the legendary amount of available cars and tracks at launch means there's plenty to enjoy right from the starting line. The gameloop is addictive, with a more than generous layer of accessibility options to create formidable racers out of anyone. The real meat may be the multiplayer modes, but it never overshadows what is offered in the single-player career mode. Here's to hoping the live-service model works for this release, with the launch state looking like a great starting point. |
| VideoGamer (Reviewed on PC) | 90/100 | Forza Motorsport’s refined handling, next-gen visuals, and responsive physics tempt you with an accessible yet familiar thrill, especially when you avoid spiraling into a bend. |
| PC Invasion (Reviewed on PC) | 90/100 | Forza Motorsport is another fantastic entry into the series. Bringing some fantastic tracks, visuals, and elevating the already stellar driving. |
| Gameblog.fr (Reviewed on PC) | 90/100 | Forza Motorsport is back on Xbox and PC, and in a big way. The long wait is rewarded with a game of exceptional quality, both in terms of content and technology. A must-have for any racing fan, despite a few small details that could have been improved at launch. |
| Dexerto (Reviewed on PC) | 80/100 | Though it’s not as good as the classics, Forza Motorsport is still the best entry in the series since the beginning of the Xbox One era. The massive strides made on track and creative RPG leveling mechanics let it appeal to both racing game veterans and newbies alike. It’s just a shame that the bizarre AI behavior and frustrating FPS restrictions in multiplayer hurt what is an otherwise superb racing experience. |
| PCGamesN (Reviewed on PC) | 70/100 | Forza Motorsport is an adequate racing game, one that delivers on the track but doesn’t come with enough bells and whistles to be considered a true great in the genre. There are better options in almost all racing sub-genres on PC, but when you’re in the cockpit, the driving itself is ferocious and raw, with plenty to enjoy. |
Chat GPT Summary of all reviews combined:
Good Points (Pros):
- Exceptional Visuals: Many reviews mention the game's stunning graphics.
- Realistic Feel: Offers a genuine racing simulation experience that feels great.
- Rich Content: Packed with 500 cars and 20 track locations.
- Potential for Expansion: Viewed as a platform, it has the potential for further content additions.
- Impressive Multiplayer: Highlighted by several reviewers as one of the best in the series.
- Car-Specific Progression: The new system strengthens the connection between players and their cars.
- Accessibility and Generosity: The game is welcoming to both new and veteran players.
- Revamped Gameplay: Positive changes make for a more realistic racing experience.
- Engaging Career Mode: Single-player content is substantial and rewarding.
Bad Points (Cons):
- RPG-Inspired Upgrade System: Criticized for making progression lengthy and tedious.
- Lack of Split-Screen Multiplayer: A missed opportunity for local multiplayer racing.
- Lacks Personality: Some felt the game was technically great but lacked character or soul.
- Limited Modes: Desires for more variety and game modes at launch.
- Comparison with Previous Titles: Some felt previous titles, like Forza Motorsport 7, offered a better experience.
- AI Issues: Bizarre AI behavior detracts from the experience.
- FPS Restrictions: Frustration noted regarding frame rate restrictions in multiplayer.
- Might Lack in Some Features: Not considered a definitive best in the genre, with better options available in certain areas.