Forza Horizon 5 is the fifth entry in the open world racing game from Xbox and Playground Games, and it seems like it will continue the franchsie's tradition of putting out high-quality game releases. The reviews are in for Forza Horizon 5, and as of this writing, the game's review scores are high enough to make it the top-rated video game of 2021 to date.
According to review aggregate site OpenCritic, Forza Horizon 5 currently has a 92 overall rating based on 87 reviews. The Forza Horizon 5 reviews seem to be in agreement that the game is a visual stunner, especially when playing on Xbox Series X, and that it provides a wealth of content that should keep fans busy for a significant amount of time. Negative comments about the game are difficult to find, but it seems the most common knock against it is that it's a very similar experience as the previous Forza Horizon games.
With Forza Horizon's 92 average, it's not only the highest-rated game of 2021 so far, but it's also notable for being the only game this year to surpass a 90 average rating. Many other 2021 games have gotten close, like Deathloop, Psychonauts 2, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and while they all earned respectably high review scores, none of them have managed to reach 90.
The closest game to Forza Horizon 5 at the time of this writing is the Nintendo Switch exclusive Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. And while Bowser's Fury is a new experience, Super Mario 3D World is otherwise a re-release. The Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury reviews were highly positive when the game released earlier this year, earning it an overall 89 rating. Not quite enough to rack 90 like Forza Horizon 5 did, but still impressive.
Another game with an 89 overall average rating on OpenCritic is Football Manager 2022, which will actually be releasing on Xbox Game Pass on November 9, the same day as Forza Horizon 5. With both Football Manager 2022 and Forza Horizon 5 earning critical acclaim, it seems that November 9 is going to be an especially exciting day for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
While Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have to wait until November 9 to play Forza Horizon 5, it is possible to play the game early. Those interested in playing Forza Horizon 5 early can do so if they spring for the more expensive editions of the game, with it becoming available on Friday, November 5.
Forza Horizon 5 launches November 9 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.