Whether it’s top-tier cars getting worn down and weathered over the course of a race or impressive atmospheric and lighting that give in-game rainstorms an appropriately gloomy feel, developer Turn 10 Studios’ eye for detail is evident throughout Forza Motorsport. By giving even the smallest details of its recently released racer the same level of polish as the meticulously recreated cars that take center stage, Turn 10 has made Forza Motorsport one of the most realistic racing games on the market. Though many players may never notice some of the small visual flourishes found throughout the game, they help make the overall racing experience a far more immersive one.
While the impressively rendered cars and tracks in Forza Motorsport are the first thing most players will notice when they load into the game, they’re only part of what makes it so immersive. It’s only once players take their foot off the pedal and take in the world around them that some of the game’s most impressive visual elements come into focus. From the dings, dents, and dust visible on a car’s surface after a grueling race to realistic weather effects that can drastically change the look and feel of a track, Forza Motorsport doesn’t skip the small stuff.
A Rough Race Leaves Forza Motorsport’s Cars Beautifully Bruised and Battered
One of the things that helps Forza Motorsport stand out from some of its competitors in the sim racing scene, and previous entries in the series, is just how dinged-up players’ cars can get after a particularly rough race. In a franchise first, vehicles now receive contextual damage at the area where they’ve been hit to accurately reflect unexpected run-ins with walls or other racers. While players won’t have to worry about having pieces of their car fall off mid-race, the damage model is far more comprehensive than the ones found in previous Forza Motorsport games or competitors like Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo series.
Though not as destructive to their appearance as running into a wall at full speed, cars in Forza Motorsport also show signs of regular racing wear and tear as players make their way around the track. Just like in real life, in-game cars will get grittier and grimier with each successive lap thanks to the impressive dirt mechanics in Forza Motorsport. Making this all the more impressive is how the accumulated layers of dust and dirt accurately respond to the equally detailed weather and lighting effects found in the game.
Forza Motorsport’s Lifelike Weather and Lighting Steal the Show
Another impressive detail in Forza Motorsport that helps build immersion and adds some complexity to the gameplay is the realistic lighting and weather system. Just as the revamped physics system ensures that the over 500 cars in Forza Motorsport handle like their real-world counterparts, the impressive in-game weather effects accurately alter both the look and feel of each stage. While other games may add a bit of slickness to the track and a few drops on the windshield to portray a rainstorm, Forza Motorsport’s weather effects take things to the next level.
The dynamic weather and lighting effects in Forza Motorsport help the game feel remarkably lifelike. Constantly changing skies play off of cars and other objects on the track, giving each lap a slightly different feel as the lighting and shadows update to reflect the passage of time throughout a race. This effect is amplified by the in-game weather system, with stormy skies giving rainy races an appropriately gloomy look while early morning outings can see the sun burning away the fog to reveal a bright and clear day.
Although accurate dirt accumulation and realistically rendered weather effects aren’t the first thing most players consider when choosing a racing game, their inclusion helps this Turn 10 title stand out from the crowd. And even if players won’t always have time to appreciate them when circling the track at high speed, its small touches like these that make Forza Motorsport the franchise’s most realistic release yet.
Forza Motorsport is available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.