Forza Horizon 6 review – Great fun but a little familiar

The gap between Forza Horizon 6 and the previous entry in the series is the biggest yet, with five years between them. For that reason, is it wrong that I kind of expected Playground Games to freshen up its formula a little? For all intents and purposes, Forza Horizon 6 is pretty much the same as Forza Horizon 5 but with a new map, just like Forza Horizon 5 was essentially Forza Horizon 4 with a new map before it. Don’t mess with something that isn’t broken, I guess. And this is a fantastic slice of Japan, at least.

Jump into Forza Horizon 6 and you’ll find the setup very familiar: travelling to Japan for a break, you soon find yourself signing up for the Forza Horizon festival that’s taking place. And while you’re back earning wristbands to progress in this latest entry, it doesn’t really change things in any meaningful way. You complete races and activities until you’ve filled a progress bar, take part in a special event to earn your next wristband, opening up yet more events and activities on the map, and then do it all over again.

In traditional Forza Horizon fashion, there’s a range of additional ways to spend your time here as well, much of which all counts to your ‘Discovery Japan’ progress. Stories are back, for example, with you able to pick up work as a food delivery driver, drive around and see some of Japan’s finest sights with friends, show off your drifting skills, and more. There are also billboards to discover and smash, regional mascots to destroy, and yet more opportunities to race. Joining unsanctioned Street Races are Touge events, one-on-one races taking place on winding routes.

There is, of course, a little more that’s brand new to Forza Horizon 6 in addition to Touge events, but it’s generally a little underwhelming. There are new time trial events, for example, which require you to simply turn up at a track in the world and race around it. And if you like to customise your cars and want to show them off, you can go to your nearest car meet and park up to put it on display and take a peek at others who have also chosen to express themselves in a similar fashion.

The flashy Showdown events that the series is known for make a return here, with you racing against a giant mech and more, but they have little competition. They now share the limelight with gymkhana-like Rush events, which are also on the flashy side but also a little more challenging.

Perhaps the biggest new feature in Forza Horizon 6, though, is the introduction of an estate which you can purchase and do pretty much what you want with. Using the in-game building tools, you can create your very own race track, stunt park, or just leave it alone. Some will love this new aspect, spending a considerable amount of time to create their own unique part of the map and then inviting others to come and see it. Others will possibly unlock the feature and then never touch it again.

All in all, then, while there are new things in Forza Horizon 6, they don’t change the core experience in any significant way. Some won’t mind that – a new map to explore and race around will be enough for them. There will be others, though, that perhaps expected more. With the return of things like Wheelspins, Super Wheelspins, loyalty rewards for having played previous games in the series, you’re even still assaulted with a barrage of cars and cash. Plus, opt for the Deluxe Edition of the game and you’ll have some of the fastest cars available right from the start. The saving grace is that game’s events have to be completed with a set car type and class the first time around.

But despite all this, I’d be lying if I said that Forza Horizon 6 still isn’t one of, if not the best open world racing game available. As ever, the handling and controls are second to none, and the visuals here have received a significant upgrade. Playing on Xbox Series X for review, even when using Performance mode, it pretty much looks real, with some stunning lighting and reflections to take in. And then there’s the map; it’s undoubtedly the biggest that Playground Games has created, and it’s packed with beautiful sights to discover, from snowy mountainous peaks to pristine-looking beaches and everything in-between.

Forza Horizon 6 is another brilliant entry in the open-world racing game series, then, albeit one that plays it very safe. The racing action is as fun and entertaining as ever, and there’s a wealth of content to discover and complete, as well as opportunities to show off and make a small slice of the world your own. It’s just a shame that the core of the experience feels so familiar now – many will see this as more of an expansion pack than a brand new game. What a location Japan is, though.