Turn 10 Studios is promising a level of detail in the upcoming Forza Motorsport not seen since 2018's Red Dead Redemption 2. Gameplay and other details were finally shown during this summer's Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, and that included more than a few interest technical features making their debut to the series. If those features are executed well and result in a truly unique experience in comparison to previous Motorsport entries, a new bar in the racing simulation could be set.
Forza Motorsport is currently targeting a spring 2023 release. Despite its name, it's actually the eighth installment in the Motorsport series, which serves as the simulation-focused counterpart to the arcade-focused Forza Horizon series. The new game will serve as the beginning of a new generation for Forza Motorsport, featuring next-gen realism and classic tracks. Throughout most of the last console generation, the two series would go back and forth each year with their games, not unlike the Call of Duty release schedule between Infinity Ward and Treyarch in the 2010s. That changed after 2017's Forza Motorsport 7, when Turn 10 did not release a 2019 title after Playground Game's Forza Horizon 4 in 2018. In fact, both studios went dark for an extended period of time before the 2021 release of Forza Horizon 5.
During the gameplay demo for Forza Motorsport (now uploaded to Xbox's YouTube channel), Turn 10 developers boldly claimed it will be the "most technically-advanced racing game ever made." To back up this claim, they explained the game's implementation of ray tracing, dynamic weather, track conditions, and more. Some of the things mentioned are pretty impressive, and the attention to detail conjures bears the hallmarks of Rockstar's immersive 2018 open-world game, Red Dead Redemption 2.
One of the first big numbers mentioned was a 48-fold improvement to the fidelity of Forza Motorsport's physics simulation, with the developers saying they "completely overhauled the driving experience." The game will also feature dynamic time-of-day changes, which will actually impact track conditions. Depending on the time of day, the track temperature will vary and it will affect tire wear. That, coupled with the series debut of fuel and tire management, should make for a more strategic race experience. Being one of Xbox's flagship series, Forza Motorsport will also boast lifelike graphical fidelity using photogrammetry. The track used during the demo, Maple Valley, showed this off with its lush vegetation in the background.
Rockstar Games pulled off similar immersion almost four years ago with Red Dead Redemption 2. Its open world is still one that hasn't been matched, with seemingly every aspect of it carefully crafted and able to respond to the actions of the player. One example of this is the game's dynamic ecosystem, with Red Dead Redemption 2's pigs eating player-killed NPCs if their corpse is placed in their pen. Additionally, animal bodies decompose realistically. When an animal dies, the body doesn't just disappear after a certain period of time. Instead, it simply stays there for nature to run its course. The body gradually decomposes, altering its size and appearance. Eventually, vultures may even find it and start picking at the remains. It's something most players wouldn't notice while passing through, but those that do decide to get off their horse and really take in the world are still blown away by what it has to offer.
How well these new features are implemented remains to be seen, so only time will tell if the latest Forza Motorsport is really an overhaul of the series formula. Although now delisted from the Xbox Store, Forza Motorsport 7 tested the waters with dynamic weather, and the next game will likely build on that for a more memorable yet unpredictable experience. With six years between titles, the pressure is on for Turn 10 to put out something truly transformative.
Source: YouTube/Xbox
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