Overview:

The definitive open world racing game is back and this time it is set in “Japan.”  That means you’ll get to drive all along the countryside and in major cities throughout that large country!  Naw, I’m just fucking with you.  You basically get a small condensed rendition of Tokyo and small villages.  It’s still a fun game with you getting to go practically anywhere as you’re finding collectibles, landmarks, aftermarket cars, and more.  You have your typical fair of racing modes scattered throughout the land and it just gets more and more packed as you progress.  It’s still a hell of a lot of game with any kind of mode for you to do.  Just don’t expect to get a lot of cars since that has been relegated to spins or purchases and you don’t get a bunch of either of those.

Visuals:

What more can be said about how the Forza games handle cars?  They look astounding and very much like their real world counterparts.  The world itself also looks amazing as well with the vistas it presents you.  My knock is still how small Japan is represented.  I would have expected more in Tokyo or at least multiple cities throughout the country, but alas, you just get one.  

Audio:

Like the visuals, Forza knows how to handle the audio when it comes to cars.  They sound like how they’re supposed to.  I do wish there was more Japanese in the game and less the weird fake sounding English accent.  All the characters come from the west as well as all but one radio station is Japanese.  If you’re supposed to be celebrating the culture, lean into it!

Completion:

I FINISHED THIS GAME!  Well, the main story at least.  I didn’t do all of the races as well as the after completion stuff, yet.  I feel the game is more linear than the previous iteration but it just came out.  The showcase moments all seemed rather lackluster save one.  The scarcity of being able to afford cars or homes was also kind of a bummer since being a super car celebrity made the last game super fun as well.  The characters are annoying as they’ve always been but they don’t seem to be talking your ears off.  I guess I wanted more Japan in the game and the little amounts we did get were few and far in between.  Guess that just means I gotta go back!