Forza Horizon is back again for another festive open world racing adventure, and this time, it takes us to Japan, a location that series fans have been desperate to visit for years. Forza Horizon 6 cranks things up a notch with a more expansive world filled with more to do, bombastic showcase events, and of course, a bevy of racing and driving challenges and activities to seek out and hone your skills with. As is usually the case with Horizon titles, there’s a whole let to get into here, so to easy your first drift into Forza Horizon 6, here, we’re going to go over a few beginner tips and tricks that you should keep in mind.
EXPLORATION
Forza Horizon titles always pride themselves on their massive, well designed maps, but with Forza Horizon 6, exploration is more encouraged than ever before. In addition to gorgeous sights to take in around every corner, Forza Horizon 6’s Japan is brimming with new cars to find and add to your garage, events and races to compete in, side activities to track down, and much more. Though it might be tempting to simply go from one race to the next as you climb up the ranks of the Festival, we’d strongly suggest taking plenty of time to explore the map thoroughly.
BONUS BOARDS AND MASCOTS
A staple of the franchise, bonus boards are back in Forza Horizon 6. Though fast travel boards are no longer a thing, there are hundreds of bonus boards scattered all over the map. Each provides players with free XP, and some are rather tricky (and fun) challenges, so make sure you keep tracking down and smashing those bonus boards every chance you get.
PROPERTIES AND GARAGES
Also to be found in numbers around Forza Horizon 6’s Japan are various properties that players can purchase for themselves, similar to past entries. In addition to serving as rest spots where you can look through and over your car collection, properties also come with garages and serve as fast travel points. Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 6 also affords you the chance to customize and build up your garages and estate using a variety of building tools, so there’s more than just racing content to get into here, even though that is obviously the main draw.
COLLECTION JOURNAL
Your Collection Journal is something you’re going to want to keep your eye on as you make your way through the Horizon Festival. Split across two categories, the Collection Journal tracks your progress across various activities geared towards either making progress in the Horizon Festival, or exploring the depths of Japan. As you progress in both categories, you’ll continue to unlock a variety of rewards, so make sure to keep checking back in.
TREASURE CARS
Among the many ways Forza Horizon 6 finds to motivate players to thoroughly explore its map, treasure cars have to be some of the most enjoyable. These are rare cars hidden across the world, and after finding hints and clues about where they might be, it is up to you to sniff them out. Not only is it a consistently fun activity, the rewards it yields are also solid, so don’t miss these.
BARN FINDS
Barn finds return in Forza Horizon 6, and they work pretty much the same way they have done in the past. As you drive around Japan, you’ll unlock hints for new cars to seek out and add to your growing fleet of vehicles, with more than a dozen barn finds to be found in total. Collecting new stamps unlocks new barn finds to be found, so keep going after stamps.
AFTERMARKET CARS
If you’re looking for a cheaper way to expand your collection of cars, look no further than aftermarket cars. These will dynamically spawn all over the map, offering you chances to buy a variety of different cars – including several rare ones – at notably cheaper prices. These purchases are almost always worth it, so make sure you don’t drive past too many aftermarket cars- those might just be missed opportunities.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Forza Horizon’s digital AI assistant ANNA returns in Forza Horizon 6, and this time she comes with a rather handy new feature. If you’re looking to prioritize critical path progression so you can quickly earn wristbands and progress further in the Horizon Festival, ANNA’s new “What’s Next?” feature will be useful. It brings up a number of activities that you can tackle next, including specific, recommended ones. Of course, there’s a special charm to organic exploration and discovery, but those looking for quick recommendations will find them with this feature.
DAY TRIPS
Japan as a setting is, of course, one of Forza Horizon 6’s main selling points, and it has plenty of content on offer that highlights that. Day Trips are one such activity, and highly recommended. Essentially guided driving tours of the map’s many different regions and robust sights and vistas, Day Trips are an excellent way to soak in the abundant beauty of Forza Horizon 6’s open world Japan.
FOOD DELIVERY MISSIONS
Another new side activity introduced in Forza Horizon 6 is food delivery missions, and they’re a lot of fun- and yes, they’re exactly what they sound like. You’re tasked with driving a delivery truck (that runs like a rocket, by the way) and picking up and dropping off orders while tackling a variety of different challenges, with star ratings based on your performance at the end. Food delivery missions are almost always a blast, so we recommend doing them every chance you get.
PHOTO OPPS
Photography tends to be an important part of the Forza Horizon experience one way or another more often than not, and surprisingly, Forza Horizon 6 is no exception. Scattered throughout the map are spots where you can take gorgeous pictures of landmarks and stunning sceneries, and like everything else in the game, they add to your overall progression. For those looking to take in every inch of the map’s spectacular sights, this is a great way to do it.
TOUGE BATTLES
Touge Battles are another new racing activity that players will encounter in Forza Horizon 6, and they’re an absolute blast. Each race is a one on one affair that tasks you with navigating challenging mountain roads in speedy downhill sprints, all while behind the wheel of monstrous cars.
HORIZON LIFE EVENTS
Multiplayer content is always an important part of the Forza Horizon 6 experience, and the quick, accessible offerings of Horizon Life events are often the way to go. Horizon Life events allow players to compete against others in seamless drag races and time attack sprints, so those looking for some competition will want to keep an eye out.
CAR MEETS
There’s plenty of car meets to chance upon and join in on as you drive around in Forza Horizon 6’s Japan, and more often than not, they’re a great way to find new cars and customization options. You can purchase default versions of every car you see, as well as various customization options shared by other players, so suffice it to say that car meets are often worth checking out.
AUTO DRIVE
Exploring Forza Horizon 6’s beautiful rendition of open world Japan is easily among the game’s brightest highlights, and the auto drive feature is a great way to do that. Sure, a feature that automates driving is obviously going to be an ancillary one at best in a racing game, but it is a great way to get from point A to B if all you want to do in the interim is simply take in the scenery on the way.
