Forza Horizon 6 Review – Tokyo Drift

Forza Horizon has firmly established itself as a behemoth of the racing genre by now, to the extent where it’s becoming difficult to imagine how developer Playground Games can continue to improve upon a formula that many have deemed perfect. Almost five years on from its predecessor’s launch, Forza Horizon 6 has raced onto the scene with those lofty ambitions, taking players to one of the most highly requested locations in Japan. And thanks to a terrific open world map that is a constant joy to explore, and typically excellent driving mechanics and car collection systems, Forza Horizon 6 manages to deliver yet another excellent open world racing adventure, one that can stand toe to toe with its mighty predecessors, even if it doesn’t deviate from the series’ tried and tested formula too much.

Unsurprisingly, Forza Horizon 6’s fictionalized recreation of Japan is one of the game’s biggest strengths. Fans of the series have been clamouring for a Horizon Festival set in Japan for pretty much as long as the series has been around. But though expectations are monumentally high, Forza Horizon 6 manages to meet them with striking confidence. For years, Playground Games has delivered one excellently crafted open-world racing map after another, and the studio has captured lightning in a bottle yet again here.

"You have your typical open-world racing content, from races and rallies to stunt jumps, speed traps, drifting zones, new cars to find and add to your collection, and more- and yes, there are also hundreds of bonus boards and mascots to seek out and smash throughout the map."

Forza Horizon 6’s Japan is absolutely stunning. Around every bend is a gorgeous new sight to behold, from dense forests, lush and colourful fields, and bamboo thickets, to snow-capped peaks, the dense streets of Tokyo, and more. Tokyo in particular is a highlight, boasting the series’ largest, most densely packed, and frankly, most impressively designed urban environment to date, complete with busy streets, eye-catching architecture, and landmarks such as Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Crossing, and others.

The map is massive but simultaneously diverse and immaculately designed, so that entering new regions, exploring new areas, and driving along new roads never loses its excitement or charm. Of course, typically enough for a Forza Horizon game, there’s also a bevvy of things to do as you explore the world. You have your typical open-world racing content, from races and rallies to stunt jumps, speed traps, drifting zones, new cars to find and add to your collection, and more- and yes, there are also hundreds of bonus boards and mascots to seek out and smash throughout the map.

Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 6 also introduces new types of activities, several of which are geared specifically towards showcasing Japan. There are Day Trips, guided tours that are a great way to learn more about the region and explore new areas; Touge battles, which pit you in high speed one on one downhill sprints on winding mountain roads; and even food delivery missions, which let you drive a food delivery truck (which might even be one of the most fun vehicles to drive in the game) in a variety of different food delivery-themed driving challenges.

There are also new obstacle course-style Horizon Rush events where players compete in races on superbly designed, technically challenging courses, while, of course, Showcase events also return- and yes, once again, they do live up to their name. Showcase events tend to be the highlights of every Forza Horizon entry, and things are no different here. One of my favourite moments in Forza Horizon 6 has been racing against a giant Gundam-esque mech- and that’s only the tip of the iceberg where Showcases are concerned.

"Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t do much to deviate from the series’ established formula. As someone who absolutely adores that formula, I personally don’t take any issue with that, especially given how well Playground Games continues to execute on its tried and true ideas and systems."

Outside of races and driving challenges, similar to previous entries, you can find and purchase a number of properties across the map. Forza Horizon 6 also introduces a building and customization aspect that allows you to personalise properties with a surprisingly robust, fun, and easy-to-use building toolset. Suffice to say, there’s no shortage of engaging things to do in Forza Horizon 6– and yes, that includes simply cruising around the map, listening to the radio, and just enjoying the scenery.

If there’s one area in the game that feels ever-so-slightly more limited compared to its direct predecessor, it’s how progression is structured. Compared to the loose and freeform structure of Forza Horizon 5, 6 brings back the somewhat more linear wristband progression system, which means making your way through the Horizon Festival feels a little more structured this time around. Of course, if you’ve played a Horizon entry before, you’ll likely be familiar with most of what you see here, as Playground ensures complete freedom and player agency where its open world design and exploration are concerned.

In fact, Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t do much to deviate from the series’ established formula. As someone who absolutely adores that formula, I personally don’t take any issue with that, especially given how well Playground Games continues to execute on its tried and true ideas and systems. If, however, you’re in the camp that wants Forza Horizon to do something radically new after having honed its formula to a sheen, that’s not what you’re going to find here. Forza Horizon 6 takes what has always worked best about the series and, like its predecessors, attempts to improve on it with evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, changes and enhancements. Thanks to the sheer quality of content, just how much there is to do, and the mastery of craft on display here, the game feels nowhere close to wearing out its welcome, but a reinvention of the Forza Horizon formula this is not, if that is what you are looking for.

Of course, it should also go without saying by now that the moment-to-moment act of driving in Forza Horizon 6 is an absolute pleasure. This is an area where Playground Games (and the Forza series as a whole) have never missed the mark, and that continues to be true. The roster of vehicles on offer here is typically gargantuan, and each of the hundreds of cars available not only feels amazing to drive but also feels meaningfully different from each other, which makes customization and tuning feel that much more rewarding and engaging.

"Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, no, but it shows once again just how good the series’ formula can be when it is firing on all cylinders – which it usually is – while also making good on the massive potential of its long-awaited setting."

Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 6 is also a visual and technical beast, which also doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given how consistently impressive the Forza games have always been in this department. With breathtaking visuals, an unbelievable level of polish and attention to detail, best-in-class audio design, and near-flawless performance (I’ve spent most of my time playing the game at a dynamic 4K and 60 FPS and have had negligible issues with frame rates), Forza Horizon 6 feels like yet another technical home run for the series. It doesn’t feel like a massive leap over its direct predecessor, no, but that’s because five years on from release, Forza Horizon 5 frankly continues to look astoundingly good. That Forza Horizon 6 offers incremental improvements over that benchmark is still saying a lot.

All of that is to say that Playground Games has once again crafted a remarkable racing experience. The studio and the Forza Horizon franchise have reigned supreme over the racing genre for quite some time now, and with this newest entry, that dominance is re-established. Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, no, but it shows once again just how good the series’ formula can be when it is firing on all cylinders – which it usually is – while also making good on the massive potential of its long-awaited setting. If you enjoy a good racing game, you shouldn’t miss this.

This game was reviewed on Xbox Series X.