When a game like Forza Motorsport 2 comes along, taking a decent original game and propelling it into the next generation with a near definitive experience, it's hard to imagine what a second sequel could do. In Forza 3's case, it's really rather simple. The same, but BIGGER. And from the looks of things, that's exactly what we're going to get.
During a behind-closed-doors showing of the game, product manager Amritz Lay was eager to point out the new game's many numerical superiorities over its predecessor. There are now 400 cars and 100 tracks, 220 career events instead of 90, The poly count's increased tenfold and the textures are four times as detailed.
Forza Motorsport 3
Official trailer
8:16A dev diary at the 24 hour Le Mans in France
Forza Motorsport 3
Official trailer
8:16A dev diary at the 24 hour Le Mans in France
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But we won't be swayed by mere statistics. The size of the game wasn't what needed fixing in Forza 2. In fact, the focus on these figures only makes us think perhaps the series has run out of ideas. Especially when it is pointed out that the bulge and roll of each tyre is now simulated and rendered in 3D, 'affecting' how the car handles. To be honest, we probably won't notice that particular difference.
What we really wanted to know was whether the new game has a soul. Forza 2, impeccable though it was in the simulation department, left many gamers feeling a little detached. The tracks were too clean, the presentation was minimalist... everything just felt a bit sterile. So it was with bated breath that we waited for the new build to load.
The good news is, our time with the game felt great, primarily because the sensation of weight is spot-on. Not in the inertia nightmare kind of way that PS3's Supercar Challenge beats you up with, either. These cars feel like their wheels are physically rolling over tarmac and the game is ready to respond to any flick of the steering wheel or feather of the throttle.
Of course, there's a technical explanation for this. The physics engine here is running at 360 frames per second. So every time you see one frame of the action, the car's position and inertia has been computed six times. Geek mode cancel. In layman's terms it means the car behaves like a car.
The game's front end is currently still too sterile and the voice of Peter Egan talking you through the game is about as phoned-in as you can get without a crackle and a handkerchief. If you've heard LittleBigPlanet's commentary from Stephen Fry, you'll know exactly what this is not like. Though strikingly similar, there's little charm and zero comedy on display here.
Of course it's a shame that you'll have to race Le Mans in 24 hours of brilliant sunshine as there's no wet weather or night-time driving. Also the addition of a 'one button' acceleration and braking system for beginners is definitely taking the driver assists one step too far. Surely nobody's that stupid?
But when you look at the returning community features, a 'rewind' button borrowed from Race Driver GRID, the devastatingly deep customisation options (which span from adjusting suspensions to completely reworking your car's parts and decals) and the fact that this has damage where Gran Turismo 5 Prologue doesn't, there's no denying this is threatening to become the ultimate console racing sim.
The team's motto may be 'to make gamers become car enthusiasts and car enthusiasts become gamers', but we reckon it'll at least make more gamers like Forza Motorsport. The game is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 on October 23 in Europe.
Should be a cracker. I was in the camp that thought that Forza 2 was too sterile, so I am pleased to hear that Forza now seems to have a soul. The in-car view will help greatly in immersing me into the game.
A demo would be good.
I'll totally ignore the arcade type options though.
Forza 2 was the game that changed my mind about sim-type racing games, proving that they can be great fun and very rewarding at the same time. As an acrade racer-type, I started out with most of the assists on, but I could hold my own against my mates who were weaned on the GT series.
Forza 3 looks like it will offer more of the same, and then some. Since I'm still playing (and enjoying) Forza 2, I don't think this is a bad thing.
Sweaty- don't make me laugh, you weren't going to buy it anyway!
And look it runs at 360 frames a second! Wow! (CVG = D'oh!)
Should be freaking awesome- I agree that Forza 2 was a bit bland in the looks department- but the actual racing and car customization and the fact you could paint almost anything on your car put it in a whole different league to most racers. Sega Rally on the Saturn is still the best though...
And look it runs at 360 frames a second! Wow! (CVG = D'oh!)
errr... the physics engine runs at a resolution of 360 frames a second. Whilst I have no idea how this compares to other games of this type, it has no relation to the frames per second you are thinking of...
Related - If I had an xbox I'd be getting this for sure.
Forza 3, the sim of choice for chavs and hobos who can't afford to play a real racing game such as GT5.
Enjoy your gimped hobo racer.
Well I must be a chav or hobo with money cos I'm getting both Then I can make an informed argument about which is the better game to play, but as always this would be a subjective opinion, NOT fact as some people appear to consider their every written word to be
Well, I returned to The Manor this-evening after a long day fox hunting. I asked my butler to fetch my cook to whip me up something a little special. Well, he certainly did a most excellent job. Flayed Swordfish, Guava Millefeuille and a fine glass of port to really bring out the flavours of the sea - you see!
Following a good 25 minutes staring at my favourite painting by Turner, I set aside my adoration with the waves and turned on my Xbox 360. Ah but the rush of air took me back to my favourite painting again... Ah, yes but I digress...
I decided to play Forza 2.
Beating the time trials target times involve a fair bit of pushing, so it is to be expected that one may come off the track now and again. I am quite okay with the penalty clock letting me know that I will fail to meet the target lap time, but I must ask this... Why does the game want to punish me further still?
Should one come off the track and touch certain patches of grass, one's velocity drops from 150 KM/H+ to 20 KM/H in the space of 1 second. Is this quick-grass? Peculiarly, one does not find oneself dead from internal bleeding nor thrown through the windscreen. One merely finds oneself spending another 2 seconds stuck and another 10 seconds just getting back on the track and driving in the right direction again. A target lap time of 55 seconds turning into a lunch break at McDonalds.
Forza 3 will feature this same problem (quick sand @ 3m40s) > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrJ0XtwBDvc
It is a sad fact that this major flaw has not been sorted out for Forza 3. I would prefer to be able to drive on through but incur a larger time penalty for sectors of the track where there's more to gain by cheating. After all, that lap is a dead lap anyway... One has restarted laps from scratch for this reason, but the rolling start is never as fast as one can muster on a second lap.
Finishing position in a career race should always be based on time.
Listening to John Wendel speak... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rif9sjZ_7WI ... It doesn't sound like Turn 10 is really improving the game play or the physics much. Oh, except for tyre flex of course! Big fat hairy deal!
Then there's the rewind mode & 1 button accel + brake... That's not even for noobs, let alone 13375. Clearly Turn 10 are trying to make amends for some of the criticism aimed at Forza 2's difficulty. These features don't fix the problems & they're a waste of development time.
I think most people will sum up Forza 3 as being Forza 2 but with slightly better graphics. A real pity.
CVG gave Forza 2 a review score of 8.2 / 10. Considering... (a) How long Forza 2 has been available. (b) All the other racing games. (c) The lack of crucial improvements.
Forza 3 was a great game where racing was concerned. The customisation was enough for me in Froza 2, the team should have really focused there efforts on giving the game more polish. As for a rewind feature and a one-button Acceleration/Brake, Forza is supposed to be a driving simulation! They should stick to what they do best.
But when you look at the returning community features, a 'rewind' button borrowed from Race Driver GRID, the devastatingly deep customisation options (which span from adjusting suspensions to completely reworking your car's parts and decals) and the fact that this has damage where Gran Turismo 5 Prologue doesn't, there's no denying this is threatening to become the ultimate console racing sim.
Actually, I always thought that Forza 2 allowed too much... Like putting a Ferrari engine in a VW Golf, or adding drag wheels to it. Every purist knows things like that don't happen. If you want a Ferrari - buy a Ferrari.
As for comparing Forza 3's features against GT5P - why bother? Everyone knows GT5 is going to be the King.
But when you look at the returning community features, a 'rewind' button borrowed from Race Driver GRID, the devastatingly deep customisation options (which span from adjusting suspensions to completely reworking your car's parts and decals) and the fact that this has damage where Gran Turismo 5 Prologue doesn't, there's no denying this is threatening to become the ultimate console racing sim.
Actually, I always thought that Forza 2 allowed too much... Like putting a Ferrari engine in a VW Golf, or adding drag wheels to it. Every purist knows things like that don't happen. If you want a Ferrari - buy a Ferrari.
As for comparing Forza 3's features against GT5P - why bother? Everyone knows GT5 is going to be the King.
You clearly never played Forza 2 if you think you could stick a Ferrari engine in a Golf. The best you could do was stick the engine from a Golf R32 into a MkI Golf GTi.
You clearly never played Forza 2 if you think you could stick a Ferrari engine in a Golf. The best you could do was stick the engine from a Golf R32 into a MkI Golf GTi.
I haven't messed about with the Mk I GTi, but I was generalizing and not being specific about a particular car make / model...
As for never having played Forza 2...
Arcade, Time-trial mode: Nurburgring. 1987 Porsche 17, racing Porsche AG-962c.
It's very fast and has very hard brakes. If you don't believe I own the game, go look that up XBot noob.
I really wanted to like Forza 2 when it came out. The customisation looked spot on, and I'd been told it was 360's answer to Gran Turismo. But when I played the demo I thought it was a bit of a let down. It took realism to the extremes, getting to the point it is actually harder to drive in that game than it is to drive a real car and I'd agree it felt soulless.
This one looks like more of the same but I'll give the demo a try if there is one. I dont see why there is no weather effects, people would have noticed that change alot more than tweaked physics.
Fabulous. Did someone miss the point of sticky grass?
It's to stop people cutting corners in RACES, not time trials (Perhaps they should have turned it off in time trial mode, but then you might be able to cut the last corner before your hot lap and cheat that way?). Do you think an on-line race would be any fun at all if you had to wait until the end of the race for time penalties to be levied?
Is cutting your throttle when you return to the track better than sticky grass? No, because you could then just crash into your opponents to held them up.
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Sweaty- don't make me laugh, you weren't going to buy it anyway!
