Japan was worth the wait
By Paul Hunter
Forza Horizon 6 brings Playground Games’ open-world racing series to Xbox Series X and PC with the setting fans have wanted years for. The Horizon Festival finally comes to Japan, and as someone who frequently visits the country I was ready to clear my schedule the moment it was announced.
Japan is the perfect fit for Horizon. It has a world-famous rich car scene with some of the best car makers on the planet, and the land itself is ideal for racing with Tokyo’s dense roads, and surrounding rural countryside and mountain routes.
So, is Forza Horizon 6 the ultimate Japan road trip? Let’s find out!
The early going is all about earning your spot in the festival. The Horizon Invitational becomes the first major step, as completing it turns you from visitor into rookie driver. From there, you'll complete events and activities associated with the Horizon Festival to climb through wristband tiers from Rookie through Intermediate and finally to Legend.
The Collection Journal tracks your journey, splitting your progress between Horizon Festival and Discover Japan. The Festival portion focuses on your driving skills and reputation as a driver, while Discover Japan marks your progress exploring the country through regional introductions, friendships, day trips, and car-culture moments. What's cool is you can focus on either track or both in any order you like, so you have complete freedom to experience Japan the way you want.
Rising in Wristband rank rewards you by unlocking stronger car classes and new events to participate, and the cycle continues as you complete Festival events, PR Stunts, Horizon Rush challenges, and Showcases to earn XP and Credits to access the next tier. Horizon Rush became an early favourite of mine with its focus on timed obstacle course test braking, jump control, and the ability to quickly correct.
The garage this time is massive, with over 550 real-world cars. You can buy from the Autoshow, discover Barn Finds, hunt for Treasure Cars, and spot Aftermarket Cars across Japan. I loved finding an Barn Find car between events, pulling over like I had found a rare drop, then taking it straight to upgrades.
Of course, the tuning and upgrades return, this time allowing you to add Japanese style plates, window liveries, new parts, paints and rims. You can also show off display cars at purchable homes, while your Estate gives you the freedom to build tracks or stunt routes for full custom playgrounds.
Online play is huge focus once again through Horizon Play, the centralized multiplayer hub. Racing Championships, Custom Racing, Horizon Drift, The Eliminator, and Hide and Seek return, while Spec Racing and Touge Showdowns add two exhilarating competitive options.
Spec Racing is the mode I enjoyed most as everyone uses identical cars with locked builds and tunes. With everyone starting with the same builds it puts the emphasis on braking, corner exits, racing lines, and recovery.
The open world is great to travel with friends too. You can join a Horizon Convoy, meet up for a Drag Meet, challenge friends in Time Attack, or just have fun in Horizon Stunt Parties with co-op rewards.
Dynamic weather changes are back, dramatically altering the way routes look and play. Rain makes city roads shine under streetlights, snow gives mountain drives a sharp focus on throttle control, and sunny daytime routes show off car paint against wider scenery. Vehicle detail is exceptional too, especially when light catches the bodywork during replays or garage stops.
The audio is just as impressive. Engines sound aggressive in tunnels, tires change tone on wet roads, and snowy areas have a softer sound that fits the terrain. The radio lineup has plenty of variety, and I gravitated to Gacha City Radio that plays non-stop Japanese tunes that suits the setting.
Presentation-wise, on Xbox Series X, Quality mode runs at 4K and 30fps, while Performance mode targets 60fps at 4K with DRS down to 1620p. I stuck with Performance most often because racing at 60fps just feels right for this game.
All considered, Forza Horizon 6 is the best looking, best sounding and best performing entry in the series yet, and arguably the most polished open world racing game released on any platform yet.
Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Developer: Playground games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Racing
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
By Paul Hunter
Forza Horizon 6 brings Playground Games’ open-world racing series to Xbox Series X and PC with the setting fans have wanted years for. The Horizon Festival finally comes to Japan, and as someone who frequently visits the country I was ready to clear my schedule the moment it was announced.
Japan is the perfect fit for Horizon. It has a world-famous rich car scene with some of the best car makers on the planet, and the land itself is ideal for racing with Tokyo’s dense roads, and surrounding rural countryside and mountain routes.
So, is Forza Horizon 6 the ultimate Japan road trip? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
Forza Horizon 6 keeps its story simple because the real focus is your rise through Horizon Japan. You arrive in Japan as a tourist with your sights set on becoming a world-famous driver, and the Horizon festival is the ideal place to make your name.The early going is all about earning your spot in the festival. The Horizon Invitational becomes the first major step, as completing it turns you from visitor into rookie driver. From there, you'll complete events and activities associated with the Horizon Festival to climb through wristband tiers from Rookie through Intermediate and finally to Legend.
The Collection Journal tracks your journey, splitting your progress between Horizon Festival and Discover Japan. The Festival portion focuses on your driving skills and reputation as a driver, while Discover Japan marks your progress exploring the country through regional introductions, friendships, day trips, and car-culture moments. What's cool is you can focus on either track or both in any order you like, so you have complete freedom to experience Japan the way you want.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Forza Horizon 6 easily delivers the best open-world racing gameplay in the series yet. That's mainly due to the sheer variety of race types and terrain that Japan has to offer. Road Racing focuses on braking control, corner exits, and speed on streets and highways. Dirt Racing across the countryside has you content with loose surfaces, while Cross Country Racing sends your across rough ground where maintaining control is a challenge. Meanwhile, Street Racing gives you open night routes with checkpoints, while Touge Battles are one-on-one downhill races on tight, scenic mountain roads.Rising in Wristband rank rewards you by unlocking stronger car classes and new events to participate, and the cycle continues as you complete Festival events, PR Stunts, Horizon Rush challenges, and Showcases to earn XP and Credits to access the next tier. Horizon Rush became an early favourite of mine with its focus on timed obstacle course test braking, jump control, and the ability to quickly correct.
The garage this time is massive, with over 550 real-world cars. You can buy from the Autoshow, discover Barn Finds, hunt for Treasure Cars, and spot Aftermarket Cars across Japan. I loved finding an Barn Find car between events, pulling over like I had found a rare drop, then taking it straight to upgrades.
Of course, the tuning and upgrades return, this time allowing you to add Japanese style plates, window liveries, new parts, paints and rims. You can also show off display cars at purchable homes, while your Estate gives you the freedom to build tracks or stunt routes for full custom playgrounds.
Online play is huge focus once again through Horizon Play, the centralized multiplayer hub. Racing Championships, Custom Racing, Horizon Drift, The Eliminator, and Hide and Seek return, while Spec Racing and Touge Showdowns add two exhilarating competitive options.
Spec Racing is the mode I enjoyed most as everyone uses identical cars with locked builds and tunes. With everyone starting with the same builds it puts the emphasis on braking, corner exits, racing lines, and recovery.
The open world is great to travel with friends too. You can join a Horizon Convoy, meet up for a Drag Meet, challenge friends in Time Attack, or just have fun in Horizon Stunt Parties with co-op rewards.
Presentation and Audio
Forza Horizon 6 is a visual showcase on Xbox Series X. Tokyo looks stunning, with tight streets, neon city signs, bridges, tunnels, and gorgeous highway runs that make every inch of the map worth exploring. I loved slipping from a packed Tokyo street route into a suburban stretch, then finding a backroad that sent me toward the mountains.Dynamic weather changes are back, dramatically altering the way routes look and play. Rain makes city roads shine under streetlights, snow gives mountain drives a sharp focus on throttle control, and sunny daytime routes show off car paint against wider scenery. Vehicle detail is exceptional too, especially when light catches the bodywork during replays or garage stops.
The audio is just as impressive. Engines sound aggressive in tunnels, tires change tone on wet roads, and snowy areas have a softer sound that fits the terrain. The radio lineup has plenty of variety, and I gravitated to Gacha City Radio that plays non-stop Japanese tunes that suits the setting.
Presentation-wise, on Xbox Series X, Quality mode runs at 4K and 30fps, while Performance mode targets 60fps at 4K with DRS down to 1620p. I stuck with Performance most often because racing at 60fps just feels right for this game.
All considered, Forza Horizon 6 is the best looking, best sounding and best performing entry in the series yet, and arguably the most polished open world racing game released on any platform yet.
The Verdict
Forza Horizon 6 is Playground Games firing on all cylinders. Japan is the perfect setting for its love of cars, scenic beauty, open world freedom, and pure road-trip fun. I loved how you can seamlessly move from intense racing to casual cruising across the largest map in Forza Horizon history. On Xbox Series X, the top-notch presentation and smooth performance make every drive feel exhilarating. This is a huge win for Horizon fans and one of the most exciting racing games to ever hit Xbox.Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Forza Horizon 6 details
Platform: Xbox Series X|S, PCDeveloper: Playground games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Racing
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer