Forza Horizon 6 Review, Gameplay Impressions, Videos, Modes and Top Features

Forza Horizon 6 from developer Playground Games marks another leap for the storied series. 

A follow-up to Horizon 5 from 2021, this offering is the second big effort for the Horizon offshoot on next-generation consoles. 

And it shows…in how it looks from every angle, in motion or at a standstill, and in how it controls. 

Promising a vast suite of upgrades across the board to what was already a top-of-market experience and tackling a sweeping new setting via a trip to a dense Japan with 10 regions, Horizon 6 is the rare racer that isn't just a top-of-genre favorite, but a possible Game of the Year contender. 

Gameplay

Forza is back in all of its deep-as-players-want-it glory. 

This is a deep simulation, down to tuning specific parts of a ride for certain anticipated grip levels on specific tracks. Or, it's a pick-up-and-play blast where players go on cross-country jaunts and explore. 

There's perhaps no better playground for a variety of different racing styles than the modern-traditional mix the country of Japan presents across the massive map. And it feels great to control regardless, with responsive controls and realistic feedback on a variety of surfaces. 

Tack on the usual Horizon goodness of differing seasons and weather effects that change how each and every bit of drivable land feels, too. The seasons feature means a dramatic shift each week, where impassable routes become frozen and drivable, to whole areas being blocked off, etc. 

This has yet to add on the different event types that also vary up the challenge, by the way. 

There are three core race types. Road racing is the most basic, while dirt racing throws mixed-surface challenges at players to see if they can manage grip properly. Then there's straight-up cross-country racing, which are off-road routes that challenge players with the unexpected across a variety of bigger vehicles. 

Across the map, there are also challenging side items like PR stunts, which include drift challenges, speed traps and sprints, among others. Life events like time attacks and drag meets are present as well, offering up a little player vs. player time-based stuff. 

Player agency off the roads matters, too. Forza's deep tuning systems return once again, allowing for specific profiles and part swapping. As a player becomes more skillful with a specific vehicle, they unlock mastery points to level up perks with that line of vehicles, too. 

It helps that Horizon has long felt fantastic. The A.I. is smart, but not too nasty, while the vehicles are weighty enough to strike an impressive balance between sim and arcade. It's up to the player to decide how sim-like it all is, but it's never not fun, regardless. 

Graphics and Presentation

From a presentation and immersion standpoint, Forza Horizon 6 is one of those games players could only dream about years ago. 

It's jarring to see such a wide variety of visual effects, from sweeping draw distances and skyboxes that used to be reserved for open-world games only, to a shocking nighttime colorful feast of reflections while zooming through cities. Older gamers might remember there was a time when nighttime racing got its own games outright due to hardware limitations. 

The incredibly diverse Japanese setting is a stunner, whether it's drifting through traditional rural countryside or navigating the tight turns of cities with towering buildings. Forza 6 is an embarrassment of riches on the tech side. Things like reflections, environmental detailing and realistic physics just chef's kiss the whole thing.

Beyond the immersion conversation, there's also sheer player agency in the presentation department thanks to a variety of camera angles to use. Most immersive, of course, is first-person, but other third-person options are worth a look. Don't forget Autodrive's uber-cinematic camera angle to really just kick back and enjoy the Japanese countryside.

And it's a little thing, but it's nice to see this sequel loops in people and makes the festival feel like a real thing again through attention to detail. In the past, the festivals felt a little lifeless while simply working through a series of menus. 

Features and More

Narratively and flow-wise, Horizon 6 is similar to the others. Players arrive in a new place as a tourist, qualify for the festival, then eventually start buying properties all over the place while assembling a collection that would make a car dealership blush. 

The events to tackle follow a similar theme. There's not a fixed path through events and all events contribute to leveling up. Players can choose what order they attack events at their current level, with the overarching pacing of the game letting them unlock bigger, faster rides as they go. 

It's not just straight-up racing, either. Like other Horizon entries, there are plenty of side activities to do out in the world. We're talking about landmarks, the expected photoshoot spots and timed delivery runs, to name a few, in addition to the PR stunts and other standard time attacks and similar events. 

Horizon 6 offers two paths for progression via its journal system. The festival side is all about the competitive side of racing and the feats to accomplish there. The discovery side is a more relaxed, exploration sort of vibe begging players to enjoy the stunning overworld and its many details. 

On the car collection front, assembling the 550 will require some exploration, too. There are barn finds, very rare treasure cars that require hints to unearth and aftermarket cars that could be cheaper than buying base models, as well as possible unique finds. 

And on the real estate collecting front, players can assemble garages, an estate and homes, the latter of which even unlocks unique perks on a per-property basis to boost things like income. 

Beyond the expected stuff on the multiplayer front (three-round racing, drift, battle royale, etc.), there's a fun community-based feature called car meets. This is exactly what it sounds like, as players can check out each other's ride and even purchase the cars there in stock form. Players can share their liveries and tuning for their rides if they want, too. There's also a public co-op event each hour via a fun stunt party. 

Besides being something of a technical marvel for how well it runs despite all it has going on, Horizon 6 is another achievement in the options and accessibility department, so it's worth diving in and seeing what it has to offer on these fronts. 

Conclusion

Horizon has long walked the fine line between the more traditional sim-like Motorsport entries in the Forza series and a broad, appealing arcade racer with open-world traits and endless things to do. 

This latest entry doesn't just keep the trend going: Horizon 6 keeps Forza at the very top of the food chain of all racers. 

A delight of digital tourism, love letter to the vehicles and a simply well-done, deep video game that puts sports titles and plenty of bigger non-sports games to shame, Forza Horizon 6 sits at the apex of what the genre can achieve in the space.