It is debatable whether this game belongs in any sim subforum -- seeing as how it's primarily an arcade racer, it is a console/PC hybrid, and it does suffer from some considerable consolitis -- but my impression of it since it first released has improved so much that it's worth posting about it here.
First of all, just some of its faults:
- This is a Windows Store exclusive game, and as such, it requires access to the MS App Store, to the Xbox app, and it has certain technical aspects to it that can be off-putting to some. For example, it is a DirectX 12-exclusive title, which locks out (for now) things like mutli-GPU support. But read on for further details on that.
- It still suffers from some p. strange or irritating bugs, but ones that so far haven't been insurmountable. One example is, if you're inadvertently playing the game without proper network access to the Forza servers (which can be caused by something as simple as, in my case, running an ad blocker like AdFender), there will be some things missing in the game which you won't even realize like crucial AI cars not spawning which can lead you falsely into a whole land of troubleshooting and retards online proclaiming the game to be utterly broken. It's actually not.
- Again, this is an arcade racer. Its handling model is nowhere near real sim levels, its damage model is basically a joke, and if you're looking for anything even closely resembling the other Forza titles or something like Gran Turismo, move on. It's more like DriveClub, which I've never played, but based on what I've heard about that game, I think this one is far superior.
- You're going to need a p. beefy gaming system to really enjoy this, IMO. I've read that an i5 PC with a GTX 700 series or equivalent can play it on Medium and be okay, but it as a title has a long history of framerate inconsistency and frustration. However, again, read on.
- As a multiplayer game, and a cross-platform one at that, it can be full of kids and retards. But, this actually may be a good thing. Once I get more into the online aspects of it, I'll be able to decide more clearly later. EDIT: You have the option to play completely solo and/or offline.
Now for some good stuff:
- The game's performance, within the last several months/latest patches, has improved dramatically. Specifically, the developer has greatly improved its usage of multiple CPU cores and has fine-tuned its automatic framerate (dynamic) tuning. My GTX 970 along with a 4.5GHz 6850K is easily cruising along, even in the jungle parts and heavily-crowded areas, at 70+ fps, and this is in 1440p with G-Sync enabled. It's so smooth that I just forget about the engine's performance (no pun intended) and, you know, immerse myself.
- While we are talking about a very loose driving model here, it can be tweaked to an impressive degree. There are myriad adjustments for your wheel preferences, there are dozens and dozens of performance upgrades to buy for any car, and there are too many tuning options for even me to care digging into. I get along fine with everything default and just turning down the steering sensitivity for my venerable Logitech MOMO FF wheel.
- This is a huge, huge game world. I think it's the entirety of Australia, obviously scaled down to be appropriate for a game, but it reminds me of an open-world RPG in its exploration. You can just follow the missions and go from festival to festival, or you can online freeroam anywhere, or you can do what it calls Online Adventures, which, if I understand them correctly, include challenges like "bosses" to defeat, similar to a game like The Crew (which I've played rather extensively).
- There are no more exquisite graphics to be seen in an arcade racer anywhere, I think. The cars are extremely sharply presented, the landscapes are widely varied and well-presented, and there are a lot of details to keep the graphics whore in you happy, such as near-photographic-quality water droplets on your windshield in the rain or driving through ocean spray/rivers/standing water. There's a day/night cycle, the map is amazing to look at -- I could go on.
This title has had enough time to bake such that most of its real kinks have been worked out. If you've got an itch for an easy, freeroam racer, and you've got a fairly nice system to play it on, plus if you don't mind crashing into retards like me down in Cleve-land, you might want to give it a try.
My in-game ID is "Duhfart1". You'll be able to recognize me by my customized plates: DEALT IT.
First of all, just some of its faults:
- This is a Windows Store exclusive game, and as such, it requires access to the MS App Store, to the Xbox app, and it has certain technical aspects to it that can be off-putting to some. For example, it is a DirectX 12-exclusive title, which locks out (for now) things like mutli-GPU support. But read on for further details on that.
- It still suffers from some p. strange or irritating bugs, but ones that so far haven't been insurmountable. One example is, if you're inadvertently playing the game without proper network access to the Forza servers (which can be caused by something as simple as, in my case, running an ad blocker like AdFender), there will be some things missing in the game which you won't even realize like crucial AI cars not spawning which can lead you falsely into a whole land of troubleshooting and retards online proclaiming the game to be utterly broken. It's actually not.
- Again, this is an arcade racer. Its handling model is nowhere near real sim levels, its damage model is basically a joke, and if you're looking for anything even closely resembling the other Forza titles or something like Gran Turismo, move on. It's more like DriveClub, which I've never played, but based on what I've heard about that game, I think this one is far superior.
- You're going to need a p. beefy gaming system to really enjoy this, IMO. I've read that an i5 PC with a GTX 700 series or equivalent can play it on Medium and be okay, but it as a title has a long history of framerate inconsistency and frustration. However, again, read on.
- As a multiplayer game, and a cross-platform one at that, it can be full of kids and retards. But, this actually may be a good thing. Once I get more into the online aspects of it, I'll be able to decide more clearly later. EDIT: You have the option to play completely solo and/or offline.
Now for some good stuff:
- The game's performance, within the last several months/latest patches, has improved dramatically. Specifically, the developer has greatly improved its usage of multiple CPU cores and has fine-tuned its automatic framerate (dynamic) tuning. My GTX 970 along with a 4.5GHz 6850K is easily cruising along, even in the jungle parts and heavily-crowded areas, at 70+ fps, and this is in 1440p with G-Sync enabled. It's so smooth that I just forget about the engine's performance (no pun intended) and, you know, immerse myself.
- While we are talking about a very loose driving model here, it can be tweaked to an impressive degree. There are myriad adjustments for your wheel preferences, there are dozens and dozens of performance upgrades to buy for any car, and there are too many tuning options for even me to care digging into. I get along fine with everything default and just turning down the steering sensitivity for my venerable Logitech MOMO FF wheel.
- This is a huge, huge game world. I think it's the entirety of Australia, obviously scaled down to be appropriate for a game, but it reminds me of an open-world RPG in its exploration. You can just follow the missions and go from festival to festival, or you can online freeroam anywhere, or you can do what it calls Online Adventures, which, if I understand them correctly, include challenges like "bosses" to defeat, similar to a game like The Crew (which I've played rather extensively).
- There are no more exquisite graphics to be seen in an arcade racer anywhere, I think. The cars are extremely sharply presented, the landscapes are widely varied and well-presented, and there are a lot of details to keep the graphics whore in you happy, such as near-photographic-quality water droplets on your windshield in the rain or driving through ocean spray/rivers/standing water. There's a day/night cycle, the map is amazing to look at -- I could go on.
This title has had enough time to bake such that most of its real kinks have been worked out. If you've got an itch for an easy, freeroam racer, and you've got a fairly nice system to play it on, plus if you don't mind crashing into retards like me down in Cleve-land, you might want to give it a try.
My in-game ID is "Duhfart1". You'll be able to recognize me by my customized plates: DEALT IT.
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