The new Horizon is absolutely fun, but it probably won't be a hit with anyone who wasn't a fan of previous installments of the racing series. Forza's Horizon games appear to take place in an alternate universe with specific rules. It is a world where cars come first over everything else, where every fifth garage contains an abandoned collector vehicle, and where no car ever leaves the factory with enough rear grip to avoid a slide on the way out of a corner.
From the very first teaser, the powers behind Forza Horizon have made clear that the core difference between Horizon 6 and its predecessors is that it takes place in Japan. It's a long-requested destination for a series that's built from the ground up around the idea of adventuring in cars through new regions, and the game does everything it can to embrace that idea. Half of the game's progression, including access to things like houses and special Barn Find cars, are locked behind the "Discover Japan" progression tree.
View Price on AmazonThis is entirely separate from the usual Horizon festival progression system—and as a direct result, it rewards interacting with the Japan setting itself rather than interacting with the usual Horizon festival events. Rather than being rewarded for racing and showing off, Discover Japan stamps are handed out based on things like home ownership, scenic photography, and your willingness to drive a food delivery Kei truck through Tokyo at speeds of up to 60 mph. The most interesting element tied to this system are stories scattered throughout the map—effectively side quest chains that focus on some of the game's scripted characters.
These help a lot with past complaints that Horizon worlds never quite felt lived in, although the game still ultimately feels more like an empty playground for cars to explore than anything else. Plotlines range from a drift club quest starring a fictional young English driver to an automotive magazine photo shoot starring actual real guy Larry Chen. Combined with a uniquely great map of Japan that actually lives up to the promise of a Horizon game in the setting, the Discover Japan progression line is the most satisfying part of Forza Horizon 6 by far.
Source: roadandtrack.com
