Game Review: Forza Motorsports 7 (Xbox One)

The Forza series has been the gold standard of quality for racing sim games, with each entry raising the bar in quality. The newest game in the franchise, Forza 7, promised to deliver an abundance of features never-before-seen in a racing game including dynamic weather and true 4K resolution, bringing the most photorealistic graphics seen in a racing game.

We’ve spent more hours than we can count running Forza 7 through the gauntlet, and we are happy to report that the bar has not only been raised, but it’s been destroyed.

The broad selection has always been a staple in the Forza series, but Forza 7 takes it to another level. The game features over 700 cars and 30 locations. What makes this even more exciting is the dynamic weather. For the first time, track conditions are completely random. Not only does this make for more of a challenge, but it makes for a different experience every time players race. It’s a breath of fresh air to a series that rarely seems to get stale. In addition, drivatars return in Forza 7 Turn 10 looks to have perfected the feature. I found performance to be almost identical whether I was playing the person online or competing against their Drivatar.

The gameplay modes haven’t changed too much, but The Forza Driver’s Cup is a fantastic addition to the series. Racers will take on literally thousands of drivatars to compete for the ultimate prize across 7 game modes. It’s a fluid and complete mode, and without spoilers, it’s incredible. I could not stop playing it and once completed I keep going right back through it again.

Visually, Forza 7 stuns. The game has never looked better, and it brings the whole package together.  The amount of detail really brings the player into the game. The first time I saw the windshield wipers rattling and the raindrops rolling up the windshield, I just shook my head in disbelief. It’s great to see a developer put so much care into a game.

Audio is everything one would expect from an

AAA title, there’s nothing new here, but it does add to an already great game.

Controls have been a strength of the series and the realism returns in a big way. The button layout is the same as before, and the sensitivity (which is, of course, adjustable) feels great in default settings. It’s exactly what you’d expect from the series.

It’s hard to imagine a game series feeling so fresh without a complete reboot, but Turn 10 seems to have pulled it off. If you are a gamer who hasn’t tried the series or grew tired and gave it up, now is the time to jump in.