Forza Motosport has an identity problem

I’d like to point out you’ve got to remember these games are still games at heart. It isn’t like the game will simulate various random failures (engine, transmission, brake, etc…) inherent to racing. You can’t even run out of gas and get stranded. They are CarRPGs, you can tweak things, increase stats, leading to better times, etc… everything is still designed around being a game first.

Maybe part of the reason Motorsport is taking a lot longer this time is because they’re actually putting way more work into making it more of a hardcore sim now that Horizon has completely cornered the arcade racer market and basically become the premier Forza franchise?

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I’m just sad they wasted the Forza Street name on a mobile spin-off

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If I was allowed to the board room the moment they plan the next forza I would say…

  • People who want a fun car game has already moved to Horizon. Few will get both Horizon and Motorsport.
  • Get a real simulator as a base, Assetto, rFactor, whatever. Try to get that feeling, on top of that get your engineers working to create the best optional assists to help casual players to go through the game.
  • Call the game Microsoft Race Simulator, Microsoft Car Simulator, or Microsoft Drive Simulator. Create a tier system like car simulator. Keep adding cars and track for ever.

Gamstat takes its data from the Xbox Live internal data, that’s the data Microsoft has. VGChartz has no sources and even if it had, they don’t take into account digital which is 50-60% of sales nowadays.

Forza Horizon isn’t “Arcade” though, it’s more aimed at street car culture. Arcade racers are: RidgeRacer, Outrun, Daytona, etc.

Now I know that the sim crowd loves to call it “Arcade” for their disdain for it, but that doesn’t make it so. Besides, like earlier mentioned, I like games like Forza as simple as possible. I don’t need Jeremy “I’m an Asshole that punches people and then blames others” Clarkson to explain cars to me during load times. In fact it puts me off, I maintain my own cars and know how they work, so I don’t need his uneducated opinion. I just like to get an old or silly car and put a big engine in it for the fun of it. You know just overpower yourself through races while ramming everybody aside.

Now I know that with the SIM fans that isn’t popular, but it is one of the reasons, Gran Tourismo, Forza and SEGA GT were popular as they were. However that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for a FORZA engine’d version of the game that is far heavier on the SIM parts though. Can even be the same game, but please, don’t just say “They are Arcade racers” and think that all of us who like a bit of silly just will like something.

Outside of the fun over the top races? I don’t like Horizon that much. And those things were you race a Jet plane or Hovercraft are rare. But that is the stuff that what I would like. Plus the ENDLESS TALKING! I don’t need to be told how “awesome” I am, I’m not that self absorbed and insecure lol ;).

So yeah, while I can see your point of wishing a sim, please - and the same applies to al the Third Person Sadventure crowd - know that not everybody likes that. And For gamepass to succeed you need us too. Otherwise, why would I invest in it further? When I can get my jolt from Nintendo? And no “E for everyone” doesn’t mean I like it. It can be an “R” rated game and still be blue skies. :).

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I don’t want a sim, I want a caRPG on real life tracks. I honestly think Forza feels about the same it always has, which is also comparable to GT (historically, I haven’t yet played Sport). It’s designed to work well first and foremost as a game played on a controller, with the idea that anyone can pick it up. I doubt they ever lean hard into forcing people to play it as a hard sim.

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Jup if it becomes a hard sim? Or very long sections with “Jeremy Clarkson”, it’s a hard pass for me. One of the things why Sony’s GranTourismo was so “Grand” was the amount of cars. If you wished a Suzuki Cultus/Swift (Geo Metro) and get 600 Horsepower out of it? YOU COULD! :P. Now go you mad man and beat all those big cars on the circuit :P.

Where did I Say that Forza is an arcade? I just said that its physics and handling are not fun. Not because they are not real but because they are not fun.

The joy of a more realistic game, is that it tries to behave like a real car, so When you play for example a MX7 it feels safe but enjoyable, maybe that sort of car is all what you want and need.

Then you go a bit crazy and it becomes hard, because hard to handle cars, are… hard! when you move from the MX7 to the Shelby Cobra you think… “what the fuck”!!! You start behaving like a Top Gear presenter. Because the actual car indeed was made to have fun with it.

I am beginning to believe that most of you dont really play FM regularly and you are just arguing for the sake of it. Defending your memories.

Im happy to race with you on AC, Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. Brands Hatch Indy track. Controller only :smiley:

You called Forza Horizon “Arcade” in your first post.

Also, I think perhaps a better premise for your thread is “Forza Motorsport isn’t for me.” I don’t think it has any identity problems, I think it just isn’t what you want it to be. And that’s not necessarily an issue, because I don’t think Turn 10 want Forza to be a full on sim game, and you seem to be fine with Asetto Corsa.

I think the reason they’re taking their time with the next one is to sit down and think through what they want a Forza Motorsport game to be, and make sure they do it how they want. I’m kinda excited to see how they distill the core experience and then work to deliver it.

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Oh I forgot I called it arcade. I did not meant to call it Arcade in a bad way. I actually think that most arcade games requires great skills. Fighting games are arcade and they are more hardcore than most games. I just discovered sim racing this year, I have been a GT guy most of the time.

I really am happy with AC and ACC but I honestly believe that FM7 does not plays as well as it should in this time and age. I don’t want people to be frustrated with a game that they can’t control well. But I also think that “oh well its not a sim” is just a bad excuse. GTSport is not considered a sim and it controls great.

It would not be crazy to think that they could add a “Sim mode”. But for that to work the game has to be built with that option from scratch.

Yeah, when I read it back I was like:"Wait what? you called Horizon Arcade, I remember you calling it that and now it says “fun”.

I however don’t think it’s a skill only thing though. A difference between say Daytona and Forza Horizon? One is pick up and play, and the other has quite a bit of “omg you are so awesome… yeah awesome, please talk with your onboard car computer. Awesome” story line in it. It feels too… ego strokey for me. Were as Daytona or Scud Race is like the parts of Horizon where you race a Jet fighter? But then all the time and without that ego stroking part.

In fact I find it a bit off putting in Horizon. While I do like the open world part of it sometimes, just would love less of the ego stroking, to be able to get out of the car and onto a bicycle. Or just explore the scenery on foot. As graphically Forza Horizon games are stunning! But then it be a different game all together heh.

I think the best balance between the two was it’s spiritual ancestor: Metropolis Street Racing and Project Gotham Racing. Less open world, but also more time just racing about.

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As someone who is at the extreme end of casual when it comes to racing games, I like Forza (and Horizon) because I can actually play it, stay on the track and win races. These are things I cannot do on Project Cars.

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I like how FM cars are handled, although I recognize it is feels more arcadey than other motorsport games (Asseto and PC). I had no fun with Project Cars, but some pals that are more into simulators prefer it over FM. I think Forza really needs to add pit-stop animation, a better collision system and especially more rules in MP to avoid the destruction derby that some races can be online. I think that they can reach a middle point where it is still accessible to non hardcore crowd, still giving a greater sense of reality.