Forza Horizon 2 was this generation's first blockbuster racing game, achieving an 86 Metascore and extremely favorable user reviews when it debuted two years ago. Although many doubted that Playground Games could one up its successful racer, Forza Horizon 3 has arrived to show that there's always room for improvement.
During our time with Forza Horizon 3 we have acknowledged some key areas where the game makes improvements over its predecessor. You can read about the five most noteworthy details in the gallery below.
Whats New: Forza Horizon 3
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Beautiful skies
Forza Horizon 3 is a much prettier game than its predecessor, and part of that is owed to its skybox technology. Playground Games recorded real world footage of the Earth's skies using a 12K HDR camera. The result is something truly spectacular.
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rnIt might not seem like much, but when you're racing, anywhere from 20% to 40% of your screen will be taken up by the sky. Having a realistic backdrop in your environment makes a notable difference. These skies will shift along with the time of day, and alter during various weather conditions. -
Character creation
One common concern with Forza Horizon 2 was that while it delivered a satisfactory festival oriented single-player campaign, it lacked immersion. A lot of this is because there was no character customization. Cutscenes showed a generic white male, who you played as, walking around never saying anything. This preset character was shown in your car, which killed some of the personalization when taking photos.
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rnForza Horizon 3 has taken strides in this area by providing a set of around a dozen character choices that range in gender, race, and style. You are also able to select a name which is represented within in-game dialog. These additions go a long way toward making you feel like you're playing a sort of racing RPG that tries to immerse you in the world. -
Drone mode
Forza Horizon 3 is a spectacularly beautiful game, and it allows you to take in the scenery properly with what's called Drone Mode. What this feature does is let you control a quadcopter that can fly around the world taking in the sights from every angle. This is not only good for admiring the scenery, but also taking screenshots.
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rnDrone Mode is particularly effective for Barn Finds, which are hidden spots in the game world that unlock special vehicles when discovered. In Forza Horizon 2 it was a bit of a headache to drive around trying to find these barns without a good visual perspective. Drone Mode is the perfect solution given its locomotive freedom. -
Diverse landscape
Forza Horizon 2 was very conscientious about delivering a realistic landscape that represented the border between Italy and France. Although its world was beautiful, 80% of it was taken up by very similar looking hills peppered with vineyards.
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rnForza Horizon 3 is set in Australia with sharp contrasts between its regions. You have a sprawling "Outback" desert to the Northwest, which is perfect for off-road vehicles. There's a rainforest to the South, not too far from beautiful beaches to the East. You have lakes, rivers, streams, bays, valleys, and so much more to explore. The world is, simply put, much more comprehensive, challenging your racing skills with a large set of possible conditions. -
Vehicle types
Forza Horizon 3 includes more than 150 additional vehicles on top of what Forza Horizon 2 had. More importantly, the new list includes a greater set of vehicle types.
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rnFor example, there are several dune buggies, as well as Utes, and trophy trucks. Off-road is represented in full force, as are the various European racing disciplines. Clearly, the Forza Horizon 2 Storm Island expansion pack broadened the horizons of the franchise, and it's better for it.
