Forza Motorsport 2

Extreme physics simulation and great draw distance are two highlights

Progress through this mode is swift enough as to keep things interesting, though not too quick that it hands out everything straight away - the rudimentary RPG system of driver levels and car levels - both upped through race winnings - mean that new events and new cars are unlocked gradually as competitions are won. It's a simple system, but it works incredibly well, so there can be no complaints there. The rewards for success range from the comical to the incredible, and cars awarded for winning events and levelling up soon become very desirable indeed - pre-planning the customisation of a car that is soon to be won is something that comes to happen quite often, it would seem. Even if it is yet more puke-green colouration.

The game playing well wouldn't be much to talk about if the AI didn't stand up - generally in racing games the computer either sticks to nothing but the perfect racing line and seems to carry out the entire race in 3rd gear, or is a complete ass that nashes everything up for no reason whatsoever on seemingly every corner. Forza 2 manages to have AI that can be a bit of a challenge or a lot of a challenge, and never as stupid as to crash all the time for no reason, though they do crash sometimes.

The upper difficulty levels provide a real test of a driver's mettle, but losses at this level never feel unfair - the computer actually beats you. The odd knock to make you spin out can cause pure fury, but this doesn't happen that often. Other difficulty settings are scaleable, from driving aids to the optimum line indicator present in the previous Forza, telling you when to accelerate, slow down and brake - everything can be turned on, up, down or off individually to create a perfect custom difficulty that is not ridiculously hard or easy. It's deep. Not sure if I mentioned that yet.

Those that tire of the AI challenge can jump online and carry on with career races, earning money in exactly the same way as single player. This is a great addition to the game and brings a new level of challenge to proceedings - humans driving better than the computer, and all. Those not wishing to test themselves in the ranked manner can also join in the online shenanigans with any number of Player races, offering up the chance to see the best designs out there without destroying your reputation in the process.

P L E A S E   V I S I T   O U R   S P O N S O R :

"The auction house does work fine, but some refining is necessary."

The other main aspect of online functionality in Forza 2 comes with the auction house, where players can put up their rides for bidding by other players or purchase a vehicle that someone else has decided to part with, and all through ingame funds. This section runs somewhat like a certain famous auction site on the real interworld, with incremental bids placed on each car until time runs out. It all works well enough, but there are some issues - bids can't be set to rise automatically when outbid and a laborious method has to be undertaken to increase even a slight amount. It does work fine, but some refining is necessary.

Forza 2 isn't perfect though. The lack of music in races - whilst clearly a conscious choice on the part of the developers - can make races seem empty, even if the sound effects are utterly spot on. Races can still be easily won by entering a massively souped-up motor into things, and though the races with limits imposed go some way to countering this there really isn't much in place to stop what is bordering on cheating for the easy win. There are other niggly faults, but nothing that bears thinking about for more than the half a second they happen on screen - the game is so finely crafted there isn't much in the way of bugs or faults, and anything negative that does come about is soon forgotten about thanks to the great quality of the game as a whole.

Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL 9.0 8.0 9.0 9.0 10 9.0

THE VERDICT: Forza 2 is a fantastic game. It doesn't rewrite the book on racing games, but it goes some way to perfecting the style. Those who played the first will be familiar with the game, but the refined nature of things, along with the thoroughly NEXT MEGA GEN feel of everything make it an essential purchase for any 360 owner, and certainly a game that could convert non-360 owners to the cause. The summer just got a reason to stay in.

Page: 1  2 

Video Coverage (See Latest Videos & Video FAQ Here)
PLEASE DO NOT DIRECT LINK TO ANY MEDIA FILE ON KIKIZO
Description	Dur.	Size	Details
Forza Motorsport 2 Behind-the-scenes documentary	6:31	85MB	DF, SD, 16:9 640x360p30 2.1Mbps
Forza Motorsport 2 Direct feed trailer   (X360 - Microsoft)	01:33	34MB	DF, ED, 16:9 856x480p30 3.0Mbps