FORZA HORIZON 4
PUBLISHER MICROSOFT STUDIOS | DEVELOPER PLAYGROUND GAMES
FORMAT XBOX ONE | RELEASE 2018It may not enjoy the same blazing sun as its
predecessor, but Forza Horizon 4’s speedy
sandbox still delivers an amazing map
for Xbox motorists. Even more intricately
detailed than Horizon 3’s Australia, its
bite-sized Britain is a brilliant playground.
The constant downpours may not do much
for your driver’s vitamin D levels, yet whenracing in the lashing rain is this satisfying,
who needs virtual rays? Whether you want
to terrify stags while bombing through
fields of heather, or outrun the Flying
Scotsman as the iconic choo-choo makes
a chugging beeline for Edinburgh train
station, every event in Horizon 4 makes its
sensational open world sing.FORZA HORIZON 3
PUBLISHER MICROSOFT STUDIOS |
DEVELOPER PLAYGROUND GAMES |
FORMAT XBOX ONE | RELEASE 2016Probably the best open-world racer of
all time. Playground Games’ wonderfully
colourful driving sim sees you taming the
Aussie Outback. With an accessible handling
model and impeccable cornering, even the
most straightforward of A to B journeys in
Horizon 3 is a pedal-purring pleasure. Unlike
mainline Forza games, this spin-off doesn’t
take itself in the least bit seriously. Whether
you’re ripping up the baking sands of pristine
beaches in Halo’s Warthog, or dipping into
choppy streams as you try to outrace a
speedboat, Horizon 3 is never less than a silly
good time. As essential a racing experience
as you’ll find on any generation of Xbox, this
is a real Down Under delight.RACE DRIVER: GRID
PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER CODEMASTERS |
FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2008Even by the lofty standards Codemasters
has set over the years, Grid is an all-time
great. It may not have been the first racer to
introduce a rewind mechanic, but it certainly
feels like the game that cemented it as a
podium place-saving staple. At every step
and turn of its gripping campaign, Grid brims
with personality. Be it horribly tight duels
against the dastardly Ravenwest Motorsport
or ruining your suspension bombing around
Detroit’s street circuit, there’s nothing about
Codies’ driver that’s remotely generic. In
the gruelling 24 Le Mans event, the racing
master also serves up one of the most tense,
terrifying driving challenges on Xbox – just
wait until the sun starts setting and see how
your nerve holds.NEED FOR SPEED:
HOT PURSUIT
PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER CRITERION |
FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2010It’s no surprise the best Need For Speed
by all the country miles comes from
former Burnout master Criterion. The
sweeping Seacrest County proves the
perfect backdrop for breakneck hot fuzz
pursuits, and the slick handling model is
a speed demon’s dream. One of the most
social entries in the series, Facebook-
style Speedwalls let you share photos.
Autolog was also a huge addition,
tracking and tailoring events based on
your driving style. Too bad most NFS
sequels clapped out their motors telling
poor The Fast The Furious stories rather
than dishing out riveting races.MIDNIGHT CLUB 3:
DUB EDITION
PUBLISHER ROCKSTAR GAMES |
DEVELOPER ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO |
FORMAT XBOX | RELEASE 2005Before killer cowboys and bank-fleecing
trios, Rockstar released an open-ended
racer with style and an absolute banger
of a soundtrack. With one of the most
varied garages you’ll find in any driving
game before or since, taming the
sandbox streets of San Diego, Atlanta,
then Detroit throughout Midnight Club 3’s
campaign is an ever-changing blast. It
doesn’t matter whether you’re winning
street races in a chopper, or scraping
through autocross challenges with your
bumper barely intact: in Rockstar’s racer,
every criminal joyride is a thrill.058 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE
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