Xbox - The Official Magazine - UK (2019-12 - Christmas)

FORZA MOTORSPORT

RELEASE 2005

FORZA MOTORSPORT 2

RELEASE 2007

FORZA MOTORSPORT 4

RELEASE 2011

FORZA HORIZON

RELEASE 2012

The game that started Xbox’s

greatest racing dynasty. This

was also the only Forza to

appear on the original Xbox.

This sequel was developed in

tandem with Xbox 360’s Wireless

Racing Wheel. Oh, and its box

was a banger.

Turn 10 partnered with Top Gear

for Forza 4 in a move that means

you get a lot of Jeremy Clarkson

in your ear. Ugh.

The franchise’s first sandbox

spin-off is a intense, Colorado-

based racer that introduced the

concept of the Horizon Festival.

THE EVOLUTION OF FORZA CHARTING THE EVOLUTION OF XBOX’S APEX RACING SERIES

DRIVER: SAN FRANCISCO

PUBLISHER UBISOFT | DEVELOPER UBISOFT REFLECTIONS | FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2011

We may be stretching the definition of

‘racer’ here, but we love this loony San Fran

sandbox so much, we don’t care. For one

glorious moment, Ubisoft had the maddest,

most lovable open world on the Xbox 360.

Driver: San Francisco is probably the most

straight-up certifiable driving game in

Xbox history. Playing a comatose cop, you

essentially mindjack the motorists of the

City By The Bay via a Google Earth-style

system. This not only gives hero Tanner

an endless supply of motors, it also lets

you gatecrash some awesomely slapstick

scenarios. Scare a test instructor silly during

a driving exam! Give a cranky patient heart

palpitations driving them to the hospital!

Direct your own crash-tastic stunt videos!

This is a charming racing curio for the ages.

BURNOUT PARADISE

PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER CRITERION |

FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2008

Criterion’s breezy smash hit remains a

laid-back delight over a decade on from its

release. Well, as long as your definition of

‘laid back’ involves Guns N’ Roses blaring

out of your stereo while you send a muscle

car careening through a billboard. The list of

endlessly thrilling activities to tick off makes

Paradise one of the all-time great joyrides.

Smash through shortcut gates. Boost your

way to gold medals down at Harbour Town.

Compete in Marked Man desperate dashes.

Pile up a series of slo-mo wrecks in Road

Rage. Few other games have ever hit such a

thrilling sensation of speed in a world that’s

truly paradise to explore. The fact we’ve not

had another mainline Burnout since is one of

the biggest injustices in Xbox history.

Is this selection a bit of a cheat? Only if

you think racing games need cars. Spend

even a teeny amount of time with Pure’s

knockabout quad bikes, though, and you

will never miss bombing about in a virtual

Ferrari again. Tapping into a little of SSX’s

showy spirit, this dusty racer’s trick system

is thrilling. The worst thing you can do in

Pure is pull off a move that goes ‘stale’,

with the game constantly encouraging you

to break out a white-knuckle menagerie

of moves to keep its thrill bar ticking

over. Pure is so obsessed with speed and

showmanship, it lets you race until your

bike’s tank is totally empty. It’s not very

often where we get treated to a racer

that mixes things up a bit, and Pure is an

overlooked gem.

PURE

PUBLISHER DISNEY | DEVELOPER BLACK ROCK STUDIO | FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2008

060 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

OXM INVESTIGATES