Microsoft has finally talked in detail about Forza 8 and revealed many details around cars and gameplay. We summarise everything.
Forza Motorsport (or Forza 8) was first announced three years ago. For a long time there was radio silence, but now the developer studio was really in the mood to talk. A lot of new details were revealed, which we summarise in this overview. The reason for this was the big Xbox Bethesda Developers Direct, where a lot of new games from Microsoft were talked about.
Of course, this also includes Forza, which not only flexed its graphic muscles in a more than impressive trailer, but also revealed numerous details about the content. You can watch the trailer right here:
Table of Contents
When is the release of Forza Motorsport?
A good question, but one that can”t be answered definitively yet. Originally, Forza Motorsport was supposed to be released in spring 2023. In the meantime, however, the date has been corrected and there is only talk of 2023. So it will probably only be released in the middle or even towards the end of the year.
For which platforms will the racing game be released?
Forza Motorsport is being developed by Turn 10 Studios directly for Microsoft. Accordingly, the game will be released for both PC and Xbox Series X/S. So if you only have a PS5, you”ll have to pass it up.
By the way: Forza Motorsport will be available in Game Pass right at release, just like every other Microsoft game. If you have subscribed to the service, you will not have to pay any additional costs.
Gameplay: What kind of game will this be?
Forza Motorsport is a reboot of sorts of the long-running racing game series. It is actually the eighth part, but in this case the team is dispensing with the number at the end. In essence, of course, it remains a logical continuation of what distinguishes Forza Motorsport. So you can expect a polished racing simulation that welcomes novice drivers, but has quite a bit to offer in terms of ambition. It also boasts a huge fleet of cars and lots of real race tracks.
Forza Motorsport is supposed to offer an even more realistic driving experience, which is partly due to the improved physics. Especially when it comes to acceleration, braking and behaviour in curves. The tracks themselves also influence the gameplay. Dynamic changes such as the warmth of the track, its slipperiness and whether it is rubberised or not are supposed to have an effect on the driving behaviour.
How many cars are there?
Forza Motorsport is said to feature a huge fleet of cars, with more modern cars than ever before. There is talk of 500 racing cars in total, 100 of which have never been in any other Forza game before. Among them are classics like the 1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe, but also novelties like the 2021 Porsche 911 GT3. As usual, the cars have been brought into the game in extreme detail and you can also add your own touches with over 800 modifiers.
Every car should feel different, also because damage and dirt are always calculated differently. Details such as the paint or the direction of an impact should ensure that you can read the history of a race directly from the car.
Which tracks are in the game?
Forza Motorsport is no slouch when it comes to tracks either. The exact number is not yet known, but there is talk of 20 environments. In each of them there will be a variety of different track layouts. A total of 5 environments are completely new, including Kyalami in South Africa. In addition, Forza classics such as Maple Valley, Laguna Seca and Spa-Francorchamps have already been announced.
How has the game evolved technically?
Graphics always play a big role, especially in racing games, and Forza is known for really getting everything out of the current generations. The eighth part also shows in screenshots and trailers how much graphics power there is in it. If you need more details on the technical improvements, here is a clear list:
- Raytracing for even better reflections.
- Better paint, thanks to a spectrophotometer process that allows each type of paint to react differently to light incidence.
- Tracks were created with photogrammetry which should allow for even more realistic textures.
According to the developers, Forza 8 displays ten times more detail than its predecessors. This includes significantly more vegetation and crowds that are completely made up of individual 3D models. - The atmosphere benefits from physically calculated light and fog effects as well as a procedural cloud system.
- The soundscape has been completely redeveloped and for the first time natively designed for formats such as Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos.
- The large list of sounds has been improved and expanded. You should even be able to hear when you modify the exhaust of a car, for example.
- A new audio technology makes it possible for sounds to adapt more dynamically to the environment. This also affects whether you are sitting in the cockpit or driving the car from a different perspective.
Of course, the most telling thing about the technology is the game material itself, which you can see in this trailer:
Is there a career?
There is currently no further information about the Forza Motorsport campaign. However, we strongly expect that you will once again be able to experience some form of career that will take you to the top of the racing world.
