![]() It helps that Horizon 4 is a thoroughly beautiful affair, especially for an open-world game. At the same time, there's enough depth here for seasoned drivers to get their kicks, too. I can easily see all of my friends flirting with the explorative nature of the game without the difficulty of taming those mechanical beasts turning them away. The Horizon series has long been one of those few racers that transcend the niche reputation of the genre and manages to be universally entertaining. Ultimately, it's an experience that works because of its accessibility. The game is set up in a way where you physically cannot play it without progressing, so you're better off strapping yourself into your favorite ride and letting the numbers sort themselves out. My best advice to anyone starting out in Forza Horizon 4 is to simply ignore all of that mathematical noise. Forza Horizon 4 review: Nailing the basics In those moments, it feels like the game just isn't listening. I finished 11th in one race, only to be lauded by one of the event organizers for my finesse behind the wheel, given a hefty sum of cash and somehow awarded enough XP to level up. The problem with being reinforced with a flurry of meaningless numbers for every trivial action is that it kind of devalues all your achievements. The PR Stunt challenges have their own currency as well, and, ultimately, if you do all the things, you level up, which unlocks more events. ![]() Note that Skill Points aren't the same as Influence Points, something you earn by - among other things - streaming on Mixer (how's that for shameless cross-promotion?). ![]() Even running into things - something that requires literally no skill at all - rewards you with numbers that plug into other numbers and spit out Skill Points, which can be redeemed for perks on a per-vehicle basis. Hit your top speed, your score increases. Even when free-roaming, you accrue "Skill Score" - a form of experience that, as far as I can tell, builds up when you do literally anything. And, boy, there are so many ways to ply.ĭon’t let the carefree vibe and flashy arcade thrills fool you, though, as Horizon 4 is needlessly complicated at times. Forza Horizon 4 review: Endless horizonĮventually, you'll have to pull yourself away from the thrill of exploration, start earning some cash and begin plying your trade at the Horizon Festival. You might find that your McLaren Senna isn't quite as maneuverable when there's a layer of ice scrambling the friction between your rear tires and the road surface, and you'd be better served with one of the many high-riding hot hatches that enthusiasts in this part of the world tend to like so much. Winter especially forces you to attack certain areas differently, as it functionally turns the environment into a gigantic snow rally. It's a first for the franchise, and every transition brings major changes, both in aesthetics and in gameplay. The map cycles through winter, spring, summer and fall on a weekly basis. Horizon 4 thankfully avoids this problem, partially because its world is better designed, and partially because players have to re-learn it every week in a sense, when the seasons change. And once you get to your destination, what you find is a Bizarro-esque approximation constructed by aliens who have never actually been there. One of my biggest gripes with one of Horizon 4's contemporaries, The Crew 2, is that so many of your journeys in that game are spent on sleep-inducing highways between city centers. There's a thrill to blasting down narrow public roads, kicking up leaves in the autumn as you slither through rolling green pastures dotted with cottages, castles and an excess of roadwork. Although I'm sure it's a somewhat idealized version of the U.K., it manages to stay authentic. This is a lush, inviting world, with an attention to detail that I surmise could be achieved only by people who have a deep understanding of the source material. But I don't think you need to have had an experience like mine to get that sense. I was fortunate enough to spend a few months in Brighton while I was in college, and there's a certain familiarity to the environment Playground's created.
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