Forza Motorsport 3

Guest Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:21 am

I was lucky enough to pick up the Limited Collector's Edition of this game, and with it, the download codes for it's extras*. This was definitely the right option. The game itself is huge, with over 420 cars comprised of 6 different car classes ranging from F, in which you'd find your Dad's first car, through to A, in which you'd find the car your Dad wishes he had now. Yep, everything from the Nissan Skyline to the Mitsubishi Evolution to the Mini is here. And above all of that, you can tune, upgrade, paint, decal and basically set-up every little aspect so that your car performs and looks exactly how you want it to.

Aside from this, you can use Forza's Auction House to purchase cars from other players. Working a lot like eBay, you simply try to outbid other players for some of the best cars in the game or if you've amassed enough credits already, you can "Buy It Now". Aside from the standard cars, you can auction any of your adapted cars too, right down to the shade of tint you want on the window. Further customization and community offerings are found at the game's Storefront, where you can browse other players liveries, decal designs, tuning set-ups, photographs and replays. If you're not interested in the best tuning set up for Sebring, simply check out some poor guys replay of the moment he crashed his car 10 seconds before the end of a 14 mile race. Of course, alongside being able to puchase all of these things, you can also design, photograph and upload. And any car that wears out it's welcome, or you think you can make a profit from can be set for Auction to earn you valuable credits.

Now, as for the tracks. As with most driving games, many of them are different variations on the same one. For instance, at Sebring; you can race the full circuit, tackle it in reverse, race shorter portions of the track, and again do them in reverse. This brings a small amount of repetition to the game, but it's balanced out by the wide variety of track locations, from fictional races in New York City to the legendary Circuit De Catalunya, Sepang, Nordschleife and Le Mans. Each track requires varying styles of driver skill.

Intimidated by the sheer amount to conquer here? Don't be. Forza 3 has clearly aimed to make this game accessible to everyone, and whilst I did not like this route, I find it's an excellent compromise. Before each race you can attune your difficulty settings by changing the oppositions difficulty, wether you want to use your steering, braking and stability aids, manual/automatic transmission and the amount of damage your car can withstand. With each change, you will either earn more or less credits depending on the overal difficulty setting you land on. As you progress, you can change these settings with each race. So if you're having trouble purchasing that Lambourghini you want, you can replay an old event with your brand new Ferrari on the hardest settings and get the credits needed to make your purchase.

It's an impressive game. The graphics are stunning, stepping up from Forza 2 and with a more polished finish that PGR4, it's the best looking racer on the 360. It's got enough playability in the single player alone to have you striving for the final achievements for weeks, and thats before you even try the online mode. If you're looking to add another racing game to you collection, this is it.

Rating: 9/10

*EXTRAS
# VIP Membership Exclusive Cars:
# 2009 Aston Martin DBS
# 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
# 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
# 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera
# 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997)
--- Exclusive Collector's Car Pack:
# Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro (Forza Motorsport 3 Cover Car)
# Acura NSX (Forza Motorsport Cover Car)
# Nissan Fairlady (Forza Motorsport 2 Cover Car)
# Aston Martin DB9 (Forza Motorsport 2 European Cover Car)
# 2008 Dodge Charger Stock Car (with Xbox 360 livery)