FORZA 2 Review
Forza 2. Perhaps the most anticipated racer of the year is here and its big. As the first true sim racer for the 360, anticipation and expectations are high and Forza 2 delivers. Developer Turn 10 has put a great deal of time and effort into the cars and physics for Forza 2 and it has paid off. The physics of this game are second to none and are what really makes Forza 2 the great racer is it. Forza 2 is all about cars and that is part of what makes Forza 2 shine. The cars and their physics are truly the stars of this game and make for a tremendous amount of fun and depth. Each car has a very unique feel. As you go from class to class and car to car, every experience is completely unique. The game it's self runs at a very smooth 60fps which despite a few jaggies makes the game look very good. Behind all of that lies the real power, the physics engine which run at 360fps. That's right 360fps! So not only is the game smooth, there are calculations going on that you will never see making for a physics engine that essentially handles calculations and makes adjustments in real time. All of this means you get a racer that is as real as it can be.
With over 300 cars available there is something for everyone. While it may not have every car ever made it does have a great selection that should make the child in all of us smile.
Pretty cars and physics are great but this game has got so much more going on under the hood. And speaking of under the hood, Forza 2 has that in spades as well. This game has by far the most in-depth tuning system I have ever seen. Everything is adjustable from the tire pressure to the down force to every major engine part. This game gives you the ability to fully tune almost every car in the game. It's not the best looking racer we've seen but the depth of the game more than makes up for that.
The ability to tune the cars to your needs and requirements allows for a truly unique gaming experience especially when to take into account the online portion of the game. Not only do you get to race with real people over Xbox live, you get to put your skills and your own specifically tuned car to the ultimate test. I have found myself spending hours upon hours tuning my cars to get the most out of the specific class I am racing. Classes are broken down into the following ratings: D-class, C-class, B-class, A-class, S-class, U-class then R1, R2, R3 and R4 racing classes. Each car you make has a specific number rating which determine what class the car is rated. When tuning your car it is obviously a good idea to try to get the car to the top of its respective class. You'll find people tuning cars to get every bit out of a specific class in order to have the "best" car in that class. However, as mentioned earlier, each car has it's own unique feel and abilities so having a car tuned to 850 (A-Class) will not guarantee a victory over a car rated at 837. Driving styles and personal ability still have a lot to do with winning but the rating and class system create a very addictive mini game and add a lot of life to the online racing portion of this game.
Tuning isn't the end of it either. Let's not forget about Paint. Paint you say? Yes Paint. After you tune that car can you just leave it looking stock? Not a chance and Forza 2 delivers there as well featuring a very robust and customizable paint program. Everything from the simple stamps to manufacturers decals to putting together a very complex and detailed custom logo can be achieved. Some of the process can take a while but the end result is a specifically tuned and painted car that is truly one of a kind! The paint program can also allow for the creation of a unique clan logo allowing your clan to have similarly styled cars and custom logos. Nothing like showing up for a clan match to find your opponents show up in all black and green rides with the Clan Logo featured prominently. Can you say i-n-t-i-m-i-d-a-t-i-o-n. Sure I knew you could!
The online portion of this game is also very robust. The online games fall into the following categories: Exhibition, Tournament and Career. Each game is then fully customizable to almost any restriction. You can set up game for almost anything. C-class cars only, HP range of 150-250, No damage, Simulation Damage, Cosmetic damage, 1 lap, 75 laps, No assist, Full assist... the list goes on and on. This allows you to always keep thing interesting and fresh every time you race. Maybe you want to race that course again but this time in an A-class, no problem. It would also allow you to set up matches specifically for each clans requirements or preferences. This makes forendless possibilities on the competitive side. Imagine challenging a clan to an A-class race on tracks A,B and C. Then after that is all said and done, make a new challenge for D-class on track X,Y and Z. Both races would be completely different and would likely net Very Different results. The possibilities are truly endless.
Exhibition games are mostly as they sound. They are just for fun games. No penalty to just go online and race. If you win you win and if you lose you lose. This is a great place to start and usually the first place people go when they first try an online race. It is also a great place to go with a few friends to check out some rides. Maybe you want to show your friends something on your car besides your tail lights? Photos are good and the photo mode in this game is awesome allowing you to take still and action shots of your car. But sometimes you want to see it in motion, test its limits or just mass around. An exhibition race is a great place to do that.
Tournaments are just what they seem. A series of races to determine the winner on a group of tracks. This is all business, no joking around here. You better bring your A game and put in a consistent performance if you want to take home the gold.
And finally we have Career. My personal favorite. A bit of a mix between the two. It is serious racing but it is also a lot of fun. Tracks and restrictions can be changed on the fly and people can come and go as they please. Plus each match is worth money which you can use in your offline career! The more money, the more cars you can tune out and more cars is always good. So why not race online competitively and make some bank? Why Not indeed.
All in all this is a great game in general and even better when you take it online. The possibilities for competitive play and clan matches are almost endless. Each member with it's own unique set up and car. Great cars, Unbelievable Physics, Miles and Miles of Customization and a Great mix of tracks put this game at the top of the Racing Sim list.
Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 9.0
Gameplay: 9.5
Replay value: 9.0
Multiplayer: 9.0
Clan: 9.0
Overall: 8.9 out of 10 (Not an average)
Sound: 9.0
Gameplay: 9.5
Replay value: 9.0
Multiplayer: 9.0
Clan: 9.0
Overall: 8.9 out of 10 (Not an average)
No comments:
Post a Comment