Forza Horizon

Forza Horizon is a racing video game for Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console. Developed principally by British games developer Playground Games in association with American developer Turn 10 Studios, the game is a part of Turn 10's long-running Forza Motorsport franchise, but is considered more of a spin-off instead of the next true member of the series. A sequel, Forza Horizon 2, was released on 30 September 2014.

Gameplay

Forza Horizon is an open-road game based around the fictitious Horizon Festival, a street racing event set in the state of Colorado. The game incorporates many different gameplay aspects from previous Forza Motorsport titles, like the large variety of cars, specifically around 300 cars, realistic physics and high definition graphics. The aim is to progress through the game by means of obtaining wristbands via winning races, while also increasing their popularity level by driving fast, destroying property, and performing other stunts and antics. Horizon features the physics of Forza Motorsport 4, which have been optimised to work on the 65 variants of terrain said to be present in the game. Players can drive off-road in select areas, while others are limited by guardrails or other means.

Forza Horizon 2

Forza Horizon 2 is an open-world racing video game developed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles. It is the sequel to 2012's Forza Horizon and part of the Forza Motorsport series. The Xbox One version of the game was developed by Playground Games, the team behind the original Forza Horizon, while Sumo Digital developed the version for Xbox 360, with Forza Motorsport series developer Turn 10 Studios supporting both builds.

Gameplay

Forza Horizon 2 again takes place during the fictional "Horizon Festival", this time being held in southern Europe, focusing on southern France and northern Italy. The game world has approximately three times more drivable area than that for the original Forza Horizon, with events set in Provence, Tuscany and Côte d'Azur, among other regions. Players will explore the region, taking part in races and special events in order to advance through the game. Events can take place at day or night, and a dynamic weather system is being added for the first time in a Forza-series game.

Forza Motorsport

Forza Motorsport (Italian for "Force", commonly referred to as Forza /ˈfɔərtzɑː/) is a popular and critically acclaimed series of racing video games for the Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. The franchise is currently divided into two series, the original Forza Motorsport series and the open world-focused Forza Horizon series, the latter of which is mainly developed by Playground Games.

Forza seeks to emulate the performance and handling characteristics of a large number of real-life production, modified and racing cars. Forza is often seen as Microsoft's answer to Gran Turismo for the PlayStation systems.

As of February 2010, the Forza games have sold over 10 million copies since the release of Forza Motorsport in May 2005.

Games

Motorsport series (2005–present)

Forza Motorsport (2005)

Forza Motorsport was released in 2005 and is the first installment in the Forza Motorsport series, a series that has continued on Microsoft's current systems, the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One.

Racing wheel

A racing wheel is a method of control for use in racing video games, racing simulators, and driving simulators. They are usually packaged with a large paddle styled as a steering wheel, along with a set of pedals for gas, brake, and sometimes clutch actuation, as well as various shifter controls. An analog wheel and pedal set such as this allows the user to accurately manipulate steering angle and pedal control that is required to properly manage a simulated car, as opposed to digital control such as a keyboard. The relatively large range of motion further allows the user to more accurately apply the controls. Racing wheels have been developed for use with arcade games, game consoles, personal computers, and also for professional driving simulators for race drivers.

Force feedback

Racing wheels started off as simple plastic wheels hooked up to a rotary potentiometer, which were sprung by springs or bungees. Eventually manufacturers began to use electric motors in the controllers, in place of springs, in order to achieve a level of force feedback, first seen in Microsoft's Sidewinder wheel. At first this technology simply provided the centering force and other artificial effects such as shaking the wheel in a crash or other vibrations. However, as driving simulations have evolved, their physics engines have become more accurate and the developers have linked their in-game physics more closely to the force feedback. This allows the user to truly feel what forces go through the steering rack, instead of just artificial effects, and genuinely enhance the realism of the game. Despite this, some high end manufacturers believe that force feedback has still not been perfected, and therefore companies such as Thomas SuperWheel have not adopted a force feedback system in their products. Frex, on the other hand, has gone the other way and equips their high-end Simwheel with powerful force feedback and no mechanical centering device.

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V is an open world, action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 17 September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, on 18 November 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on 14 April 2015 for Microsoft Windows. The game is the first main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series since 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California, the single-player story follows three criminals and their efforts to commit heists while under pressure from a government agency. The open world design lets players freely roam San Andreas's open countryside and fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.

The game is played from either a first-person or third-person view and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. Players control the three lead protagonists throughout single-player and switch between them both during and outside of missions. The story is centred on the heist sequences, and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay. A "wanted" system governs the aggression of law enforcement response to players who commit crimes. Grand Theft Auto Online, the online multiplayer mode, lets up to 30 players explore the open world and engage in cooperative or competitive game matches.