Forza Has One Major Problem

I have to admit, I have a love-hate relationship with the Forza franchise. From a technical stand point, every game they have produced has been masterfully crafted and polished. The driving physics, the graphics, the realism have all been spot on in my opinion. However, in saying that, there’s always a voice in the back of my head telling me otherwise. The problem Forza has involves the entire franchise and the formula it seems to have. And to be honest, it makes me worry for the future.

Let me use the example of Forza Motorsport 7 to explain. When advertising a game, you want to spread the word about all the amazing innovations you’ve made, right? So what did Forza come out with? Well, dynamic weather, personalised characters, better graphics and more cars. That was mainly what I was hearing and that was it. When I was considering whether to buy the game or not, this was my thought process. Did I like Forza Motorsport 6? Yes. Are these improvements over number 6 worth spending £50 or more? No. It’s that simple.

And here lies the problem, Turn 10 (who make Forza) have found a formula and stuck to it. Every year they follow the same routine – add some more cars, upgrade the graphics, and add some minor changes over the already great predecessor. They know doing that makes them money, so they never try something too different because it’s too much of a risk. I played the demo of Forza Motorsport 7, and by the time I played all three races it had to offer, I felt as if I had just experienced everything the new Forza had to offer. It felt so similar to Forza Motorsport 6 (an already good game) that I never wanted to purchase 7.

I find it funny how the majority of people don’t see this problem. All I hear is positive things about Forza, never mentioning how little the franchise had innovated or changed over the years. Really, it can start raining during my race now? Quick, take all my money! My advice is that if you want a solid racing simulator, go save yourself some money and buy Forza 6. It just isn’t worth the extra money.

Now don’t think I’m saying all this because I have a grudge against Forza, I genuinely love the franchise. I say it because I worry Turn 10 is going to continue to do this, ship out the same game every year, just hoping everyone forgets about its predecessor. And with Forza Horizon 4 to be announced for this year, I truly hope they make some proper, actual, substantial innovations and changes. I want a game that will pleasantly surprise me with something new. Not a game that gives me deja vu.