 Review By: Nick Arvites |
Developer: | Turn 10 Studios |
| Publisher: | Microsoft | |
| Genre: | Racing | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1-2 | |
| Online Play: | Yes | |
| Accessories: | Xbox Live (online play), Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel |
The online modes for Forza 2 have been upgraded and improved. The auction house is an in-game Ebay where players can bid in-game credits earned in career mode for customized cars. Players auctioning cars can lock the paint designs, so that their custom job can’t simply be copied. Tournaments are a welcome feature, and this mode has qualifying rounds and main rounds with up to 32 brackets holding 256 people. Other players can watch races in progress during Tournaments as well. The online race options for player matches are deep, but could use a few more improvements. You can limit cars by class or you can use the advanced limits, such as horsepower, weight, country of origin, make, or other features. The problem is that some of these limits, such as horsepower, fall into ranges instead of exact numbers. This makes running, for example, a 150HP race problematic since the range exceeds this. Hosts can also lock out assists (ABS, Traction control, stability control, racing lines, automatic transmission), putting all players on the same level in that respect.
When in-race, Forza 2 is superior to every other title I’ve played so far. The AI has been improved, and other cars don’t all follow the same line and play bumper-cars if you get in the way of their preset line. The courses, while familiar to those who played the original Forza, have a sense of depth to them. To clarify, the race courses actually look like they’re sitting in a full landscape, not in space with painted walls in the background. The game also runs at an extremely fast framerate, and you’re not going to see slowdowns or other game-performance issues. The cars themselves look good, though you aren’t going to have the same WOW-factor that you did with the original Forza, as it was one of the last games on the Xbox and Forza 2 is an early to mid-life game for the Xbox 360. Perhaps the most useful addition to Forza 2 is the telemetry display which can be accessed during races, as opposed to after them. This makes tuning runs easier to deal with. If you get into a wreck and lose parts off your car, they remain on the course for the rest of the race instead of just fading out. This can makes some of the sharp turns interesting by lap 6 of an 8 lap race. The racing line has also been improved to offer a third setting. The new setting only shows a line during corners. Camera views are still a major point of contention between racing game fans, since Forza 2 still lacks a full cockpit view (showing windshield, wheel, and gauges). Instead, you can get a few 3rd person views and two first person views (one at almost tire level and the other at hood level). While most people won’t complain that they don’t have a true cockpit view, it still should have been included.
You will see several reviews across the Internet that claim Forza 2 looks “last gen” and doesn’t display the “speed” of a racing title. I’m not sure what game these people played, but it obviously wasn’t Forza 2. The game looks good, and it does convey that racing feeling; anyone saying otherwise is simply, for lack of a better term, a liar [Ed: "Or perhaps a WipEout-type nut that can't appreciate something more realistic..."].
Career Mode is the same feature as it was in the original Forza. You choose a home region, which governs car costs and rewards, and gain access to an initial group of events. As you win races, the amount you win is added towards your driver level. When you level up, you unlock rewards (new cars, discounts on cars) and new race circuits. The challenges generally restrict you in some way. Some of the challenges are regional or make/model based, some are based on car power or ratings, and others are based on weight. As the circuits go up in difficulty, the races get longer and culminate with the endurance races. If you’re feeling lazy, you can hire an AI driver before a race to drive for you at the cost of a percentage of your winnings. The worst drivers take 50% of your winnings, while the best take 100%. Cars can also level up their reputation (similar to how you level up your driver level), and leveling up cars provides discounts on upgrade parts. All in all, career mode is a good way to get practice for taking the game online, and a great way to experiment with different car styles. It does get boring and repetitive though, and this has everything to do with the small number of tracks mentioned before.
Forza 2 adds in a slew of Internet/Xbox Live connectivity features at forzamotorsport.net. Users can take in-game pictures and upload them to the Forza site, where the screenshot is linked to their profile. This makes showing off your custom car designs easier to do. You can also search the auction house and keep track of your auctions, although you can’t bid on any of them. Stats are viewable, though they aren’t as in-depth as the ones you’d get on, say, Bungie.net for the Halo series. Regardless, the site provides a good tool to at least share your car and race photos with other people.
Bottom Line:
Forza 2 is a solid racing title, especially for people who like simulation racing titles. The robust online offerings and customization features offset the lack of new tracks and the relatively low number of unique tracks. The game looks good and plays great, making it a worthy successor. While it may not be perfect, it is the premier video game racing title right now.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 9.0 |
Posted: 2007-06-16 13:01:00 PST