Forza Horizon Preview: The Open Road Dream
Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo pride themselves on a passion for cars. Simulated handling, fastidiously recreated bodywork, under-the-hood tinkering, carefully curated car lists: they leave no stone unturned in satisfying the ownership fantasies of every car lover. But there’s one vital aspect of autophilia that these circuit racing games can’t satisfy. It’s the thrill of getting into your car, pointing its nose at the vanishing point, opening the throttle and seeing where it takes you. People don’t just love cars because they’re beautiful and fast – they love them because they hold the promise of freedom and exploration, of power over your own destiny. It’s a dream no amount of laps of Silverstone or Laguna Seca can realise, and it’s one that’s close to my heart. In modern gaming, that dream is best expressed by the ramshackle yet loveable Test Drive Unlimited games, with their full-size recreations of the islands of Oahu and Ibiza to cruise around. There are some fine open-world arcade racers too, especially Criterion’s Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, but their hyperactive, drifty action racing is too far removed from reality to count as wish-fulfilment. That’s why I love TDU more than it arguably deserves. Read more…
You May Also Want To Read:
