Almost a year ago the Xbox Series X | S hit the market. While games like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla demonstrated the potential of the next generation in terms of performance and visual power, there was no major Microsoft exclusive accompanying this release. Now, in the middle of 2021, we are not only waiting for the arrival of Halo Infinite next December, but in November it will be available Forza Horizon 5. This title promises to offer us a great representation of our beloved Mexico, accompanied by a first class automotive experience. In this way, a couple of days ago I had the opportunity to test this title, which is positioned to be one of the best Xbox cards for the end of this year.
This time I had the opportunity to test the start of the game. Over just over an hour, I was able to experience different cars, drive through a jungle, a desert with a sandstorm, and hills that one can find in our country. This experience begins with a great demonstration of the visual power of the Xbox Series X | S, in my case S. After seeing several vehicles jump from a giant plane, the title positioned me on a map that takes Baja California Sur as its main inspiration. , to the extent that the town of Heroica Mulegé can be visited. After finishing a couple of competitions, Forza Horizon 5 He let me explore part of this region, and I witnessed the amazing work that Playground Games did in presenting us with a virtual version of our country.
A beautiful Mexico
If something made it clear to us Forza Horizon 3 and 4 with Australia and England, is that this UK team is on another level when it comes to representing certain countries. Mexico is already a beautiful nation, but the new installment in the series manages to capture the environments that surround us in a great way. From a small town with houses that you can find in the real world, with the exception of a political banner, through the colors that characterize the buildings of the Magical Towns, to beaches and mountains that show how varied Mexico is in every corner. Without a doubt, it is surprising how beautiful the game looks.
This is not just limited to cities, but to roads, surrounding areas and, of course, cars. Forza Horizon 5 does a fantastic job of offering over 500 transportation options. While I wasn’t able to test every vehicle available in the game, I did take control of a large variety. From models totally focused on speed, like a 2017 Acura NSX, through options dedicated to the varied terrain in which we travel, say a 2016 Bentley Bentayga, to a 2018 Exomotive Exocet Off-Road capable of moving around without a problem. Best of all, each car is handled differently, and there will always be one for whatever mission you decide to do. Neither is controlled in a similar way, which means that you are constantly exploring your possibilities when running.
Fortunately, Forza Horizon 5 Not only does he do a good job of visually selling us to Mexico and the cars, he is also able to convey how fast these vehicles are capable of reaching. On the roads you can fly very freely, and the game rewards you by breaking the speed limits. The skills that I was able to test were usually developed in the blink of an eye. This can also be felt when crashing, since this creates an impact that can deform your preferred car, when braking abruptly you can hear how the tires burn the pavement due to friction, and the engine it roars in a desperate way when you reach the limit.
If it has not been clear, Forza Horizon 5 it is a visual delight. Not only do you have the option to play in 4K at 30fps, but by reducing the resolution the game can run at 60fps on Series X. Both options are great, and at no point will you feel like you’ve made the wrong choice. The work of Playground Games is THE letter of introduction to the Xbox Series X | S, at least in this section. It is an excellent form of virtual tourism and, although the studio has taken several liberties to recreate the towns, roads and locations that we visit, with this title we have the most beautiful Mexico that has been seen in a virtual experience to this day.
Full speed exploration
No doubt Forza Horizon 5 is bringing this series to the next generation, but does this also apply to gameplay? The truth is that in this section the European study is not breaking new ground. In this new installment we still have an open world experience in front of us. Along with the main missions, which this time features a competitor from London arriving in Mexico to demonstrate his behind-the-wheel skills at the Horizon Festival, there are also a series of secondary adventures involving a couple of minor characters. One of these asked me to find a Vocho, and then take it to a repair area. Although I did not have the opportunity to drive this car, this task was focused on presenting some “concepts of Mexico”. The game seems that it is going to give a great weight to the culture of our country in its main campaign, although this was quite cliché thanks to a couple of conversations focused on family and tradition, Playground Games is treating these issues with respect .
In addition to trying to be the champion of the various competitions that take place in the Horizon Festival, each with a series of paths to follow and different terrain, the open world that is presented to us has a couple of additional activities. Here it is possible to collect cartouches that grant you additional experience, which you use to give some benefits to the cars, go as fast as you can to break a speed record, or take a jump crazy enough for the world to see how fearless you are. are. However, due to the nature of a racing game, there is not a wide variety of tasks at your disposal, and all the main content revolves around this concept. Each of these missions offers us a different tour of the map inspired by Mexico. Some are on certain paths that you have to follow to the letter, others will take us along routes that one would not think at first, and others eliminate the concept of laps to focus on a trip with a different beginning and end.
Thanks to the fact that you can modify the difficulty at any time, and you have the possibility to change cars at your own leisure, you can easily make this experience as simple or complicated as you wish. In this case, Forza Horizon 5 is a great open world game that gives you the necessary space to explore its extensive map in the way that is most to your liking.
A strong letter
Forza Horizon 5 is a game that attracted attention since its reveal. Mexico is a beautiful country and, while this title is not the first to offer a virtual representation of our nation, it does so in a magnificent way that demonstrates the power of a current generation console. Although the automobile and racing section is not to everyone’s liking, touring a representation that includes 11 different biomes and various cities inspired by real locations, such as Guanajuato, is something that all those with a Game Pass subscription should try. Forza Horizon 5 It will arrive on Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S and PC on November 9, 2021, and here you can learn more about this game.