Overnight E3 kicked off for 2021 and Xbox, with the newly acquired Bethesda, showcased 30 games, 27 of which will be on Xbox Game Pass. While all players have their own favorites, the trailer for the much awaited fifth installment of the beloved Forza Horizon franchise, was the highlight. While not quite as cinematic and bombastic as the trailer for Forza Horizon 4, the trailer for Forza Horizon 5 was exceptionally good on its own. The game looks visually stunning, and that’s absolutely not debatable. Playground Games have regaled gamers with some of the most beautiful looking games of all time with all the editions of Forza Horizon so far and Forza Horizon 5 upped the ante even more. A lot of the competing developers must be yearning for the secret behind such beautiful looking games so that they can also extract a lot out of their hardware. While you will still have to wait for a few months to get your hands on the game, let’s find out what we know so far. But before you start reading any further, have a look at the breathtaking trailer.
Forza Horizon 5: The Story So far
What are some of the technological highlights of Forza Horizon 5?
Forza Horizon 5 was one of the very select title games that actually used the game engine to render the images we saw during the fabulous E3 convention. From the presentation, you could clearly see that they did everything possible to achieve the realism that we see in the demo. This included capturing the sky in 12k, which is obviously down to 4K when we play games, but the clouds look real, essentially because they are. Forza Horizon 5 will also use ray tracing, which will make all of the light in the game extremely realistic. Here’s the official gameplay demo:
In the jungle, we see that the volumetric lighting system presents divine rays through the leaves. There is a faithful recreation of an active volcano using photogrammetry data, which accurately maps the landscape you can drive on. From off-road racing through sandy deserts, to sideways sliding down narrow, detailed streets, the game looks impressive and that’s before we see drivers encounter an all-consuming cloud of dust.
One of the new tricks modern consoles are capable of is ray tracing, and you’ll be able to explore the cars in stunning photo realism in Forzavista. Whether Forza Horizon 5 will use ray tracing during actual racing, we don’t know for sure.
Where is Forza Horizon 5 set?
The Forza Horizon series of games is famous among gamers for its spectacular open world environment based on actual places. Forza Horizon 2 was set in the backdrop of Southern France and Northern Italy. Forza Horizon 3 was set in Australia. Forza Horizon 4 brought the landmark changing seasons feature into the gameplay where gamers raced across the gorgeous landscapes of Great Britain across the four seasons. Rivers and lakes would freeze during the winter and players could access certain areas that were cut off by water. The driving and vehicle choices also needed to change as per the seasons. A 500 horsepower rear wheel drive Ford Mustang wasn’t going to be of much use driving through the slippery snow in winter. In Forza Horizon 5, racers can explore the vibrant and changing open world landscapes of Mexico. New cars like the Mercedes Project One (Forza Edition), Ford Bronco, Porsche Taycan, to name a few, were showcased in the trailer.
It’s been all the way back in 2018 since we got the last title in the franchise, Horizon 4, which received a visual update last year when the Xbox Series X shipped.
What are some of the gameplay features of Forza Horizon 5?
The Forza Horizon 5 feature list is as impressive as the pictures.
A Diverse Open World
Lead breathtaking expeditions through a world of striking contrast and beauty. Discover living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons, and a towering snow-capped volcano.
An Adventurous Open World
Dive into a deep campaign with hundreds of challenges that reward you for taking part in the activities you love. Meet a new character and choose the results of his HorizonStory missions.
An Evolving Open World – Take on breathtaking weather events, such as towering dust storms and intense tropical storms, as Mexico’s unique and dynamic seasons change the world every week. Keep coming back for new events, challenges, collectibles and rewards, and new areas to explore. No two seasons will be the same.
An Open Social World
Team up with other players and enter Horizon Arcade for a continuous series of fun and exaggerated challenges that will keep you and your friends in the action with no menus, loading screens or lobbies. Meet new friends at Horizon Open and Tours and share your creations with the new gift-sharing community. (On console, this requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Live Gold, memberships sold separately.)
Your Customized Open World
Create your own expressions of fun with EventLab’s powerful new game toolkit that includes custom races, challenges, stunts, and all-new game modes. Customize your cars in more ways than ever with new body kits, wheels, paint options and more. Use the new Gift Drops feature to share your custom creations with the community. You can also create tracks which defy game physics and provide you with unlimited arcade style fun.
When is Forza Horizon 5’s release date?
This long-awaited follow-up arrives November 9 on Xbox Series X consoles – S and Xbox One; PC on Windows and Steam; and Xbox Game Pass, which includes console, PC and Cloud Gaming (Beta).
Forza Horizon 5 will be released on November 5, 2021 for Early Access customers who purchase the Premium Edition and the Premium Add-on Bundle. Those who purchase the standard and deluxe editions will be able to compete starting November 9, 2021.
How much will Forza Horizon 5 cost?
Here are the American prices of all the different versions that Forza Horizon 5 will be available in:
- Standard edition : $ 59.99, £ 54.99, € 69.99 (retail and digital)
- Deluxe edition : $ 79.99, £ 69.99, € 89.99 (retail and digital)
- Premium Edition : $ 99.99, £ 84.99, € 99.99 (Retail and Digital)
- Premium Add-on Pack : $ 49.99, £ 39.99, € 49.99 (digital)
You can also play the game using your Xbox Game Pass. More details on that will be released later. It’s safe to say that Forza Horizon 5 was the highlight of E3 2021 and fans can’t wait to get behind the wheels of their favourite car and roar across the magnificent landscapes of Mexico.