Tag Archives: turn 10 studios

tixfeatures, Xbox LIVE, Xbox One, Xbox One Reviews

Forza Motorsport 6 review

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As the Forza Series reaches its 10th year, we got our hands on Forza Motorsport 6. With Project CARS getting a good reception from racing simulation fans, can Turn 10 Studios grab some traction back? Let’s see.

Forza Motorsport 6 returns with an impressive roster of cars (460 to be precise) for you to experience across a wide range of disciplines. The Cover star, the 2017 Ford GT is also the first car you’ll drive in the game. You’ll spend the first hour or so being guided through a tutorial, before being cut loose to play the game how you want.

One of the first things you will notice is the redesigned UI, it looks great and is very simple to navigate, it also shows off just how much there is to do in the game. You’ll also receive snippets of information from Richard Hammond, James May, Tanner Foust and the soothing tones of Forza’s voiceover lady.

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Forza 6’s Career mode is where you will spend a lot of your time, with more than 70 hours of gameplay across 26 destinations, including Daytona, Hockenheim and Rio Di Janeiro. I’ve previously found the careers of Forza to be rather sterile but this isn’t the case with Forza 6. The combination of the gorgeous circuits, awesome machines and a much improved AI make for some brilliant racing. This year there are packs of mods that can be bought for use in races, they can range from moving you further up the grid at the start of the race, to an extra percentage of credits. My favourite are the ‘dare’ mods, these are like mini challenges, such as having to use the cockpit camera only, or having your braking effectiveness reduced by 10% for that race. They are certainly worth playing around with. There are more specialised mods that focus on the circuit you are at, giving you extra grip for that race. The packs can only be bought with credits you have earned in game.

If you are lucky enough to own a surround-sound headset you are in for a real treat – from the roar of 24 engines at the start of a race to tyres doing all they can to stay on the track as you speed around corners – the noise is always immense, the musical score is superb too.
Drivatars continue to appear in and they are great fun to go up against, what I noticed from this year’s entry is that although they are more aggressive, it causes them to make more mistakes so you’ll take great pleasure in seeing your friends completely mess up during the course of the race.

I’m by no means the greatest racer in the world and Forza tailors for all types of skill levels with several active assists that can be selected, meaning any player can find their level. Removing assists will give you extra credits at the end of a race so there is an incentive to make things a bit harder, you can also define how aggressive the drivatars are as well. It was however disappointing to see that Turn 10 haven’t given users as much control over the HUD like in Project CARS.

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I also thought it was a shame that the car damage isn’t as realistic as Project CARS. While the cars in Forza are affected by crashes and engine parts can be damaged, causing performance issues, you won’t see wheels coming off or cars coming to a halt because of an engine failure.

As you progress through your career you’ll be able to take part in Showcase Events, which does a great job of increasing the diversity within the career and will introduce you to unique areas in the world of Motorsport that you might not have known existed, racing in a 1970’s Formula 1 car was certainly an experience! Other showcases include racing The Stig’s digital cousin, taking on some of Top Gear’s challenges and racing some of the fastest cars in the world in overtaking challenges. Endurance junkies are catered for too with a whole host of races – you can certainly see how Forza Horizon has influenced the Motorsport series.

For the first time in Forza night racing is available and this isn’t just a case of adding a black sky and making the lights look pretty! Each venue feels different, driving at 150mph through Daytona is as bright as driving through day thanks to the stadium floodlights, but at Le Mans you have to rely on the headlights of your vehicle to keep you on track.

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Rainfall and fog also makes a spectacular debut in the game, not only does it look and sound incredible, but they can wipe you out if you aren’t careful. What I found most impressive was that the rain had an effect on the different road surfaces, making them react to your car just as you might expect. Lashing through a huge puddle on tarmac threw my car off course, whereas coming off the track onto muddy grass lost me valuable seconds.

If you are brave enough to take on other Forza Enthusiasts then multiplayer is right up your street. Standard multiplayer allows you to select the type of lobby you want to play in, from racing a certain type of class, or taking part in drag races or special events. The racing worked well, the lobbies are simple to run and out on track there was no lag or performance issues, even in a race with 24 cars.

Forza 6 also introduces Leagues this year, a brand new multiplayer feature. Leagues are scheduled multiplayer race series where players are organised by skill level and temperament. Again you can race up to 24 players whose skills are closely matched to yours. There is also a spectate mode which will be great for casting races. Another mode, Rivals, is a great way to show off your skills and challenge people around the world to beat the scores you set across the different classes and disciplines.

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On top of all the racing there is of course the famous Forza customisation options – budding artists can spend days and weeks creating some amazing liveries and budding mechanics can head over to the garage to tune each vehicle – both can then be sold to the masses around the Forza world. Finally, an upgrade shop allows you to make improvements to your car – each item now shows you what effect it will have – whether it’s extra grip or added weight.

Turn 10 have celebrated their 10th anniversary in style, by creating another excellent title. The new weather effects are superb, the online works brilliant and the career mode plus the showcases are well worth your time.Make sure you experiment with the mods in career too. I’m pleased to say Forza is back on track.

Thanks to Xbox for their support

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https://youtu.be/0O1OrTcfqBI

News

Ready your engines, Forza Motorsport 6 goes gold

Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, tweeted out earlier today that Turn 10 Studio’s Forza Motorsport 6 has gone gold, and will bring with it 460 next-gen cars at launch.

 

 

Forza Motorsport 6 is set to launch on September 15 on Xbox One.

DLC, gamescom, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Forza horizon 2 Free cars pack!

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Yes that is right, in celebration of gamescom 2015 the Forza Horizon 2 playground select car pack is absolutely FREE until august 11th. That’s six free cars to dominate the roads with, get them while they are still available! Gain access to the 1952 Fiat 8V Supersonic, 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra, 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Hemi, 1986 Honda Civic Si, 1997 McLaren F1 GT and 2015 Volvo S60 Polestar. To claim this amazing offer head over to the Forza Hub app on your Xbox and on the main page select the “Playground Select Car Pack” then “Get it free”. After August 11th this car pack will be downloadable at a small price, but FREE is better right?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHVWblfsFt0

Xbox 360, Xbox One

Free Forza Horizon 2 Cars!!

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For a limited time only players will be able to enjoy some freebies in the Forza Horizon world. These come as a pair of Porsches, the 2012 Porsche 911 GT2 RS which at the time was the most powerful production car built by Porsche and the 2012 Porsche Cayenne Turbo which is a 500 horsepower 4.8 liter twin-turbo SUV.

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The only way to get your hands on these is to download the Forza Hub app on your Xbox One (which is free) then click on the “Two Free Porches” story which will take you to the offer, for the achievement hunters out there having this pack will enable you earn three more achievements from the Porsche expansion pack.

The free Porsche offer is only available until 24 July 2015 and then it will be gone for good so make sure you grab it quick!!

News

39 more cars announced for Forza Motorsport 6

A further 39 cars have been revealed for the latest installment of Microsoft Studios and Turn 10 Studios’ Forza Motorsport 6.

 

Including such classics as the 1965 MINI Cooper S, 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, and the 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS 409, the latest list includes some dream cars that every  petrol head dreams of getting behind the wheel of.

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Along with the classics, you can expect to tear around the track in some of the more modern additions include the 2015 Audi S1, the 2015 McLaren 650S Coupe, and the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C.

All 39 cars announced today is:

  • 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello
  • 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II
  • 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
  • 1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
  • 1977 Ford Escort RS1800
  • 1952 Ferrari 375
  • 1974 Toyota Celica GT
  • 2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS
  • 2015 Audi S1
  • 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
  • 2015 McLaren 650S Coupe
  • 2010 Aston Martin One-77
  • 2010 Lexus LFA
  • 2009 Lotus 2-Eleven
  • 1993 McLaren F1
  • 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR
  • 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
  • 2008 BMW M3
  • 1993 Nissan 240SX SE
  • 2013 Viper #91 SRT Motorsport GTS-R
  • 1965 MINI Cooper S
  • 1960 Chevrolet Corvette
  • 1995 Ford SVT Cobra R
  • 2012 Bowler EXR S
  • 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS 409
  • 1997 Lamborghini Diablo SV
  • 2009 Lexus IS F
  • 2011 McLaren MP4-12C
  • 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
  • 2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3
  • 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
  • 1995 Toyota MR2 GT
  • 1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS 454
  • 2013 BMW M6 Coupe
  • 1945 Jeep Willys MB
  • 2006 HUMMER H1 Alpha
  • 2012 Scion tc

Microsoft Studios and Turn 10 Studios’ Forza Motorsport 6 is set to release on the Xbox One on September 18, 2015.

For more information, visit the official Forza Motorsport 6 website.

Trailers, Xbox One

Forza Motorsport 6 races on to Xbox One

It was never in doubt that Turn 10 Studios would be bringing another iteration to their Forza Motorsport series and with Forza Horizon 2 out on store shelves it was only a matter of time before we heard the familiar revs of Microsoft’s flagship racer. Turn 10 Studios officially announced the game at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit by unveiling the star of its cover – an all-new Ford GT Supercar.

Just as Ford has pushed the boundaries of car technology in GT, Forza Motorsport 6 will embrace that spirit of innovation as our most technically advanced racing simulation to date, offering a fun and realistic automotive experience for both car lovers and gamers,

said Dan Greenawalt, creative director at Turn 10 Studios.

We’re excited to unveil gameplay at E3 in June.

The GT will be joined by the Shelby GT350 Mustang and the F-150 Raptor making a trio of brand new Ford cars, which were all unveiled during Ford’s performance line-up at the Auto Show. Forza Motorsport 6 will mark the ten-year Anniversary of the series so I expect there will some extra special editions of the game to pre-order, I just hope the new game focuses more on a career than the somewhat sterile experience of Forza 5.

Reviews, Xbox One Reviews

Forza Horizon 2 Storm Island review

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Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island is the first piece of DLC that expands upon the content of the main game. The action takes place on the fictional tropical island of Isola Della Tempesta (Island Storm), its terrain is harsh and its weather is devilish. With 90 events that include new modes and cars to race, Bucket lists to dominate and discount boards to find and smash, you won’t be left feeling short-changed after dropping £15.99 (£7.99 for VIP members) on this great piece of DLC.

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There are six tiers you need to progress through if you are to reach the island finale, although you won’t have to complete them all to unlock it. Each tier has four championships that span across the different car classes, you can use your current cars that you have stored in your garage but be warned, if you don’t install the Storm Island mods your ride will have trouble clinging to the terrain. Each tier has its own mini finale – Gauntlet. This extreme offroad event takes place on floodlit courses in the dead of night. They are particularly tricky to navigate, not least because of the tight turns and high jumps but because of the harsh storm rolling around in the background attempting to distract your attention from the road. As if that wasn’t enough to contend with, you are forced to use a pre-selected vehicle with no option to tweak the parts.

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The weather effects in Storm Island are really impressive; sheets of rain swirl across the track, trees almost double over in the wind and fog hangs over the track to conceal hidden dangers. Your windscreen wipers fight in vain to try to keep your view clear from the elements but is it all just for show? I never really felt like the weather played too much of an active role in manipulating the track or my vehicle, instead it merely served as a backdrop to the events while trying its hardest to distract you from focusing on the road ahead.

Courses are bumpy with extreme jumps, they twist and snake-like a roller coaster and often you will lose sight of the next checkpoint particularly during night races or in a storm – it’s great fun and while racing from the cockpit view I felt glad to be inside – it’s nasty out there! While the rough terrain is a joy to wrestle with the island lacks character, I didn’t find much in the way of points of reference for navigating around the 50 island roads – everything looks the same and hardly my idea of ‘tropical’. There is a Roman Temple overlooking the action and of course there’s the Forza festival hub where you sign up for each race, but that is pretty much it save for the odd collection of buildings but we didn’t come here to sight see, we came for the thrills of offroading and to see the spectacle of the new storm effects – both of which I’m happy to say didn’t disappoint.

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Your progress through Storm Island is tracked through a separate tab in the pause menu, handy for checking which Bucket Lists you have left to complete without them getting mixed up with the mainland events. Drivatars return and seem more determined than ever to push you off the track and leave you choking on dust as you scramble across the countryside. The events try to reinvent themselves with new names but really there’s nothing new here save for a few obstacles strewn across the tracks in Rampage and Brawl events. What’s ‘new’ is the focus of extreme environments and weather.

For those that like to take the action online there are several multiplayer championships to master but be warned, if you thought it was rough against the Drivatars then wait until you get online versus real people – you can try to play nice but the rough terrain makes it almost impossible to complete a clean race.

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Forza Horizon 2 breaks the modern confines of racers by allowing you to go anywhere and do anything but the mainland doesn’t quite tick the hardcore box when it comes to offroad racing – this is where Storm Island steps up to the plate. You’d be forgiven in forgetting that you’re playing Forza Horizon 2 because the events are so heavily weighted towards a rally style, which gives the game that DiRT feel.

If rally games aren’t your thing then I’d save your pennies, even though there’s plenty of content and some superb weather effects to experience, Storm Island is heavily centred on offroad events. Hopefully Playground Games will look to do another new area that is a little less on the DiRT(y) side. For me though, this first piece of content for Forza Horizon 2 is ‘The Perfect Storm’.

THANKS TO XBOX FOR SUPPLYING TIX WITH A DOWNLOAD CODE

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DLC, Trailers, Xbox One

Severe weather warning for Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island Is Now Available

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Storm Island, now that’s a name that immediately casts some expectations on the latest piece of DLC for Forza Horizon 2. Available now for £15.99 (or £7.99 for VIP members) take on the elements as you embark on a road trip to a new location – Island Storm. Promising the “most severe weather conditions ever seen in a Forza game”, you’ll get to race against tropical storms and make your way through thick fog as you battle your fella racers to the podium.

The DLC may be on the pricey side but there’s a whole host of content packed into Island Storm that certainly gives you value for money. Firstly, there’s a whopping 90 events to play through that include five new modes. Multiplayer also gets a look in with four new Playground arenas, 20 race routes, six Gauntlet events, three Showdowns and five online Championships. There’s even five new cars to play with and a bonus hidden car located somewhere on Storm Island in a barn!

For the achievement junkies out there, there’s 500 points to be had totalling for 23 new achievements
For the wannabe mechanics out there Storm Island brings with it the ability to add off-road suspension, tire, and transmission upgrades that can also be used on any of Forza’s car collection. For the legendary cars in the game there’s now the option to add rally body kits for that ultimate off-road race look.

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There’s new elemental effects including swaying trees and lighting, new items, roads, bonus boards, a new Car Meet, Bucket List challenges, speed traps and speed zones plus additional Rivals events… Now that’s a whole lot of content!

Here’s a run down of the new modes:

Rampage
Rampage events are point-to-point off-road sprints, where the driver will contend with obstacles and smashables (including the brand new smashable chicanes) before crossing the finish line.

Brawl
Grab your favourite four-wheeled weapon and strap in for these off-road circuit races featuring extreme terrain, lots of obstacles to take advantage of, and new smashables to wreck.

Extreme Cross Country
Fans have played Cross Country events in Forza Horizon 2 but have never played them quite like this. With more extreme elevation changes, a variety of different terrain types, and strong storms to contend with, Storm Island’s Extreme Cross Country races are not for the faint of heart.

Cross Country Circuit
One sprint in a Cross Country race will get players’ heart rates up. But how about multiple laps? In Cross Country Circuit events, players will be taking on those same challenges in multi-lap races that will test both their stamina and skill.

Gauntlet
These point-to-point races are held only at night, and are long and dangerous – with minimal signage to guide players during the race. Just completing a Gauntlet event is challenging enough. Victory will take a special combination of skill, bravery, and luck.

Car Descriptions

2013 Robby Gordon #7 Speed Energy Drink Stadium Super Truck
Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Truck is built to conquer practically any terrain. Gordon started the Stadium Super Truck series in 2012 and won its inaugural championship title in 2013. Modeled after the stadium off-road racing made famous by off-road legend Mickey Thompson, Stadium Super Trucks crash, bash, and jump their way around real-life road courses and unique arena courses. The trucks are tube frame, full-race vehicles, similar to a trophy truck.

2013 MINI X-Raid All4 Racing Countryman
Since its introduction to the Dakar Rally – the most grueling off-road race in the world – the MINI X-Raid has been the most dominant vehicle in the field. With veteran driver Stephane Peterhansel – aka “Mr. Dakar” – behind the wheel in 2012, the MINI won its first Dakar. Peterhansel came back in 2013 to win again in the MINI. Both years the other three MINIs of the four-car team all placed in the top ten. Built specifically for competition in the Dakar, the MINI X-Raid is all-wheel-drive and is powered by a BMW twin-turbo diesel engine. These rigs are built to withstand the conditions of racing across a multitude of surfaces at speeds in excess of 100 mph, and these ALL4 racing MINIs are bespoke chassis and drive systems.

2014 Ford Ranger T6 Rally Raid
Ford continues its endeavors to win in off-road racing with its 2014 Dakar Rally effort in the Ranger T6 Rally Raid. Drawing on the proven expertise of South African Neal Woolridge, who beat out several American constructors for the chance to build this effort, Ford has gone to great lengths to deliver a true contender for the Dakar. Under the hood is a military dust-proofed 32-valve V8 – a la Ford Mustang – connected to a Sadev six-speed sequential transmission. The body shell resembles a Ranger four-door 4X4 but, underneath, the chassis and suspension are completely custom. Suspension travel and durability are paramount since this truck will be travelling at more than 100 mph across surfaces that most trucks would crawl over.

1981 Ford Fiesta XR2
The smallest of Fords was a success from the moment it was produced in 1976. While not the first front-wheel drive Ford, it is the first widely-selling FWD car for the company. Upon testing the waters with the Fiesta Supersport, Ford built the XR2 which brought a stiffened suspension and a 1.6-liter crossflow Kent engine. Given the already nimble and light base, the nearly 100 horsepower of the XR2 really got the party started.

1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
The Galant VR-4 was the platform that Mitsubishi developed its impeccable AWD system and, in the process, won no less than six rally championships. The VR-4 ignites off the line, cuts into corners, and brakes with precision. The engine develops potent horsepower put to the wheels via a center differential that detects wheel slippage and re-directs power to the axle with the most traction. Four-wheel steering engages at speeds more than 31 mph and turns the rear wheels up to 1.5 degrees to enable optimum turn angle and cornering stability.