E3 2009: Forza Motorsport 3 Preview (Xbox 360)
June 3rd, 2009 | Written by Filippo Dinolfo | Topic: Uncategorized
Forza Motorsport has been one of the biggest hits for Microsoft on their Xbox platform. The original offered things that none of its competition could offer at the time, like online racing and car trading. Forza Motorsport 2 took the groundwork that was set out and built on it, adding online car auctions, more cars, more tracks, and downloadable content. This October Turn 10 plans to go even further with their latest racing sim offering, Forza Motorsport 3.
It’s hard to point to one specific thing that the team at Turn 10 have done to make Forza 3 a better game, since there are improvements to just about everything. The most noticeable and striking improvement would have to be the game’s completely new graphics engine, which provides a level of detail that no other Forza game has been able to match. Forza 3 features long draw distances, so you won’t see objects popping in on the horizon. There are also neat touches like normal mapping on the road edges, high dynamic range lighting, and an improved damage model.
For the first time, the game offers an in-car camera view, which looks stunning. All of the gauges on the cars seem to work as you’d expect them to, and you should be able to turn the HUD off if you want the most immersive experience possible. If you’re made of money, you could link up several Xbox 360 consoles and HDTVs to create a wrap-around cockpit view. It’s unlikely that most people will make use of this feature, though it was available in every Forza game since the original on the Xbox.
The driving physics have been improved since Forza 2. One key area that has now been modeled is tire deformation. As you take a corner, the sidewall of the tire will flex. The modeling of this will give the cars a much more realistic feel, and it will be easier to feel the difference when you upgrade the rubber on your car. Another improvement to the car physics is the ability for a car to roll. This is something that a lot of people have wanted in Forza since day one, and it’s great to finally see it added.
Forza Motorsport 3 will ship with 400 cars from 50 manufacturers on the disc. Though downloadable content has not yet been announced, it seems like a fair to believe that there will be downloadable cars and tracks released after the game launches. The cars on the disc are not all sports cars either. There are the usual mix of import and domestic sedans, roadsters, supercars, and the like. However there will now be SUVs added to the mix. With the improved physics the game has, this should prove to be an interesting and challenging addition.
To help players get a feel for the game, Turn 10 has implemented a couple of new features that should make it easier for novice drivers t get in and have a good time. One button driving looks like it will simplify the experience to the point that even a child can get in and have fun. Along the same lines the rewind feature will allow you to go back in time to correct a mistake that could have otherwise cussed you to lose a race. Those people who are experienced Forza players can disable all of these things however, so the game can really be tailored to suit your own tastes.
The game looks to offer a comprehensive suite of online modes. There will be the ability for you to create custom race types by mixing and matching various race rules. This should keep the online component fresh. If you’re a fan of creating and selling liveries there have been improvements made to this area as well. No word yet on whether it will be possible to import an image from an external source though. Finally the game will include a fully featured video editor. You will be able to create your own race videos or car showcase videos and then upload them to forzamotorsport.net. This will no doubt prove to be a huge feature for the Forza Community.
Forza Motorsport 3 is due out in October, and will be exclusive to the Xbox 360. We intend to have a review around the time the game ships. Stay tuned for more on this game.
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Comment by josh on the August 7th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
This game looks great. Iam a huge fan of racing sims, and this one should have it all. 1 question still in my mind, however. Will you be able to import cars from forza 2? If anyone reading this is like me and made millions with some of the designs they have bought or created this could be fatal! Anyone know yet ?