If you are an Xbox 360 owner and a car enthusiast, then chances are that you’re already familiar with the Forza Motorsport series.  Started on the original Xbox in 2005, Forza Motorsport made a name for itself by not only having an excellent driving model, but also having several features that rival racing franchises did not.  At the time of its release it supported Online Multiplayer and damage modeling, something which its main competition, namely Gran Turismo is still wrestling with.  In 2007 Microsoft brought Forza Motorsport 2 to the Xbox 360.  It took the formula of the original and expanded upon it, adding Car Auctions, Tournaments, the ability to save photos and send them to the web, and many other features.  So for Forza 3, developer Turn 10 has quite the task on their hands.  How do they follow up what was arguably one of the best console racing simulations ever released?  The answer is actually very simple: Polish everything.

The first thing that you’ll notice when firing up Forza Motorsport 3 for the first time is the spiffy new UI.  It’s clean, simple, and easy to navigate, which is really what you want in a game like this.  The next thing you’ll notice is the dramatically improved visual presentation.  The car models are all exceptionally well detailed, and it’s sometimes hard to convince yourself that what you’re looking at is being rendered in real time.  The same goes for the tracks.  Forza 2 used a static lighting model for each track.  This time around, the game’s graphics engine is capable of dynamically lighting the tracks, which gives the circuits that you’ll be driving around on a much more natural look.  There are also some nice touches like normal mapped surfaces on the side of the road.  In other words, the grass doesn’t look like a flat texture, it looks like grass.

In terms of gameplay, Forza Motorsport 3 is trying to do two very different things at the same time.  The first one being to bring in new players who have never tried a console sim before.  The second: be as realistic as possible for those who are experienced veterans and want the extra realism.  On the accessibility front Forza 3 offers a variety of driver assists that range from the suggested driving line to auto braking.  To go along with that, you have the option to rewind time should you make a mistake.  The rewind feature works in real time and though vets will scoff at it, it really isn’t intended for them.  The feature is a lot like the one found in Codemasters’ Grid or Dirt 2 games.  The end result of using it is that a player will make a mistake, rewind, and then not repeat that mistake the next time around.

Veterans of the series will appreciate the new in-car view which can be split across multiple monitors.  Each monitor will need its own Xbox 360, but it is possible to set up a system that will give you coverage of your entire peripheral vision.  Also new in Forza 3 is the ability to use manual transmission with a clutch pedal.  This brings the game that extra little bit closer to being as realistic as it can be.

Forza Motorsport 3 has also done some tinkering under the hood of its driving model.  The game’s engine is now simulating tire and suspension flex, giving the car models more true to life handling characteristics.  The game’s physics and damage modeling have also been bumped up a bit.  Cars are no longer “stuck” to the track.  G-Forces work realistically now, so if you aren’t careful, you can roll the car.

On the whole, Forza Motorsport 3 looks like a more than worthy successor to its predecessor.  Expect a review from us around the time the game ships, but if you’d like to take the game for a spin, you can download the 1.2 GB demo from Xbox Live.

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About This Author: Filippo Dinolfo

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