Forza Horizon 5 preview gameplay explored

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In my Forza Horizon 5 preview I explore the new Mexico map, drive cool cars, try tuning and discover what makes the handling special. All on Xbox Series X.

Forza Horizon 5 is one of the most important Xbox games in 2021. But this time I will not be pulling up to Goodwood House in an old Land Rover Defender with a McLaren Senna parked outside, as with Forza Horizon 4.

Instead, I went hands-on with the Forza Horizon 5 preview version. Comprised around 90 minutes of gameplay if you only finish the intro race, three Horizon Story events and 10 events such as cross country racing, speed traps and danger zones.

Just as you unlock your first ‘casa’ the demo cuts out. You know, Spanish for house. However, you could go off exploring the whole map before that point and so I did.

There is probably more I cannot tell you about the latest Forza game than I can. But what I did discover during seven playthroughs, in one of which I made a million credits and got 12 cars, is a good indication as to what we can all expect.

So when is the Forza Horizon 5 release date? November 9th or the 5th if you buy the fancy Deluxe Edition. It will be available on PC (Windows and now Steam), Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S.

Forza Horizon 5 preview: The new Mexico map

I will be honest, the Forza Horizon 5 apple has not fallen far from the tree. Explore the map, earn money, purchase cool cars, upgrade and tune them then repeat until you have all 526 cars (at launch). Then all future free and paid DLC cars until the developers stop making content.

Mexico is the new location, following on from Forza Horizon 4’s drizzle-fest in the UK. Size-wise, it is the largest map to date and features the usual four seasons as well as 11 biomes. Basically, these are locations that have individual ecosystems. That means even in the sweltering Mexican heat of the summer you will still find snowy outcrops on high.

Not only that, there is more wildlife than ever – chickens, dogs, butterflies, birds and probably more is hidden away for those keen to embrace their inner David Attenborough. Apparently some animals migrate, which is the sort of detail we do not need in a racing game but I love it.

Is the Forza Horizon 5 Mexico map good? Well, with a lot of content deliberately removed for the preview version it is harder to say. However, my early impressions are mucho positivo. If that makes sense.

Having driven all around it, including up to the Gran Caldera volcano, through dense jungle, along sandy beaches and past Mayan structures in Ek Balam, I can tell you that Mexico really grows on you. It may not be as recognisable from a tourist destination point of view, but it is picturesque and fun to explore.

A particular highlight are the epic sandstorms that can ruin your view. There is also lava at the volcano, but sadly the Forza Horizon 5 preview does not let you drive into it. Spoilsports.

Photogrammetry, procedural terrain generation, 4K visuals on the Xbox Series X, Series S and good PCs and bags of detail make the Mexico map come to life. It looks almost real in places. Not quite Ride 4 street race in the rain with the helmet view real, but close enough.

For those on Xbox One, you will get a scaled down experience with loading screens but it should play nice. Microsoft would, after all, not want a Cyberpunk-esque disaster on its hands.

Forza Horizon 5: The cars

As for the cars, the stars, Forza Horizon 5 launches with 526 as mentioned before. I drove the mighty Mosler MT900S, handling comparison with Forza Horizon 4 coming soon. Plus a Mazda MX-5, McLaren GT, AMG One, Corvette Stingray, Hoonigan Cossie V2, Ford Mustang, new Bronco, Dodge Challenger, Toyota Supra and a few others my senile brain has forgotten.

Almost all cars I tested sounded good, had unique handling characteristics, loads of detail inside and out – I think car fanatics will be largely pleased. The cover car AMG One sounds a bit off, though.

The first part of the Forza Horizon 5 preview involves a Bronco parachuting out of a cargo plane down to the volcano. This section goes along a particularly awesome road with lofty consequences if you brake too late.

You are then chucked into the Stingray and get to blitz through a yellowish storm. Then race through the jungle in a Porsche 911 rally car and tear up hot tarmac in the AMG One. Those doing the preview haver been told not to show you this part of the game because it will ruin the surprise.

Sadly, the ability to use the AMG One’s Transformer-esque downforce mode was missing from the preview, as well as the new convertible feature. Believe me, I tried both.

Also new to Forza Horizon 5 are new engine swap possibilities. Yes, it was possible to use another big-old lump in the Mosler MT900S, which makes a welcome return from Forza Horizon 4.

What about the handling?

One area where the new Forza Horizon 5 feels most different is the handling. I will say this was my favourite part of the preview because it makes driving more realistic, more rewarding and work better with a steering wheel.

Without going into the steering wheel stuff too much (I have a separate video for that so check out my Forza Horizon 5 playlist), changes to the brake and suspension systems have introduced more life-like brake fade and suspension characteristics.

This added realism is also felt in how the cars turn. Where you could rapidly swerve over the road a little unrealistically in the Mosler MT900S in Forza Horizon 4, Forza Horizon 5 does things a lot slower and less floatily. You better feel the weight of the cars.

Making Forza more of a simulation than ever before might seem counter-productive for accessible thrills. However, the reality is that cars feel more natural and fluid. Whether using a controller or steering wheel, there is a greater sense of control. And that makes life easier.

Honestly, the handling tweaks make Forza Horizon 5 cars much more satisfying. At least, the ones I drove. Drifting up and down the volcano in the Supra, trying to connect corners together like a drift king, I was having a whale of a time.

When using a steering wheel, Forza Horizon 5 provided a lot of force feedback through my Thrustmaster TS-XW steering wheel. I could feel cobbled streets of urban Mexico, the heaviness of mud in the jungle, the loss of speed when hitting water and the grippy nature of sweaty tarmac and supercar rubber.

As you would expect from a Forza game, the sheer spectacle of those crazy Horizon Story races also keep you glued to the screen. I did not expect to race someone in a wingsuit who had just ejected from their motorcross bike mid-jump, but I am glad I did. Side note: That Hoonigan Escort Cossie V2 is something else.

Any spanners in the works?

So what was bad about the Forza Horizon 5 preview? It can’t all be rainbows, smiles and Margaritas can it? Well, despite the lovely handling improvements and Mexico being a treat I did find more familiarity than I had hoped.

This may just be because the developers are hiding the majority of new stuff – and rightly so. Why give everything away ahead of the release date?

However, it appears the tuning menu is the same. As are most of the upgrades. A lot of cars are the same despite there being new model-year updates since Forza Horizon 4. Even the train is back, with its track running through two-thirds of the map.

A lot of challenge types are the same too. Not that I mind those fun speed camera and danger zone moments, or even the road and cross-country racing. It is, after all, a racing game.

In fact, I am very glad Barn Finds make a return. One Horizon Story mission involves you rescuing a VW ‘Vocho’ Beetle. Not just the journey there in a cool buggy while being told about the importance of this car to Mexico, but also driving it back on a truck for the restoration to begin. Even though said 2020 Alejandra Flatbed truck, complete with flashing lights, was missing a cockpit view.

It’s just that some of us (me included) spent hundreds of hours in Forza Horizon 4 and maybe in Forza Horizon 3 and maybe previous games. Has the recipe changed enough to make us want to do it all again? That is what my full review will answer

Admittedly, the ‘Vocho’ barn find represents a welcome change of pace while the alternative task involves taking a photo of your car during a sandstorm. Nothing too out there, also way too easy to beat the time, but enjoyable, nonetheless. Hopefully there will be more of this.

As for bugs and glitches, during my first playthrough I got stuck when leaving the Forza Horizon area near the Horizon Hall of Fame leadboard. The game world just didn’t load and I could not move. Regardless of the car I was in.

There was also a weird audio glitch that kept playing the cheering crowd sound effect, increasing in volume slowly until painfully annoying. That was fun.

Not only that, even on the powerful Xbox Series X I noticed some pop-in of roadside foliage and other stuff. Not the end of the world, but there you go.

The Forza Horizon 5 preview verdict

So do I think Forza Horizon 5 will be as compelling as Forza Horizon 4? Yeah, it has the potential. The handling changes, new map and refinement of the good stuff will keep most petrolheads happy. Plus there will be hundreds of cars released throughout the game’s life – including new stuff such as the DeLorean DMC and McLaren GT, in addition to the usual weekly challenges.

Ultimately, the Forza Horizon games are always bags of fun and the fifth outing appears to tick that box. Maybe it will feel like meeting an old friend who has simply grown up a bit and become wiser? One thing’s for sure, it is no second-hand piñata.

And at the very least, it appears those who are lucky to have a steering wheel and pedals will have more of a reason to use them than in Forza Horizon 4.

Forza Horizon 5 gameplay screenshots

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