Forza Horizon 5 is widely regarded as the best game in the Forza series, and one of the best racers of all time, but fans have revealed the area they feel FH5 was outdone in by older titles.
When it comes to racing games, Microsoft has really stolen the show in recent years. Forza Motorsport continues to give petrolheads the down-to-earth sim action they crave, and the Forza Horizon series has taken over the lighthearted, street racing scene.
For many, the formula was perfected in Forza Horizon 5. We gave Playground Games’ sequel a flawless review, and it’s gone on to be considered one of the all-time great racing games.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t still room for improvement, however, and fans have picked out the key area they want to see refined in a possible Forza Horizon 6.
One of the biggest draws of the Horizon series is its emphasis on fun rather than serious motorsport. The games are always geared around a colorful car festival, with streets closed to the public as they become your personal racetrack.
However, for everything that Forza Horizon 5 does right, players have called for the vibe and atmosphere of the festival to be improved going forward, arguing that the latest Horizon Festival feels “bland.”
Reddit user VAGASLOGOSTV uploaded a clip from the original Horizon, which showed two racers talking about pinkslips as a party rages on in the background. They accompanied the video with a message to the developers saying: We want a vibe like this in the next Forza.”
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The post generated over 200 replies, many of which agreed that the carnival in Forza Horizon 5 was lackluster compared to previous entries.
“Something I miss from FH1 that feels very empty while playing FH5. Lack of atmosphere/vibe is one of the main problems I have with FH5. It just feels so bland,” said one reply. “Completely agree,” said another. “The soul and vibe of that game is everything that’s missing from FH5.”
Many felt that Playground Games’ decision to lose the ‘underground’ feeling as the series has gone was deliberate, as a way of appealing to wide audiences.
“Some of us don’t like the direction this series has gone, such as losing the festival atmosphere/vibe to being such a bland state, giving supercars right at the beginning, and the FH5 target audience being casual to little kids while dumbing everything down,” argued one player.
There’s no word yet on when Forza Horizon 6 will arrive, but a job listing did recently reveal that it is in development. Fans will be hoping to see the series return to its roots when the sequel finally drops.