Forza 4 Review

Ahh this is a change of pace and someting that I decided to include in my blog because video games are a part of my daily life. So, since I enjoy analyzing things, video games are a great medium. So here we go!

THE GOOD: Incredible graphics, accurate true to life sound, too many cars to count and more are always added, attention to detail when it comes to EVERYTHING. Improved A.I., Great response true to life control for each car, Accommodates to all levels of difficulty, gives choice of vehicle when leveling up, Rewards you for playing Forza 3 by giving you money and cars when you start depending o your level.

THE BAD!: A.I. can act VERY wierd sometimes, no new products of customization (rims, body kits), kinda feels like Forza 3.2 when you first start, No tutorial on how to drift, New affinity system only has 4 levels ( more about this in the review), can use more "useful" cars

So after installing the second CD, and playing the Alps level in the Ferrari Italia with all systems on, even assited braking, it got me back into the feeling it takes control a powerful car on a tight and twisting road. A few brief narrations about the new world tour racing systems, I was given a choice of purchasing a car. I went with the Citrogen. After racing a few races, I leveled up a couple times in both the affinity system and the driver level. Heres is the on thing that really irked me. Lets start with the bad, the Affinity system, now let me make this clear, I've only raced a few times so this may take a different role later on in the game, I dont know.. But heres how it works as of now. Every time you win a race you gain XP.. Obvious,,, everytime your Affinity goes up a level you recieve 25% discount on the products for the makes of automobile your driving,, If it sounds familar thats because in Forza 3 you level up a specific vehicle up to 5 levels and recieved discounts on that car the more you race it In the newleveling system if your racing in a Ford Focus and level up to the max, you can now take a GT500 Shelby and install all the top of the line gear for pennies. I feel like this was done to save money for the purchase of the cars, but it de values the in game currency dramaticly, I remember in Forza 3 that not being able to afford to do a stage 2 turbo was the difference between winning and losing.. Now I can max out the car almost as soon as I purchase it. On the other hand the driver level up system has remained the same, except for the fact that everytime you level up you dont recieve a car that Forza has pre chosen for you.. You get a choice between a few vehicles. One choice I had was between a 69 mustang, a firebird, and an AMC and I think one more car.

The gameplay: The game starts you off inside of the car at the begining of the race as each car is detailed perfectly. Your choice to stay inside or view the car from outside is a matter of preference, Ive always enjoyed the exterior view but the handling seems easier from inside. especially the cornering.. But I still miss the view of the track and the surrounding areas. The cars handle just like thier real life counterparts. From a Chevy Volt to a Mercedes SLS you have the feeling of horsepower and torque are your fingertips. Each track has also been re worked a bit.. Not any. Major differences, but the long blades of grass and the reflection of the sun off of the pavement are a great addition. What Forza 4 is still missing is actually something that has been over looked for a very long time.. A game with such detail has excluded this from the game for whatever reason they have behind it. These factors are rain, snow, wind, and night time driving. These have been excluded for reasons unknown and I can accept it because the rest of the game makes up for it. Another issue with Forza 4 is the vehicle damage, fuel consumption, and the pit stop. I havent gotten anywhere near a 40 lap race but it would be nice to see tires wear, fuel being burned and a pit team helping you change and improve your vehicle. Someone has told me that tire wear and fuel is a factor later on on the game but I think it should be throughout the whole game. Another bothersome point I have is you cannot damage a car unless you hit other cars. You can red line a engine in first gear for 4 laps and you dont have any damage done to the motor. I may be being picky here but I feel like it would imerse the player a bit better.. Such as oil changes, car washes, or actually paying for damage done to your car instead of money being taken away after a race.

Dont get me wrong I love this game and love playing it both off and online.. But there needed to be a few subtle changes made this year.
Heres a little more detail on my thoughts above..
Paying for damage... When i go into a corner too fast and bash into 3 cars and damage the front end of my car maybe a random leak should occur sometimes.. Or i blow out a strut... When the race is over i should Have to purchase another set of shocks, and have to repair my quarter panel. Or heres and idea.. If im pushing my car to hard maybe i blow the transmission, mybe the differential goes out.. ANYTHING!!

Regarding nighttime racing, it doesnt happen too often in real life but it would still be fun! A change of pace! Also theyve only added like 4 new circuts, and taken away my favorite NYC circut.. boo!

Overall: I give this game a 8.3 out of 10 a minus .07 for the lack of new items and ideas in the career and a minus 1 for degrading the ingame currency.. If it turns out that my ideas of how the affinity system is wrong then this game is hands down amazing.. And who knows maybe they will realize thier mistake and fix it! This game is a must buy if your a fan of driving and racing sims. This is not a Need For Speed like game, I must tell you that if you think that your going to hold down the R trigger and go around in circles you are in for s surprise!

Other Features: The Autovista is an amazing implemataion. You get to walk around a car, open the doors, hood, trunk and turn the engine. It also gives tidbits of the cars history and legacy. Another plus is that you can take the cars out to complete challenges to look at additional cars. Online is obviously online and you can race with 12 players at the same time. The storefront is also a great feature where you can sell your designs and the auction is where you can sell your cars... Theres so much more to do... But im gonna leave it up to you to find out,,. Grab this game off the shelf and enjoy your day!
Peace!
-YourNotME!