Japanese culture is iconic in many ways. From Ninjas and Samurai, to Anime and Manga, to video games, and much, much more, Japanese influence can be found intertwined with much of the entertainment we enjoy today. For a guy like me who grew up around cars, tracks, and racing, Japanese influence has certainly been pervasive there as well.
The introduction of the compact car and efficient, sensible vehicles changed the entire car industry, and for petrol heads, the evolution of small cylinder, turbocharged engines combated traditional “more cubic inches equals more horsepower” thinking. Hell, the first car I modified heavily and raced was a 1991 300ZX Twin Turbo (known as the Fairlady Z in Japan).
So when Playground Games finally made the leap and announced they were taking us to Japan for Horizon 6, few people were more excited than me. The question, however, was: how do you not only honor the Japanese influence on the motoring industry while simultaneously topping Forza Horizon 5, which I rated a 10 and firmly believe is the best overall racing game ever made? Well, the maniacs might have just gone and done it.
Land of the Rising Sun
At the heart of every Horizon game is the setting which informs much of the gameplay and events. Part of what makes Japan such an amazing setting for car junkies is its diversity. From the stunning, neon drenched streets of Tokyo, to winding snow-capped mountain passes, scenic forests, and beautiful beaches, Japan encompasses it all. And the team at Playground Games certainly captured that essence.
Forza Horizon 6 features the largest game world yet in a Horizon title and frankly, it’s all the better for it. Exploring is a joy and even after nearly 50 hours at the time of this recording, I feel like I’m only just beginning to get a handle on all of the different locations and aspects to discover.
And naturally, the game world is simply stunning. Playground Games took a leap forward with Horizon 5 and they’ve accentuated it with 6. Regardless of the platform you’re playing on (I played on an Xbox Series X and two different PCs for this review), the visual detail is almost staggering at times. Even playing on console on performance mode, the lighting is remarkable and seats cars in their environment better than ever before. Whether sliding around gravel roads or racing down the brightly lit streets of Tokyo, I was frequently in awe of what was on display. Seasons return as well, with each week representing a fresh season and changing dynamics.
Displaying Japan and honoring Japan are two different things, however, so how about the latter?
Sky Line
Thankfully, there’s nothing to worry about because they’ve nailed it. If you’re a veteran of the series you’ll have a good idea of what to expect for many of the activities. There’s street, off-road, and cross-country racing, alongside a variety of open activities like speed traps and danger signs. But what I really enjoyed was the many additions that fall under the banner of “Discover Japan.”
Similar to story-based events in prior games, you’ll meet a cast of characters who each have their own focus. In this case, aspects tied directly to Japanese car culture. You’ll go on day trips to discover the iconic landscapes of Tokyo and surrounding areas. You’ll partake in drift clubs and gathering historic cars for a parade. You’ll be introduced to one of the most famous car meet locations in the world. And a lot more. The story events in Horizon 6 were some of my favorite activities in the game because you can tell they were written and designed with true car nuts in mind. And sharing that history and joy with the millions of upcoming players just put a big smile on my face. Maybe next time I scare my wife by yelling “Look an R33 GT-R!” while she’s driving down the highway, she’ll have a better appreciation for its significance. Maybe.
But it’s not just story events that accentuate the setting, it’s so much more. You’re presented with two journals, one for your overall collection, and the other directly tied to discovering Japan. Within it you’ll be awarded points for completing story missions, taking photos of historic landmarks, smashing mascots found around the world (of which there are 200 alongside another 200 XP boards), and even completing food delivery missions throughout downtown Tokyo. And you can do all of this while listening to the new Gacha City Radio station that features J-Pop, J-Rock, and more.
There’s so much to love about what Playground Games has delivered with regard to Japan in this caRPG, it truly puts a smile on my face, and I’m going to spend a lot more time exploring it in the coming weeks and months. But first, we need to talk about a small aspect of Horizon 6: The cars themselves.
Extreme Racer Tokyo
If you’re a veteran of the series, you’ll feel right at home with a wide variety of cars offered which, at over 550, is the most at launch for any of the games. There’s a fantastic curation of brands and models here with a natural emphasis on some Japanese legends alongside additional models tuned for drifting. It’s worth noting, however, that Bugatti is not included as of this moment due to a licensing issue with Volkswagen (Bugatti’s parent company…believe it or not) and the brand. Hopefully that’s resolved in the near future.
Regardless, what I particularly enjoyed is that there are more ways to collect and discover cars than ever before. In addition to simply visiting the Autoshow and searching the Auction House, you’ll find aftermarket cars spread throughout the world that you can purchase at a discount. Barn Finds return with 15 rare classics to uncover throughout the world. But alongside them are another 9 “treasure” cars that you will be given hints about as you explore Japan. With many of them, you’ll be given a history lesson on why they’re special and what they meant to the motoring world. While those small touches may just be skipped by some players, it’s yet another aspect that street racers like me truly appreciate.
Many of the ways you can celebrate your collection online or with your friends return, with convoys, link activities, and real-time world events that you can join on the fly. While those have been difficult to join during the review period, it will be a great option for when the game launches. But expanding upon that in Horizon 6 are a few new additions.
The first is Car Meets where you can swing by specific locations and engage with other players from around the world. Check out their cars, their liveries, set up convoys or races, and just share your love of cars with others. The second is The Estate and Garage Customizer. While you can once again buy player homes, the Garage Customizer allows you to do exactly that: customize a garage. There you can display a few of your favorite cars, add props, and just generally design your dream garage. And once you do, you can even open it to visitors should you so choose.
The Estate, meanwhile, is a full creation suite integrated into the game at launch. You can create a serene place to just relax with your friends and favorite cars, or a wild track to test your limits. And as with the many aspects of creation in Horizon 6, you can share these online with the community. Having all of these options at launch is fantastic and immediately builds upon the successful additions to Horizon 5.
Beyond all of the new additions, all the features you know and love return. Tuning is relatively unchanged save for a few new wrinkles, while saving and sharing your tunes, liveries, etc… is all available just as before.
Yamato
Of course, exploring Japan and collecting classic cars is always a joy, but what about the racing itself? While it’s nothing revolutionary over prior entries, the sheer amount of customization and accessibility options are notable.
From entry level racer to pro, you can configure your experience in more ways than ever. At the higher level difficulties, you’ll find yourself leaning forward more than ever before as you’ll have to be near perfect to stand on the podium. But if you’d rather just play the progression game and enjoy care-free racing, you can do that easily as well. And with a very wide range of accessibility options, ranging from auto-drive and driving assists, to proximity sensors, sign language and high-contrast modes, and more, everyone is welcome to enjoy car culture in Japan.
Adding to the Discover Japan journal on the racing side as well, are special street racing events and touge battles. Street races take place at night along dedicated paths and emphasize the aura of Japanese street racing. Meanwhile touge battles pay homage to the unique mountain roads of Japan where you will face-off against a single, highly-skilled opponent in a special, memorable model.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a Horizon event without spectacle. In that vein, Showcase events return and are just as crazy and bombastic as prior games, with some being very Japanese specific. Alongside them are Horizon Rush events where you are provided a specific car and tasked with a time attack mode to impress the festival goers as much as possible.
Put all of these events and activities together and you have an incredibly varied and enjoyable package that can be refined to your hearts content. Horizon games have never wanted for variety, but with Horizon 6 Playground Games has found a way to once again outdo themselves.
Arcadia
There’s so much more I could say about Forza Horizon 6 and how Playground Games has once again somehow managed to top their prior entry. Keeping in mind of course, that their prior entry was already the most complete car racing package ever developed.
Forza Horizon 6 is beautiful, vast, engaging, and exhilarating, all while simultaneously being informative. It continues to celebrate car culture in a unique way that is simply unmatched in the industry. And in this entry, it not only does that better than ever before, it does so while also celebrating one of the most iconic settings for car junkies.
As someone who has been around cars and “car people” my entire life, I often grasp at words to properly explain the culture to those who haven’t been. It’s unique. It’s special. It’s a celebration of people, culture, and engineering. It’s an appreciation for examining something deemed impossible and figuring out a way to make it possible. It’s a never-ending dedication to continual improvement. It’s amazing, and I feel fortunate to have been exposed to it at a young age. With Forza Horizon 6, I know more people will be exposed to it. And I look forward to chatting cars with them in the future.
Thank you to Xbox for providing review access to Forza Horizon 6. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here.