![Here’s What The Critics Are Saying About Forza Horizon 5](https://images.purexbox.com/189eb5d034c29/herers-what-the-critics-are-saying-about-forza-horizon-5.900x.jpg)
Xbox’s arguably first major first-party game of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S generation is upon us, as Forza Horizon 5 is finally making its way to our systems, with early access beginning as soon as this Friday.
Five entries later, you’d be forgiven for thinking the series may be running out of steam, but what do the critics think?
Let’s take a look at the scores, including our own review of Forza Horizon 5:
Pure Xbox (8/10)
"Forza Horizon 5 is an amazing game, don’t get us wrong – if you’re a newcomer to the series you’ll likely have a blast, assuming you like car games. Returning fans though can expect a similar experience to past entries. For some, that’s where driver fatigue may very well set in. After five games, at this point, you could argue the series is no longer doing enough to protect its crown as the top open-world racer. It’s the same process of going to a festival, unlocking cars, racing a lot, levelling up and repeating the whole cycle."
IGN (10/10)
"Forza Horizon 5 is a deep and nuanced car nirvana for revheads and auto geeks to endlessly collect, tinker, and experiment. It’s also an extremely accessible buffet of racing spectacle open to everyone, from Deluxe Edition diehards to Game Pass nomads – no matter their driving skill or mechanical knowledge. It’s an occasionally goofy but always earnest Valentine to Mexico’s world-famous culture, and a romantic ode to the magic of road-tripping through postcard-perfect vacation vistas."
GamesRadar (5/5)
"The expansive new setting of Mexico really does have so much to offer, and longtime players and newcomers alike are sure to have a blast discovering everything you can get stuck into. I've lost count of the number of races I sped my way through that I immediately wanted to experience all over again. As another fantastic entry in what is already a very strong series, Playground Games delivers impeccably detailed graphics, stellar audio design, and smooth controls that all work together to make Forza Horizon 5 an utter joy to play."
Windows Central (5/5)
"I went into my Forza Horizon 5 preview concerned that the upcoming title couldn't live up to my lofty expectations, but left even more excited than before. Now, after an extended amount of time with the full game and hours of playtime under my belt, I can comfortably claim that Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best games of 2021, and another colossal victory for the growing Xbox Game Studios family."
Game Informer (9.5/10)
"At every turn, Forza Horizon 5 impresses in ways few games have. From the first mile, I was on the edge of my seat. With so much to do in such a relentlessly gorgeous world, I suspect it won’t be long before I get the itch to jump back into the driver’s seat of my favorite car. Even amidst a competitive racing field, Forza Horizon 5 is a finely tuned supercar."
GameSpot (9/10)
"Forza Horizon 5 is another meaningful evolution of the series as opposed to a reinvention, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a case of more of the same. Even when it is familiar, Forza Horizon 5 makes small, but thoughtful changes to its established blueprint that hones in on the people behind the cars in a way that the franchise has previously just glossed over. It's not going to convince you to give it a go if Forza Horizon's brand of racing hasn't done it for you in the past, but Forza Horizon 5 still stands head and shoulders above anything else in the genre."
The Guardian (4/5)
"Despite the change of setting from idealised Britain to idealised Mexico, it feels almost identical to 2018’s Forza Horizon 4, and has the same overwhelming maximalist tendencies."
"You could spend months in Forza Horizon 5 on a coast-to-coast trip, or dip in for a few days to see the sights and admire the sunsets. The vast array of fun on offer means that whatever you do, wherever you end up, you’ll have a very good time.
VideoGamer (8/10)
"It may well be more of the same, but Mexico beckons, ravishing the eye and devouring up the miles. Besides, it offers us—as they all do, true to their name—the thrilling prospect of looking ahead, not so much to the next game as to its first ten minutes. The wait starts here."
Well, that's definitely some immense praise. There isn't a negative view in sight and the game is currently sitting on a Metacritic score of 91 for Xbox Series X, making it one of 2021's highest-rated games across all platforms.
Forza Horizon 5 can't arrive soon enough.
Are you happy with the review scores for Forza Horizon 5? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments 56
The king of this type of game by a mile.
Can’t wait to play.
Well done Play Ground games, also for leading by example on how to create AAA game and scale it very well to shine on the series x.
A 10/10 from IGN!?
Dam.
Gamepass got itself a winner. I
@Dezzy70 A happy Dezzy?
Now I know it's gotta be good 😉
I'm just joking 😀😀
@RedKnight34
Yes the pure Xbox review is not great, not sure why they only gave and 8.
@FriendlyOctopus
I think you know I am very happy 😃
@Dezzy70 I think sometimes the critics need to criticise can blind them a little 🙂
Omg, Geoff Keighley will have to quit Twitter if he doesn't crown this game.
@FriendlyOctopus The review on this site seemed to well justify this reviewer's score in my opinion. You'd rather they just gave it a 10/10 because they knew that's what you wanted them to do?
Folks, feel free to play the game and then come back and say "hmm, I don't actually agree with that Pure Xbox review", but please don't criticise it before you've played it for yourself.
Our review is certainly not a "joke", and was written by someone who has extensive experience with the entire Forza Horizon series from the first game onwards.
People have different opinions, that's life! Not to mention we still gave it a "great" rating and called it "amazing" in the title 🤷♂️
@RedKnight34 how is 8/10 a joke? It was one guy’s opinion and 8/10 isn’t even bad it’s still a very good score. Other reviews are pretty much agreeing with it about feeling familiar but they’re choosing to score a little higher that’s all.
The games great, everyone who’s played it is saying so, go and enjoy it instead of being upset about a review score.
@Dezzy70 "this racing game is nothing but a bunch of races!!"
Umm......
I always look at reviews as being suggestions. 8/10 racing game. I like racing games so that is a must play. People really take review scores too serious.
@Deadcow
Easy dude dont give your opinion your comment will get deleted.
@frabbit chill out, darling
Anyways this review aside i cant wait to play on Friday. This will keep my busy till Halo infinite launches
Besides the fact that we are all in for a treat, my main worry was how it would perform on a base XBO.
I have just watched a couple of comparison videos on the old tube and can officially confirm Playground Games are in fact, real life wizards.
Now the dilemma is do I stay up all night to play or get my head down early and spend a full day at it? Like a kid at Christmas.
@FraserG
if a 8/10 game is called amazing and great, how would you call a 10/10 game ?
Think we're used to PureXbox being at the higher end of the scale as IGN and others do seem to be harsh on Xbox often - I think it's all just a matter of opinion on if the familiarity is a positive or not this far into the series.
If the reviewer has been playing since 1 then he's probably itching for more of a revolution than an evolution, which I get - I adore these games and will love this, and there's only so much you can do with a car game (and Playground have done more than I ever thought possible) but there will be a question of how to go further in the next one.
Better graphics and new weather, dust and cloud systems plus an attempt at a campaign (with co-op and "raids") are all great evolutions though, and the future is safe in Playground's hands.
I'd love an FH6 set in Japan with nighttime Tokyo bathed in new-gen ray-traced neon for a truly different experience, and if they find some revolutionary new angle then awesome - I'm not sure I can think of one...
Then maybe the entire world for FH7? Maybe that's gonna be the metaverse...
@FriendlyOctopus 🤷♂️ okay
@FraserG I tend to enjoy the reviews this site does, my only gripe was having "not being set in japan" as a con. As a piece of writing, of which is meant to help me ascertain on whether to play it or not, that point alone seemed unnecessary. That's just me, though. The rest I agreed with, or rather saw the point behind the statement 🙂😀 I wouldn't call it a joke, though. Time was spent writing this review, and I fully respect that, I also love the pro and con part of these reviews. It's just one con I genuinely couldn't fathom in terms of it making a dent in the final score.
Then again, I watch Who culture JUST so I can moan about how wrong the down points are on each episode.
Maybe it's just me haha
It seems to me, @Dezzy70, that Pure gave it an 8 based on their perception that some might feel 'fatigue' in playing this game, which is unfair on two grounds, firstly that even returning players may not feel that way, and secondly, if you are experiencing a Horizon game for the first time, then you cannot possibly feel that returning player fatigue. The game should be judged on its own merit, not on how you feel about past entries in the series...
@frabbit STOP YELLING!
🤰 I'm just messing
@FraserG "..was written by someone who has extensive experience with the entire Forza Horizon series from the first game.."
With that said, was the reviewer looking forward to this game? Or was the reviewer, "oh god, not another horizon game.."
@Deadcow I think it's fair enough to hope for new ideas, improvements and mechanics to appear in a new entry to a long running series of games. After all, if you don't do that then all you have is the same game as before in a new location, which for some might be enough but for others perhaps not. I haven't played the game of course but I was hoping that the messy map and overwhelming number of constant new tasks etc found in FH4 might be streamlined and cleaned up for a more coherent and enjoyable experience, but from the various reviews I've read that doesn't seem to be the case. I'll still play it of course and make my own mind up, but I think the reviewer is justified in being a tad disappointed that the criticisms levelled at the previous entries haven't really been addressed.
Its very easy for an Amazing and great game to score just an 8/10. It could be that they feel the developers maybe played it a bit safe, a bit short or whatever but that doesn't mean that what you do get isn't 'amazing'.
Fifa, CoD, Motorsport (or any other long running Franchise for that matter) maybe don't 'deviate' that much but sometimes you get a 'big' shake-up that can make/break the franchise, other times, more little tweaks that don't really change the overall experience.
Its like Push Square's review of Ratchet & Clank - a 'great' game with superb visuals but 'short' and doesn't really add anything 'new' to the game-play. I believe that got an 8/10 too and for similar reasons to this.
8 is still a 'great' game. 6 is 'ok/average'. A 6 is still playable and fun but may have a few issues that some may not be able to overlook. An 8 is a fantastic game but maybe not for everyone (maybe too similar to the previous to justify buying the latest, maybe a bit short to justify the cost or whatever reason) - that doesn't stop the 'content' itself being 'perfect'....
@BAMozzy is it an "8" cause the reviewer thought, "could've been better" or an "8" cause the reviewer thought, "better than I expected"
People shouldn't take reviews to heart, only view that should matter to them is their own, reviews are there to read another gamers view on the game.
Heck I read reviews saying the good life was crap yet see loads of people liked it, so people need to chill and enjoy the game the best they can and not care what other people think of the game.
I think Metroid dread is crap, someone going to shoot me down for it?
@Fiendish-Beaver
That’s is my main point.
As the same could be said about nearly every game produced, if you have played the ones before it might feel repetitive.
Yes the game should be judged on its merit as it’s own entity.
I've just joined Xbox last year with the launch of the series consoles so i joined FH4 around the end of the lifecycle so I'm pumped to jump into FH5 from the get go. The thing that really has me excited for the longevity of the game is that they are allowing the community to create full races and events for us to play. There's a lot of talented people out there so I'm expecting that we will be getting a steady stream of new fun thing's to do once you "finish" the game.
I was able to spend hours in FH4 just driving around and not doing anything so i imagine I'll be doing more of it this time around as well.
I'm going to try and dabble in tuning the cars this time around, both aesthetically and performance wise. See how that goes.
I hope the will be better that FH4... It was a bit of a letdown after FH3...
@FraserG why you trying to reason with people on the might interwebs? This is where rational thought and reason are best left at the door.
Like everything in life try it yourself folks. Billions of people in the world and it's totally fine to have your own views that differ from someone, even the majority.
@PhhhCough reading through the review, I think its more an '8 that could've done better' but in my opinion, NO game is 'perfect' so NO game should get '10's' anyway - unless they have a massive positive impact on the gaming landscape.
I think a 'flawless' game should get an '8' - a game that 'delivers' on its 'promise' with no issues. A '9+' in my book is a game that goes beyond 'expectations and a '10' would only be awarded to those games that 'significantly' raise the bar and/or have a profound impact on the gaming world.
Super Mario 64 for example could be a 10 because it completely revolutionised 3D gaming and movement - it was so 'unique' and transformative to the gaming industry, its worthy of a 10.
So I think ANY game that is still 'great' with no (or incredibly minor) flaws should get an 8. Technically nothing fundamentally wrong with the game-play, performance etc but then doesn't exactly go beyond expectation or is likely to change the gaming landscape either...
Therefore an 8 is technically neither 'could of been better' or 'not as good as expected'. Its as expected - no more, no less!
@FraserG so what you’re saying is you can dish it out but can’t take it ? I would expect that score and remark about this game from ign but they gave it a 10. this franchised has had the same formula since the beginning but only now there is this sense of fatigue. Doesn’t sound like a legit review in my book
@SplooshDmg Keep in mind that was a Soapbox article (a personal opinion) by a different writer to the one who did the review.
Sorry to those I haven't replied to (busy day!), and thanks to everyone who is providing constructive thoughts and feedback in the comments - whether positive or negative 👍
As I say, I highly encourage you to play it for yourself and see what you think!
Just thought of something here if Forza Horizon 5 gets a 8 for being more of the same old same old. Then Call Of Duty Vanguard should get a 6 for the same thing.
@Dezzy70 Of the 8 reviews here, 3 of them are an 8 out of 10. Seems to be going with the general view of the game.
@SplooshDmg Which in turn sounds about right. Taking a skim through it, there are quite a few 90+ from companies known to take bribes. IGN chief among them.
Meanwhile more trustworthy companies such as Destructoid, EGM, and Gamepro all have sub 90 scores.
I find it weird that people have an issue with "more of the same" and "not being set in Japan" as a con but don't seem to have a problem with being available day one on game pass as a pro. It seems as equally irrelevant to the quality of the game as it not being set where you would like it to be. Either way the game looks fantastic and as others have said 8/10 is still a sign of a great game.
@InterceptorAlpha
I’m gonna chill on this score now.
Love series best racing series ever created
And will enjoy every second of it.
My series x can’t wait.
Actually does it have DOLBY ATOMS and DOLBY VISION? Does anyone know?
@Dezzy70 @SplooshDmg
I'm excited as the next guy. I actually put together a cockpit setup with full whee/pedals/clutch, with paddle shifting and an H shifter.
All I'm saying is that an 8 is an amazing score. And never in a million years would I ever feel a Forza Horizon game was deserving of 10. Maybe once they give us a Horizon game that gives us the option to race it as more of a Sim instead.
And hopefully Vision and Atmos are supported. Especially since LG just pushed the update to to allow Vision with FreeSync Premium so I don't have to use garbage VRR.
@SplooshDmg
Yes the new LGC1 and also now the LGCX last years model now have the Dolby Vision 4K 120hz update. The C1 was first followed now by the older CX.
@FraserG I can see totally where you're coming from. Unlike your Nintendo sister site which is going from bad to worse, you take a much more considered approach.
I can identify where you're coming from because I regard 3 as the pinnacle of the series. as much as I liked four, and played it to death I still didn't quite get the enjoyment out of it than I did out of three because it did feel overfamiliar.
I'm hoping that part of the problem was the landscape was too samey and five will be in between four and three for me.
@SplooshDmg This update was pushed to the Nano85 last month IIRC.
@djshep1973 Id like to play 2 but can't because it's been delisted
@SplooshDmg I actually just picked up the 923 along with the H shifter. I have a seat for it all to go to that I used for Flight Sim with a Thrustmaster Tflight. Still need to get the pedals for that one though.
My issue with the scale is that people don't use it linearly. For example a 5 should be a solidly good game. 8 being amazing. 10 being perfect. But people want to treat anything less than 8 as a bad score.
And no worries. It took them long enough to push out. Should be all of their screens that support it at this point.
@SplooshDmg
I thought you meant you had last years OLED model the CX, hence my post to you.
@SplooshDmg Not sure if you're interested, but you should check this out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083JW5YKM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_E21ZWACZK8M02VQJ7GJK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Only reason I was able justify the whole setup is that it collapses to something not all too much larger than travel luggage, while leaving all components installed.
I can easily fold it up that way the cats and raccoons don't destroy it lol.
@SplooshDmg
Bit of a geek when it comes to that stuff 😊
@djshep1973 yeah I got horizon 3 with my one S , if they'd released horizon 2 on pc aswell I could've downloaded the pirated version & I could do that I suppose don't really trust eBay though
@SplooshDmg Ah I've gotcha. Sounds like a nice setup for sure!
I do wildlife work on the side. So at the moment am working with some raccoons. Just in case you were curious, a box of cereal can hold a 15lb/6.8kg raccoon.
@FriendlyOctopus
Did you know, FH5 is the highest rated NEW game release of 2021 at 92% and Psychonauts 2 is second at 91%.
Can Xbox studios get the hat trick with
Halo Infinite.
@FraserG I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but people who haven't played a game telling people who have that their review is wrong is one of the biggest quirks of the industry. People seem to forget all reviews are subjective, confuse an 8 for a number much lower, and, I imagine, probably don't even read the whole review, only checking the conclusion and score.
On that note, ever considered dropping the scores, or would that lose too much traffic?
@Dezzy70 For your sake I hope so 😀😀😀
And for my sake haha
@FriendlyOctopus
Would be a nice hat trick if they did.
Fingers crossed, will find out soon.
So it's time to review the purexbox FH4 review and give it a 8/10? It's less unique now that FH5 is out, so perfection is diluted across two games
"Even amidst a competitive racing field, Forza Horizon 5 is a finely tuned supercar." - GameInformer
What competition? This isn't the Xbox 360 days when we were drowning in racing titles. There are some good quality indie racing titles like Horizon Chase but apart from sub-par efforts like The Crew 2, can anyone name a big racing franchise that isn't Forza, Gran Turismo or Mario Kart?
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...