"Where so many games make me feel like I’m left wanting, Forza Motorsport left me feeling excited for the future. Sure, they’ll continue to add cars, tracks and races to this existing title, but seeing where we are now compared to where I thought was the top was nearly a decade ago leaves me feeling hopeful that as technology continues to press forward, Forza Motorsport will always be right there pushing it."
"Beyond the minor grumbles, Turn 10 has crafted a game that genuinely feels like it’s been made just for me. No pretension, just pure, unadulterated, exhilarating racing. No, it’s not perfect but the few gripes that I have could easily be patched over the coming months. For anyone with even a passing interest in racing games (and especially those with Game Pass, to which it will be delivered day one) , this is an experience not to pass by.
An excellent companion piece to the open-world, frantic off-road action of Forza Horizon, Forza Motorsport is the next generation of racing that I’ve been waiting so very long for."
"Forza Motorsport’s refined handling, next-gen visuals, and responsive physics tempt you with an accessible yet familiar thrill, especially when you avoid spiraling into a bend. A lot of it feels like Forza but one race will tell you how much things have changed under the hood. It’s a remarkable achievement that this racing sim captures that feeling of owning a handful of cars that speak to you. As a reboot, there’s little more one can ask for."
"Forza Motorsport may not have the most in-depth career mode, but it executes nearly every aspect of the package exceptionally well. Though some of the progression and dynamic visual elements fall short of the realism the rest of the title achieves, Forza Motorsport currently vies for the pole position in the sim-racer field."
VGC (8/10)
"It’s clear by the title that Microsoft and Turn 10 don’t see Forza Motorsport as another numbered instalment – rather, this is a new platform that it plans to continue to build on. Over time, we imagine the game will grow to become the most feature-packed game in the series with more cars and tracks than ever before.
For now, its overriding selling point is that on the track it looks fantastic and handles like an absolute dream. And for now, that has to be enough."
"Forza Motorsport (2023) isn't just a new beginning for the legendary simulation racing franchise, it also represents a previously unreached peak for the series. Turn 10 Studios have done an incredible job delivering one of the best core driving experiences of any game, but not everything has been properly rebuilt from the ground up."
IGN (8/10)
"After six long years, Forza Motorsport is off the lift and back in our lives. It looks great, feels great, sounds great, and it’s brought with it the most impressive multiplayer we’ve seen in the series so far. With 500 cars and 20 track locations it’s hardly a small start but, now positioned as a platform, Forza Motorsport has the potential to expand into a seriously rich racing destination over the coming years."
"As a casual player, there’s certainly enjoyment to be had, but much like Mortal Kombat 1, I think I’ve had my full just a couple days in. If you’ve got an Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass subscription — not to be confused with an Xbox Game Pass Core subscription — certainly jump in and have a go."
"The game engine here is demonstrably better than Forza Motorsport 7's but, in terms of breadth of gameplay, presentation, general excitement, and enjoyment gleaned from racing the AI cars, the older, now-deleted Forza Motorsport 7 is clearly superior. More content including tracks and event series will be added over time, so it will certainly improve, but right now the career mode here is so sedate and one-note, it's hard to recommend Forza Motorsport's offline mode over any of its peers."
At the time of writing, Forza Motorsport sits at 84 on Metacritic and 83 on OpenCritic - very respectable averages all round, and a great start for Turn 10 on Xbox Series X|S.
