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Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

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Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Old 09-20-14, 08:33 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by FuQ
They absolutely are, I played the demo last night and Turn 10 logo is prominently displayed.
The Gearbox logo is pretty prominent on Aliens: Colonial Marines too. Doesn't mean what you think it means.
Old 09-22-14, 09:19 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by chuckd21
The Gearbox logo is pretty prominent on Aliens: Colonial Marines too. Doesn't mean what you think it means.
Gameplay wise it doesn't look like Turn 10 has much to do with this one but it definitely share's Forza 5's proprietary engines. There's no way they could've churned this out this fast without it.
Old 09-22-14, 09:57 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

I played this demo for a bit in a MS mall kiosk the other day, which was helpful because it saved me from being that awkward guy hanging out in Victoria's Secret.

It looks really good, but I can hardly think of a driving game where I felt more disconnected from the driving surface. Maybe there's some stuff that was messed with in the settings, but it was "floaty", almost like driving a hovercraft, and it didn't seem to matter whether I was on a road surface or off-road.

It was a small sample, but I didn't see anything that would make me trade in NFS Rivals, which has outstanding driving mechanics and plenty of neat effects in its own right.
Old 09-22-14, 12:28 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by chess
I played this demo for a bit in a MS mall kiosk the other day, which was helpful because it saved me from being that awkward guy hanging out in Victoria's Secret.

It looks really good, but I can hardly think of a driving game where I felt more disconnected from the driving surface. Maybe there's some stuff that was messed with in the settings, but it was "floaty", almost like driving a hovercraft, and it didn't seem to matter whether I was on a road surface or off-road.

It was a small sample, but I didn't see anything that would make me trade in NFS Rivals, which has outstanding driving mechanics and plenty of neat effects in its own right.
NFS... outstanding driving mechanics... in the same sentence. Can't comprehend, brain self destructing...
Old 09-22-14, 12:40 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by flashburn
NFS... outstanding driving mechanics... in the same sentence. Can't comprehend, brain self destructing...
Disagree. Most Wanted & Rivals basically perfected arcadey style driving imho.
Old 09-22-14, 12:49 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by flashburn
NFS... outstanding driving mechanics... in the same sentence. Can't comprehend, brain self destructing...
Originally Posted by starseed1981
Disagree. Most Wanted & Rivals basically perfected arcadey style driving imho.
Yup.

Most Wanted and Rivals were basically sequels to Burnout Paradise with a Need for Speed logo. The cars gave a nice sense of being planted but were also easy to throw into a satisfying high speed drift.

Those Burnout mechanics might not be for everyone, but they really struck a chord for me.
Old 09-23-14, 10:06 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Forza Horizon 2 hands-on - Playground's Xbox exclusive pulls ahead of the pack
Adam Glick hits the road in what could be the year's top car game

Posted on Tuesday 23-Sep-2014 1:00 AM PDT By OXM Staff for OXM


To the untrained eye, Forza Horizon 2 looks like a racing game. It's got fast cars. It contains a formalised system for deciding the fastest combination of car and driver over a specified distance. But it's not a racing game, it's a driving game. It just has racing in it. That was the main point of difference between the original Horizon and its progenitor, the Forza Motorsport series, and it's even more pronounced this time around.

That's because Horizon 2 fulfils the social side of a road trip in a way that the first game, with its ghettoised multiplayer, simply couldn't manage. A mere click of a menu option and your local version of southern Europe is all but seamlessly synchronised with an online instance, featuring a clutch (sorry) of other players. The matchmaking and connections are handled as you drive and, once a game has been found, you only have to relinquish control for about five seconds for it to sort out the traffic, time of day and weather.


Suddenly, there's a reason to drive slowly - cruising along idyllic Tuscan countryside with your friends, playing lazy games of cat and mouse in traffic or even, if you can believe it, stopping entirely to admire each others' tuning and paint shop handiwork. There's a sense of identity and ownership in yours and other players' vehicles that arguably hasn't been seen since Test Drive Unlimited. Even if you're not actively playing online at the time, you'll see your friends' Drivatars rumble past as you explore the world.

Just because the game encompasses the more leisurely side of driving, doesn't mean there isn't a feeling of momentum. The Online Road Trip mode uses chaotic point-to-point chases to string together a series of four challenges. There's a championship table at the end, but you'll likely already have clicked through to start the next road trip, such is the monosodium-glutamate tug of fooling around in fast cars on the open road.

If even that's a bit too regimented for your liking, would sir or madam consider Online Freeroam? It's populated with distractions, including team racing and co-op challenges, but how and when you get to them is entirely up to you. The Kudos-inspired skills system that tracks everything you do in the game returns too, only this time you're able to compete live on any given stretch of asphalt.

Every single XP point you earn in single or multiplayer contributes to the same pool, so you're not penalised for having a preference. Level up and you get to crank the handle on Forza Wheelspin, a tombola that offers the opportunity to win varying amounts of cash and even new cars. It's an approach designed to encourage a bit more experimentation with the game's more diverse car list. And what a car list.


With over 200 vehicles, the team at Playground Games has stripped out the 50 or so examples of circuit-bred machinery from Forza 5, and swapped in a combination of rugged off-road weaponry and more quirky oddities that you'd never see in the Motorsport series. The only place you'd expect to see a VW Camper Van at the Nürburgring, for example, is parked by the side of the track next to a barbecue laden with bratwurst. In Horizon 2 it perfectly encapsulates the road trip vibe, particularly if you 'do a Jamie Oliver' and perform an engine and drivetrain swap with something a little more potent.

Whatever you're driving, you'll likely want to join a Car Club. Not only does membership confer XP and cash bonuses, it's the easiest way to find and interact with others who share your love of precision drifting, '70s muscle cars or - yes, go on then - VW Camper Van decoration. Clubs can be named, customised and publicised, and there'll be a noticeboard for organising get-togethers. New 'car meets' are the closest thing the game has to lobbies, offering a focal point for social activities, both in clubs and outside of them. It's there that you and your friends can loiter around your cars, and drone on about camber settings and drag coefficients to your heart's content. Or maybe that's just us.

In spite of all this delicious multiplayer freedom, there's still the odd moment where the game pulls off a scripted spectacle for the solo player. Horizon's Showcase Events were just that - events that demonstrated the game at its most thrilling, including races against World War II fighter planes and hot air balloons. They're back for Horizon 2 with a few tweaks - only five challenges this time around, but they'll be less repetitive. We're particularly enamoured with the idea of a race against a thundering steam train in a lairy Lancia Fulvia rally car from the 1970s.


We're not going to pretend Forza Horizon 2 doesn't have competition. Ubisoft's The Crew aims to provide a similarly social racing experience, and boasts a larger playspace in the shape of the United States of America. But what The Crew doesn't have is Horizon 2's expertly balanced handling, more extensive and varied car list, and thumping festival soundtrack. It's that combination of polish and personality that made the first Horizon an arguably more intoxicating experience than its more exacting and clinical sister title. The ability to share that stylish, kinetic automotive party with your mates at the tap of a button could well make Forza Horizon 2 gaming's greatest road trip.

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Sounds great; I'm in! I hope we can organize a DVD Talk club for this game.
Old 09-24-14, 06:31 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by starseed1981
Disagree. Most Wanted & Rivals basically perfected arcadey style driving imho.
That's cool, I wouldn't call that "outstanding driving mechanics" though. To me that would mean realistic driving mechanics.
Old 09-24-14, 07:01 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by flashburn
That's cool, I wouldn't call that "outstanding driving mechanics" though. To me that would mean realistic driving mechanics.
Ah. I was speaking to "fun and engaging" rather than realistic. I feel like Criterion (and by extension Ghost) really nailed arcade driving.

I tired of sim racers around GT2.
Old 09-24-14, 07:34 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by chess
Ah. I was speaking to "fun and engaging" rather than realistic. I feel like Criterion (and by extension Ghost) really nailed arcade driving.

I tired of sim racers around GT2.
Fair enough. Yeah, I definitely enjoyed Burnout, although I couldn't get into Criterion's NFS offerings.

I think if you are only into the "over-the-top-ness" of the NFS series then this probably isn't the game for you. While it can be setup to play pretty arcadey, it still won't have all the ridiculous effects that NFS has.
Old 09-24-14, 09:11 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

I'm all in for a DVDTalk Car Club.
Old 09-24-14, 11:47 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

So then, breaking news, chess still isn't buying an Xbox One.

I call Treasurer of the DVD Talk Car Club.
Old 09-24-14, 12:11 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by chuckd21
So then, breaking news, chess still isn't buying an Xbox One.
I tried the demo in earnest and have an opinion. I like to see what I'm missing when I have a chance. Whether you care about my opinion is immaterial...or at least I don't give a shit.
Old 09-24-14, 12:40 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Calm your tits, chess. Jesus. WE MAKE JOKES AROUND HERE.
Old 09-24-14, 12:43 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Remember when you guys almost made out up? That was cute.

Old 09-24-14, 12:51 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Hey I tried. At first I was all



But I was left

Old 09-24-14, 01:19 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by chuckd21
So then, breaking news, chess still isn't buying an Xbox One.

I call Treasurer of the DVD Talk Car Club.
It's okay, he just can't handle the realism that 1080p @ 60 fps brings to the table.
Old 09-24-14, 01:49 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by flashburn
It's okay, he just can't handle the realism that 1080p @ 60 fps brings to the table.
I think you mean 1080p @ 30 FPS.
Old 09-24-14, 01:56 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Originally Posted by Decker
I think you mean 1080p @ 30 FPS.
Well... shit... there goes my joke!
Old 09-24-14, 02:02 PM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Old 09-25-14, 07:28 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

First reviews are out!

Destructoid
IGN
Eurogamer
Joystiq
GamesRadar
Polygon

The response is very enthusiastic thus far -- lots of 9/10s and 4/5s -- with Polygon as an outlier.
Old 09-25-14, 07:47 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Sounds like Polygon didn't "get" the game. I don't need any reviews after playing the demo and playing the first one. I know exactly what to expect and it is awesome.
Old 09-25-14, 08:25 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

Polygon doesn't count. Ignore them

Otherwise they all look solid. My preorder is staying put.
Old 09-25-14, 08:59 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

wait a second here. polygon is so clearly biased toward microsoft. that score can't be right!
Old 09-25-14, 09:49 AM
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Re: Forza Horizon 2 (XB1, 360) - Fall 2014

It's a higher score than they gave the first Forza Horizon! Different reviewer, but Polygon scored that one a 6/10.

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