Forza Motorsport 5 review

[charlesr]

i spent roughly 3 hours with the game and i am kind of shocked how terrible the handling is. my cars (Golf R, Audi RS7) are constantly sliding, heavily understeering going into corners and then oversteering coming out, often going into an uncontrollable spin. i've already tried to tune the cars (reduced weight, race tires and brakes) and experimented with the assists. nothing seems to make it a better experience. it's so ridiculous and no fun at all that i decided to give up on the game. i can only wonder how apparently other gamers, even long time fans of the series like me, find Forza 5 enjoyable.

Put a harder antiroll on the back, but not on the front to address the understeer.
I'm finding the handling is very realistic and maybe that's why you aren't finding it fun.

Unfortunately, I've been one of the people hit by the bug introduced with the recent patch - I can't continue the Modern GP career - it crashes with 2 races to go. Turn 10 are apparantly working on it. The other careers are ok so far....

Just bought a V8 Supercar. Big noisy and rubbish

[Uli]

very realistic? well, i guess that's what they want you to believe. but not being able to turn into a wide 120-degree corner at 130 km/h with a race tired equipped Golf R has nothing to do with real?sm. i've been driving 4WD street cars like the Audi S4 at the Nordschleife and never had any problems to get the car to turn in even if i was way too fast. unfortunately i can't test the Nordschleife...

[charlesr]

I'm only going on cars I've driven recently (Impreza, 350Z, both of which feel spot on). And all the FWD cars feel just like they should do from memory (Polo, CRX, Civic).

I've noticed quite a lot of difference in turn in ability depending on throttle position once the brakes are released.

[Uli]

that's odd. would really like to know why i can't get to grips with the handling model of Forza 5. i've enjoyed every single Forza game so far. maybe i've put too many hours in to racing sims like Raceroom lately...

[charlesr]

Maybe it's just that Golf Rs are rubbish in real life. That's a true fact isn't it?

[Uli]

the Golf R drives like a dream, very direct handling, extremely agile but still comfortable enough. i wish i could afford one of the older V6 R32 but they are still quite pricey here. maybe it's just that i am used to drive using my wheel/race seat setup. i could slap MS in the face for not offering a solution to make 360 accessory work. surely an adapter of the kind i use with my PC would work with Xbox One too.

[charlesr]

Yeah, pretty poor show on the wheel.

Good to hear the R is decent.

[charlesr]

OOOoooooooo!!! Marketplace has been opened!!

Oh...... It's a marketplace to buy cars with real money.

Here's me thinking it was going to be a place to trade cars you've made..... How naive.

[Uli]

finally i brought myself to buy a Thrustmaster TX wheel and now giving Forza 5 another go. but still so much is wrong with this game... for example, i removed the rear wing of my Lancia Stradale and got improved handling shown. also most of the 4-wheel-drive cars i tested still drive terribly. at least they have added the N?rburgring Nordschleife for free to the course list, which is nicely done. a shame the TV replay cam is also still missing. oh well, Project Cars cant come soon enough...

[charlesr]

I think I've "finished" Forza 5 (and Forza 2) as far as I can be bothered. I did enough to get to the next Forza Hub tier (4). The fun factor of driving was better in Forza 2, with a much better feeling of weight and tractino, but the pad with the rumble triggers is amazing in Forza 5. The MP racing also seemed a lot closer in Forza 2. In F5 people are either vastly better than me somehow or idiots that harpoon you off the road at every corner. I've had some good racing, but the length of time you have to sit around waiting for the next round ruins it. In fact the whole Forza experience needs fixing. Waiting 40 seconds while it tells you how much xp you've been awarded and credits (the same every time you race basically.....) gets tiresome after the 2nd time. After the 500th time it's suicide inducing.

There also needs to be a speed play option in MP somehow, so it gets rid of the voting system and just rotates round random maps, loading the levels in the background so it all happens much more quickly. I have no wish to see the damage on my car every time (mostly none), or to see someone beckoning the car to the grid every time at the start. Maybe these are to disguise loading or something, but the whole thing needs speeding up somehow.

I also mentioned this the other day in the Halo thread, but there's a start screen. If you accidentally go back to it by pressing B too many times, it then "saves" (actually doesn't it "save" progress here when you first turn on the game too? er... wut???) and then takes 20 seconds just to get back to the menu you were at at 1 second previously.

Also the fact that you have to check in to the hub each month to get your free credits to make any sort of headway into the car collection (unless you PAY real money!) is very sad. You should be able to get all the cars by finishing the career, unlocking as you go (like Forza1?). Or hell, just give them all to me from the off so I can choose whatever order I want to progress in the career.

For the first batch of (lots of) hours I had loads of fun, but now it is just leaving me cold without a good feeling about the game. I don't feel I've got even half way to completing the career and it's just going to take too long to bother with.

[The Moleman]

I’ve been chipping away at Forza 5 for the past year as the load times and menu navigation is enough to spoil the experience, I found myself firing up F4 for the Porches and realizing just how much they messed up this simple task.

I find the SP races ruined by the ‘Drivatar’ AI, it is literally a destruction derby on some of the narrower tracks like Long Beach. I usually play on ‘Pro’ but this is impossible when coupled with races that last 2/3 laps, no qualification and you’re lumped randomly at the back of the pack… Don't get me started on when you're started at the back of the pack on the start/finish line like Road Atlanta and it starts you on a bend....

Online I think it’s very similar to F4 in that if you’re lucky you’ll come across a clean driver, but normally you’ll be against opponents that actively ram you.

This is the first Forza where I haven’t bought any DLC and has really soured the entire experience, I would have pre ordered F6 but F5 has made me cautious, I’m going to wait a while, maybe even try before I buy.

[charlesr]

So having announced I've finished.... I've been back to MP racing. I got an ancient Alfa GTA and turned into an A class drag monster. I pulled this beast out at Le Mans Old circuit (no bends on the main straight). Everyone went away from me in the first few corners but then I flew past them on the straight doing 220mph lol, like they were standing still. Didn't win, but boy was it satisfying.

[charlesr]

My son did a wall ride in Forza. Very proud

[VR46]

He has a good choice in cars too Charles

[charlesr]

A 900bhp Supra with drag tyres! Ideal on a speedway