Another new event, The Bucket List, involve finding specific cars parked in the world and getting in them for a unique challenge. Cross country races, one of the new event types, sound a lot like Burnout Paradise's point to point races allowing participants to ignore the generated GPS route and take any way they want to the finish line.
There is also a new Perk system, earned through the Skills system, allowing players to gain XP faster among other benefits.įilling this new world are over 700 events, and an estimated 100 hour commitment to getting 100% completion. Playground tweaked the Skills system of the first game, so that it's more front and center and rewards the player for things other than winning, such as stylish driving. Project Gotham Racing lives on in a way in Horizon 2. Gameplay Forza's precision game play out on the open road Titled Forza Horizon 2 presents Fast & Furious, it was made free-to-download for the first few weeks of its launch. In addition to numerous DLC packs (now including larger Expansions with new locales and challenges), the game received a standalone expansion and promotional tie-in with the 2015 film Furious 7. While the Xbox 360 version of the game (developed primarily by Sumo Digital) runs on the same game engine as the original, the Xbox One version features the enhanced engine that powered Forza Motorsport 5, adding an enhanced dynamic weather system, fewer barriers on the road (for a more free-roaming off-road experience), and the "Drivatar" system (where the AI of each opponent car are based on the style of a particular player). The sequel to the first game in Playground's spin-off Forza Motorsport series, Forza Horizon 2 brings the fictional Horizon Festival event to Europe (namely Southern France and Northern Italy) with a much larger drivable area (nearly triple the size of the original game), larger player lobbies, more events, and new challenges. But if you’re willing to throw at least one $20 at the game for what you saved on the retail price, and don’t know which to choose, Storm Island will definitely give you the most bang for your buck.Overview The car featured on the game's box art: the 2015 Lamborghini Huracánįorza Horizon 2 is a open-world racing game developed by Playground (in conjunction with Turn 10 and Sumo Digital) and published by Microsoft for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on September 30, 2014. On top of the game’s purchase price (which I think has settled down to $39.99 at this point), it’s a costly ordeal to get the most out of Forza Horizon 2. I wish this had included either the “Car Pack” or maybe the “VIP” membership the Car Pack (something like 5 or 6 new cars a month for 6 months) is another $19.99, and the VIP package, which includes even more cars (and some other exclusive online functionality) is an additional $24.99. No sir, you’ll be leaving the P1 and MC12 in the garage for the excursion.īut all in all, Storm Island is a success, and a decent value for the price. I can’t exactly tear through the forest at 226 mph with my Venom or glide over bumpy trails in the Zonda. On the other hand, I do appreciate that it takes some time to focus on vehicles on the other side of the spectrum, I just wish I had some new ground on which to cut loose with the GT40 Mk II or the Agera. There’s not much room for racing these ultimate machines on the island’s terrain. I also wish it was better suited to some of the game’s larger purchases like the Veyron or Veneno. You’ll want to stock up on a few vehicles of this ilk for your time on the island. On the mainland, I’m generally able to compete with the Drivatar difficulty set to “Average,” though I found myself having to bump back to “New Racer” on the island and even then I struggled to place in the top 3 at times. Still, I wish the area was a little bigger to provide a little more variety. There aren’t any real downsides to Storm Island price-wise it’s a little staggering when it comes to DLC, but there’s more than enough content. The air is thick and wet, colors are muted and drab to reflect the overcast skies, and the fog looks great. I particularly love how an entirely different look is established. But for fans intent on completing the game or those obsessed with tearing through fields and dodging trees and spinning through mud, it’s the perfect addition. It’s still fundamentally Forza Horizon 2, so for casual fans, the $20 price tag might be a little steep. It’s a natural expansion that doesn’t take away or detract from the original while still establishing its own uniqueness. So how does it stack up? Storm Island is flawlessly integrated into the main game and the mechanics are identical. Fog, wind, and rain all add to the challenge.