I’m obsessed with Forza Horizon 6, and have barely done any racing

Over the past week, I’ve spent every evening relaxing by driving fast through the Japanese countryside, listening to Babymetal’s music as I tour the sights. Forza Horizon 6 Ostensibly it is a racing game, where you play as an up-and-coming driver determined to make a name for himself. But, like the rest of the series, it’s also open world, where you can spend as much – or in my case, a lot more – time exploring as you do racing. This is the element that has been greatly improved Horizon 6. It’s a combination of structure and setting: the fairy tale of Japan is not just the largest map in the world Horizon It’s incredibly diverse, and the game lets you approach it however you want. Horizon 6 Stretching from the glowing streets of Tokyo to the icy roads at the base of Mount Fuji, I won’t stop until I’ve finished every one of them.

The stated goal Horizon 6as with its predecessors, is to move up through the ranks in the Horizon Festival, an unbroken series of driving events spread across a single geographic region, in this case all of Japan. This can include everything from drag racing to dirt tracks to performing stunts from cliffs placed precariously on the edge of a cliff. When you compete, you earn points, which will attract bracelets for you which in turn unlock more events where you can earn more points. It’s a relatively open structure, allowing you to focus mostly on the competitions you enjoy or are good at and avoid the rest.

Or, if you’re like me, avoid them all for the most part.

Based on how I play Horizon 6All racing and progress is a means to an end, and that end is driving cool cars all over Japan. And you don’t really have to spend all that time competing at Horizon Festival events to do this. Part of this is because almost the entire map is open to you from the start. Once I finished the game’s opening cutscene, I went ahead and drove wherever I wanted; Aside from one fenced-off area that I assume represents some late-game race, I’ve yet to find anywhere I haven’t been able to go.

Horizon 6 This type of exploration is encouraged. There are two progression paths in the game: one involving the Horizon Festival events, and the other called “Discover Japan,” which sounds like a tourist slogan and is also a kind of slogan. Here you gain experience not by winning races or setting the best times, but by looking for almost everything. You can get XP for crossing new roads, finding and smashing special characters (don’t worry, they’re statues), and doing various side quests that mostly boil down to going on a road trip with virtual friends. In one story, you help a photographer capture stunning shots for magazine covers; In another game, you experience different mechanics by driving through difficult terrain that you might otherwise ignore.

My favorite set of missions involved finding a bunch of hidden cars based solely on pictures. You’re given a snapshot of a rare Porsche or BMW, which shows that it’s next to a certain convenience store or within sight of a certain bridge, and if you can find it, it’s all yours. These missions reminded me a lot of a similar path in one of my favorite open world games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildimmerses me in the world by avoiding map markers and forcing me to rely on my eyes. What all of these quests and objectives have in common is that they not only encourage you to explore, they reward you for doing so. It gives you a sense of progress and accomplishment, even if you’re mostly taking pictures of vending machines.

Of course, all of this would be moot then Horizon 6 It wasn’t actually fun to play, which thankfully it was. The game balances realism and accessibility, resulting in a driving experience that can be indulgent and exciting at times, but still requires skill and understanding of vehicles to compete at a high level. Most importantly, the new site rules completely. The setting of an open-world game is always the most important aspect of the experience, and that’s certainly true Horizon 6Japan delivery.

This is a version of the country video game, condensed and redesigned for vehicular exploration only. It can be a little weird sometimes; Driving through Shibuya Crossing, the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, feels strange when there isn’t any actual pedestrian crossing. But mostly, Horizon 6“Japan” captures the country’s sentiments, even if it’s not an accurate translation of them. That means you still get those special moments – driving through rain-soaked streets at night with the bright lights of Tokyo fading behind you – but in a package that feels manageable, despite its large size. The map is also filled with little secrets and collectibles that encourage you to go off the beaten path just for fun. And the radio stations, as in the other games, are great, really adding to the road trip experience. My advice is to turn down the car noises and turn up the music volume.

All that said, while I haven’t participated in racing often, I can confirm that there are reasons to participate, even if you prefer the exploratory aspect of the game. The first is that you get some really cool cars by winning big races. But also, many of the big races have an amazingly cinematic atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re rushing through a series of set pieces in a game Fast and furious film; There are huge jumps, moving terrain and obstacles, and at one point – I’m not kidding – a race against a giant mech.

Best thing about Horizon 6 Is that you can pick and choose which method you want to try. You’re not limited to either path; You can do whatever is most interesting to you, whether it’s competition or exploration, and follow that theme to new and interesting places. I’m sure for a lot of people this means the fastest cars and lots of first place prizes. I? I’m content driving a refurbished Nissan truck through winding forest roads, with Rise Against providing the soundtrack to my destructive path.

_{Forza Horizon 6 It will be released on Xbox and PC on May 19. The PS5 version is scheduled for release later in 2026.}