The new Xbox era needs games like Forza Horizon 6

Open world racing game Launches next monthbut I recently had the opportunity to play a preview copy to get a feel for what to expect. Even with just a simple taste of the experience, I came away impressed. Key shift with Horizon 6 The setting is: It takes place in Japan, and The map is very huge. Most importantly, they are incredibly diverse. One second, you’re hurtling through the skyscrapers of Tokyo, and the next you’re racing along small roads in the countryside. I felt like if I took off for a few minutes in any direction, I would find a whole new landscape. This encouraged me to take side roads and head into the wilderness just to see what I would find.

As with the previous one Horizon The games there are light story; In this case, you’re a budding racer trying to work your way into the Horizon Festival. You can do this by completing events, such as head-to-head races on rain-soaked city streets and off-road courses on beautiful beaches. Sometimes you have to drift your way down a winding bridge. I spent some time doing this, of course, because that’s how you progress in these racers. But as is the case in the best open-world games, I kept finding myself distracted. The basic act of driving in Forza Horizon 6 It’s still incredibly fun, and when you couple it with the diverse and sprawling map, it’s easy to waste hours exploring.

Obviously there’s a lot of game I haven’t seen. I’ve only driven a handful of cars, mostly Toyota Celicas, and the real test of a world like this is whether it’ll still be interesting after dozens of hours of play. That’s not something I can say is true Horizon 6 yet. But the fact that this is shaping up to be another excellent entry to the series isn’t really surprising. While many big franchises have struggled under the Microsoft umbrella, either through disappointing entries or long gaps between releases, Forza Horizon It has steadily turned into a more consistent Xbox Series. Forza The releases alternate between more simulation-focused versions Motorsport Games and arcades LLC Horizon Versions, and Horizon Games in particular always deliver.

But so far, Forza Horizon She remained strong and consistent. It even became the best-selling series on PlayStation. Although the timing may be purely coincidental, it is the truth Forza Horizon 6 Launched as the first major release since the Xbox leadership revolution, it is positioned to represent this new era for the brand. From what I’ve played, it’s a good indication of what Xbox could be.

No matter what happens with Next Xbox console Or the company’s inconsistent cross-platform efforts, the Xbox brand needs big names attached to it. Asha Sharma, the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, said the same thing when she first took over from Phil Spencer. “We have to have great games that players love before we do anything.” I wrote in a note. There are few better places to start than somewhere new Forza Horizon.