Having said that though, the game is a significant improvement over it’s predecessors, with a decent amount more detail in the cars, and the damage model, and a fairly significant upgrade to all of the tracks and lighting effects. For those happy to concentrate on the racing, they will also probably be fine with the clean, crisp, uncluttered method that Forza takes.

 

 

Sound effects, are, as one would expect, fantastic. Engine notes sound different depending on which view you are in, or if you are looking at an angle, and with a surround sound system, really make a big difference to the experience. The developers claim that each engine has been recorded for the game, and whilst some do sound similar, the roar and burble of a V8 is clearly distinguishable from the whine of a turbo, or a tinpot 4 cylinder effort. I still think, that whilst less accurate, the engine noises from NFS Shift are more cinematic, and give the feeling of a track day more, but then again, you never get races full of Ford Fiestas in NFS either, and the attention to detail across the board is just staggering.

 

Music, however, is abysmal. Racing games often suffer from a poor soundtrack, but Forza is one of the worst. There only seem to be about 15 tracks or so, with a bizarre mix of dance music and indie rock. Most tracks don’t even seem like they’re from particularly big names either. Within a few hours I’d muted the lot and concentrated on the racing.

 

 

 

Multiplayer was always a strong suit for Forza 2, and it’s back and better than ever. The auction house has been improved and expanded- and you can now sell decals, liveries, and even tuning setups, as well as your vehicles.

 

The menu system has also been streamlined, providing a cleaner experience, and searching is faster too. Online play is even stronger thanks to the party system and also a Halo style matchmaking facility. Pre-release, I’m generally being put with a real mix of people, but this will no doubt improve with time. Most amazingly though, is that it works- finding a game is quick and simple- and even before you search, the game will tell you how populated each of the modes are, which is a nice feature.

 

Obviously you still get the odd chump online who thinks its bumper cars, but generally you’re in for a good time. For me though, the most significant improvement is in the form of the leaderboards, that now show what percentile you’re in. Do a laptime and it will be recorded, along with your car, and what aids were on. And you get compared against the rest of the world, spurring you on to greater and greater achievements.

 

 

"Forza Motorsport 3" is pretty much the complete package in terms of content. Anyone from a complete novice to an absolute pro will be able to pick up and play the game with ease, and then you can fiddle with the options to find the perfect difficulty, with no penalty for doing so. There’s also an awful lot of cars and tracks, and most of these can be further customised. It all looks and sound great as well, although in a more sterile way than some other recent racers.

 

However, the real differentiator is the fabulous online community and racing experience. If you like cars, you owe it to yourself to give Forza 3 a test drive.

 

 

 

 

 

+ Huge amount to see and do
+ Huge array of options
+ Online aspects

 

Our Rating for Forza Motorsport 3 Review
7.8	Story
8.9	Graphics
8.7	Sound
9.0	Multiplayer
9.5	Gameplay
9.7	Value
9.5	Overall