Review: Forza 2 Motorsport (360)

As good as this game is, it's tough to recommend it to everyone. It makes little attempt to broaden its appeal outside of simulation fans; but as far as they are concerned, we couldn't recommend it more.

For petrol heads, Forza Motorsport 2 is like a wet dream. No other game cherishes cars like this one. Tuning and customisation could take up more time than actual racing as you try to craft your ultimate dream machine. Customisation is the key word in describing Forza 2; it's not just one of the highlights of the game, but also how it aims to top Gran Turismo.

Before Gamestyle even ventured onto the track, the first thing we did in the career was look at ways to paint our car. You're given a large number of decals that can be placed anywhere and it's simple enough to just take a lightning bolt and put it on the car's hood. The real challenge is manipulating these to create other shapes and characters. A look in the Auction House (where you can buy or sell your designs to other online users) just shows you what can be made if you have the time, skill and patience. A quick glance revealed superb Dragonball Z, Pirates of the Caribbean and Alien pictures - it's enough to make you extremely envious. Creating a car's design can really suck you in for hours, determined to make something similarly breathtaking. It's as much a skill as actually racing.

When we had finished our (admittedly rubbish) design, it was time to race. In the career, only a few races are initially open to you, but more become available as you 'level up'. Cars, too, can level up, which makes upgrades from the same manufacturer cheaper to buy. It's a steady system of progression and learning. Tuning is crucial if you hope to get the best performance out of your car and win the later races. Racing is serious business, and those who do take it that seriously will have a wealth of options and telemetry to pore over. Pressing the d-pad shows you all sorts of information about your car as you drive around the track. The tracks in Forza 2 are mostly based on real life courses, but they are something of a letdown, lacking the imagination found in Project Gotham Racing 3; the race that is mostly based on a PGR3-style track (New York City) is terrible.

Aside from custom paint jobs, Forza 2 trumps Gran Turismo in terms of damage (i.e. it actually features it). Grind against a wall or opponent and a scratch will appear down the side of your car. Crash bumper first into a wall and not only will your bumper likely fly off, but it'll affect your car's handling and speed. Have too many accidents and, by the end of the race, there is a chance that you won't be able to get out of first gear, making even the slightest hill a difficult challenge. Pieces that fly off your car will also stay on the track, which could cause quite a few crashes if they get caught under your wheels. The damage model is impressive, but doesn't quite take the crown away from Colin McRae: DiRT and unlike in that game the cars are unable to flip over even after being hit side on at 150mph. While this would obviously end your race it seems to be an oversight in a genre that obviously prides itself on being like the real thing.

The real fun of Forza can be found racing against real people. The AI in the main career is good, but it's clear that you're not playing against human opponents. They stick to the racing line like glue and never make any mistakes unless you force them too with some dirty driving. Rather than a side attraction, the online play is integrated into the career mode with credits earned online going towards your money in the career. Many hours of fun can be found racing friends, and the online menu system is far better than the one used in the original Forza. This may even be good enough to dethrone Gamestyle's current favourite racer, PGR3. Though comparing the two would be impossible with one gracefully performing a balancing act between arcade and simulation, and Forza swaying heavily towards the latter. There really is room in everyone's collection for both.

As good as this game is, it's tough to recommend it to everyone. It makes little attempt to broaden its appeal outside of simulation fans; but as far as they are concerned, we couldn't recommend it more. Managing to steal the crown from Gran Turismo is no easy feat, and the next game in that seminal series will have to pull off something special to recapture the limelight.

Rating: 9 / 10

Words by Adam Gulliver