Feature: Six Things We Want To See From Forza Horizon 6 And Its Japan Setting
By Forza Horizon 6 is indeed happening, and the series is finally making its way to Japan after numerous requests from fans for the Asian country to be included in the franchise. To be honest, we’ve been quite satisfied with most of Horizon’s chosen locales thus far, but Japan is rather thrilling, so we’re eager to journey East and enjoy the ride with our virtual friends next year.
Nonetheless, this week’s unveiling was quite sparse in specifics; that was a true teaser trailer, if we might add. With that said, we are left to ponder what the game could encompass, and it’s already inspired us to compile a little wishlist for Forza Horizon 6 and its Japanese backdrop. We figured we’d share that with you now and spark some conversation!
Here’s a glimpse of what we wish to see in Forza Horizon 6:
1. A Diverse Yet Authentic Japanese Map
So far, we’ve caught a
That being said, following Forza Horizon 5, we have some strong desires for the upcoming map. Horizon 5 attempted to incorporate variety, but something about it felt somewhat contrived – with vast gaps between its most captivating areas, the overall experience just didn’t flow well for us. Horizon 6 needs to blend diversity and authenticity with a thoughtfully designed map that’s interconnected in all the right ways – only then will the team have done justice to this much-anticipated location.
2. Authentic Verticality, Particularly In Tokyo City
With Tokyo City confirmed as the major urban location, Playground must excel in this segment of the map. Once again, the previous title in the series lacked a captivating urban environment, and we hope FH6 will revert to the quality of Edinburgh and Surfer’s Paradise from the last two installments. We desire winding city roads, packed highways, and a bustling metropolis that properly honors Tokyo.
Moreover, true verticality will be crucial. If the team can incorporate significant height into its map, we’re in for some exhilarating Tokyo City racing, which gets us excited just thinking about it. That verticality should also apply to the more pastoral parts of the map; elevation enhances the driving experience, and Japan has the ability to offer the series’ finest racing paths to date.
3. Revamp The Formula, Introduce Major New Event Types
On the topic of racing paths, how about introducing some major new events to utilize them? Forza Horizon has consistently aimed to tweak the formula with every sequel, but it feels like we’re ready for something distinctly new with the sixth installment. I was just conversing with a colleague earlier about Horizon 6 possibly including some dense-highway-traffic, Tokyo Xtreme Racer style events. Really immerse yourself in that Japan theme!
Drifting is probably going to be a significant focus given its cultural significance there as well, and overall, we just want to see Playground get inventive with some fresh event types. Naturally, they need to be enjoyable first and foremost, but we believe Horizon 5 played it a bit too safe in our viewpoint. Let’s inject some new energy into the Forza Horizon series next year!
4. More Fulfilling Progression
This aspect is always quite a balancing act for racing game developers, but we feel Forza Horizon might be a bit too liberal at times with its content and currency distribution. It’s great to experience some of the high-end vehicles early on, but there needs to be a reason for players to continue engaging and advancing through the main narrative. We believe the pace of progression could benefit from being slightly tempered in Horizon 6.
Alternatively, why not offer some options for that? Instead of broad difficulty settings (which FH usually assigns to AI difficulty anyway), how about presenting different configurations after completing the introduction that allow us to adjust progression speeds? You could even integrate it into character decisions where players choose like; ‘privileged kid’ who receives cars and money easily, or a seasoned street racer who must claw their way to the top, etc. Get inventive with it!
5. New-To-Horizon Vehicles That Reflect Japanese Car Culture
Japanese Kei Cars have already been confirmed for FH6, so we’re well on track with this fifth point – we just want the team to fully embrace Japan next year. Dive into niche territory like Gran Turismo does, include some wild custom street racers and drifting vehicles – as long as they are grounded in reality and embody the nation’s culture, we’re all in for as much uniqueness as achievable.
At this stage, the Forza series likely faces challenges in sourcing completely new cars that are not already present in previous installments, but Horizon 6 presents an excellent opportunity considering Japan’s rich automotive scene. We can’t conceive of a better locale to shake things up in this aspect!
6. Truly Enhance Visuals As A Current-Gen-Only Game
Lastly, we’re incredibly enthusiastic about the possibilities that a current-gen-only approach can offer. While the Forza Horizon series is already visually impressive, FH5 was optimized for base Xbox One consoles, which surely restrained the team in some respects.
Seasons are reportedly making a comeback, which introduced fantastic variety to Forza Horizon 4, and this along with a focus on contemporary technology should greatly enhance the graphics in Forza Horizon 6. Provide us with a super impressive graphics mode that goes all out, while also offering solid performance options for those who prioritize a smoother experience above all. We’re not worried about this aspect — we have faith that Playground will conquer the technical side — we simply want to see a significant improvement from the last cross-gen Horizon installment.
That’s just a portion of what we wish to witness! But what are your leading requests for Forza Horizon 6?
Share your thoughts with us below!