| Forza Motorsport 5 | |
| |
| Developer(s) | Turn 10 Studios |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Studios |
| Series | Forza Motorsport |
| Release Date(s) | November 22, 2013 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Xbox One |
| Predecessor | Forza Motorsport 4 |
| Successor | Forza Motorsport 6 |
Forza Motorsport 5 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox One. The game was released on November 22, 2013 as a launch title for the new console. The game was revealed on May 21, 2013 during the Xbox One reveal event. It features Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond from Top Gear for the game's commentary when choosing a new event, championship, or league. It is the fifth Forza Motorsport game and sixth overall installment in the Forza series.
Gameplay[]
The game ships with 200 cars from over 50 manufacturers and 17 circuits including Spa, Bathurst, Yas Marina, and Circuit de la Sarthe. There will be monthly car packs including 10 cars each available to buy as downloadable content (DLC) for the first 8 months after the game's launch. The possibility of tracks, such as Nürburgring, being available to purchase as DLC after the game's launch was considered, but instead Turn 10 Studios has released new tracks as free content for users, including Road America in February 2014, Long Beach in April 2014 and the Nürburgring in June 2014.
On September 4, 2013, Bathurst was confirmed. On September 26, Silverstone Circuit and the fictional Swiss Alps racetrack were confirmed to be carried over from Forza Motorsport 4.
A pre-E3 teaser video was released featuring in game footage featuring races with cars such as the Ferrari F12 berlinetta and Pagani Huayra.
At E3 2013, first-hand gameplay, new features, and cars in "Forza Vista" mode were shown. Also at the event, it was revealed that for the first time in the game's history there would be open-wheel cars including the Dallara DW12 IndyCar and Formula One cars, including the McLaren M23 driven by James Hunt and the Ferrari 312T2 driven by Niki Lauda in the 1976 Formula One season. The Lotus E21 driven by Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean in the 2013 Formula One Season was also revealed on November 5.[3]
On December 9, 2013 it was revealed the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 will have a livery based on Halo: Spartan Assault.
Soundtrack[]
In contrast to its predecessors, Forza Motorsport 5 contains no licensed songs from popular artists that play while racing, instead substituting them for the original score by Lance Hayes and John Broomhall. Also, in contrast with Forza Motorsport 4 and Forza Motorsport 3, the score features an emphasis on orchestration and percussion, in addition to the ambient electronica sound established in previous entries. The soundtrack was released alongside the game itself on November 22, 2013, exclusively as a digital download.
Reception[]
Forza Motorsport 5 has received generally positive reviews, with aggregate review websites GameRankings and Metacritic giving a score of 79.49% and 79 out of 100, respectively. Shaun McInnis of GameSpot said the game was "built on the romantic thrill of motorsport in all its forms, and that love for its subject matter is all but impossible to resist." Luke Reilly of IGN called it "an essential destination for the automobile obsessed" and "a very hard game for a revhead like myself not to love." In his review for Polygon, Arthur Gies praised the game's "aggressive, convincing AI", saying it made "every offline race feel like a multiplayer competition". Gies went on to say that "Turn 10 has charted a course for the future of the series — and created the Xbox One's first must-own game".
However, a number of critics complained about the relative lack of content versus its predecessor, Forza Motorsport 4. Edge noted that the game "has lost some 300 cars, over 20 locations and countless tracks", losing "the variety of racing that made it great" and that it was "a launch game with all the spectacle and disappointment we’ve come to expect from launch games". Matthew Kato of Game Informer called the game's revised career mode "a mistake" and that Forza Motorsport 5 "takes a big step forward only to be held back by what it has removed". Writing for EGM, Ray Carsillo said that while the game "maintains the tradition of providing great control along with some stunningly realistic graphics", ultimately it was "a surprising step backward for the Forza franchise".[15]
On February 18, 2014 Microsoft announced that Forza Motorsport 5 is the fastest-selling racing game in Xbox history. More than one third of Xbox One owners have bought the game. Eurogamer estimated the sales to be around 1.3 million copies.
On June 16, 2014 Forza Creative Director Dan Greenawalt announced that half of all Xbox One owners have played the full version of Forza Motorsport 5.