Forza 3

Really excited for this.

Forza for me is that nice midpoint between arcade and sim, where it's full of cars to collect, but you can tailor the experience down to where you don't have to worry about tuning or gear ratios.

This makes me wish my 360 worked.

It's not quite as hot to look at as GT - but then it's not as frustrating to play either. I'm pretty sure this thing's got the ability to shift consoles by itself.

Yeah, it may not be quite the looker that Gran Turismo 5 is sure to be, but I had more fun with Forza 2 than any of the Gran Turismo games.

GT is an odd beast though, it's quite possibly the definitive driving simulation it claims to be - but it's not anywhere near the most fun driving experience.

It's more about the curious blend of RPG elements in amassing and unlocking all these little upgrades and parts, tuning and tinkering - than it is about racing half the time.

I do love GT, but it's nice to see the competition showing them how things can be done in a simulation and still be an enjoyable game.

I tried to get into Forza 2 recently but just couldn't muster the interest. The last Gran Turismo I played was GT2 on my PS1 though so I'm probably just out of practice.

What turned me off on Gran Turismo was stuff like license tests and all the requirements you have to go through before you can even race. With Forza, it was all about just collecting cars, upgrading and tuning them (should you feel inclined) and racing them. I never felt stuck, or like the game was dictating my progress to me.

The career mode from GT has always been more for the OCD progression crowd. Slowly ranking themselves up and passing the licenses as a "test of skill". It's not the jump-in-and-play style Forza adopted and I think both games are the better for it.

The PSP GT hasn't got a career mode like the main game and most people find it turning them off.

I like career modes where you progress through races, unlock new vehicles and tracks, etcetera. I don't like being made to do the equivalent of busywork in order to progress, though.

It's why I think Forza's onto a great balance of not making it "The Ultimate Driving Simulation" but still providing a heavy level of attention where it matters.

That's a perfectly valid reason to find GT's structure frustrating - but it's what makes it so definitive. To be considered The Driving Game's unfortunately going to need to appeal to the most OCD gamers.

Yeah, don't get me wrong. For what it is, Gran Turismo is great. I just don't think what it is is very fun or something I'm interested in. Forza, like I said, is that balance that I like, where it's half-sim, half-arcade, and full of fancy cars.

9.2 from GameTrailers

Duh-rool.

"A FULL 10" from Gamesradar

10/10 from Destructoid

9/10 from Eurogamer

wantwantwantwantwant

So did anybody else end up getting this? It really is the real deal, as far as driving games are concerned. Polyphony can probably make a better looking game with more content, but I doubt they can make one that plays as well as this (and this game is no slouch in either content or graphics).

Initially, I was kind of annoyed by the infinite rewind feature, but as I've played more, I see the point of it, and why it's actually kind of brilliant. It encourages you to take more risks when you get those do-overs. For a mid-level player like me, it's pretty amazing that thanks to that rewind feature, I'm now driving with almost all of the assists off (next up is switching to manual shifting) and using the rewind less and less, because it's actually helped me get better at the game.

The season play setup also feels much more organic and rewarding than Forza 2's "Here's a bunch of events that are locked, get to driving" career mode. You're always given a race that suits the car you're in currently, so if you're really enjoying a particular car, the game never really forces you to switch. It just gently suggests additional circuits and races based on what's in your garage, and what races you've completed already. It encourages you to try new things, rather than forcing you down a preset corridor of progression.

Simply put, this is the most accessible, and probably the most outright fun driving game I've ever played.

I want it, badly, but it's just not that high on my must haves. I put it on my Amazon wishlist and will hope it shows on Christmas morning.

Yeah, I think it's kind of a tough sell in this quarter and the beginning of next year, but it's really, really great. If you like cars and driving at all, it's a no-brainer.