Games Inbox: Is Forza Horizon the best arcade racer franchise?

The Friday letters page asks why video games often have such late review embargoes, as a reader wonders where Warner Bros. went wrong with The Lord Of The Rings.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Class of its own
Great to see the positive reviews for Forza Horizon 6, although I hardly expected anything else. It’s easily Microsoft’s most consistent and popular series now, well ahead of where Halo and Gears Of War are nowadays.

The more important question for me is where it stands in terms of being the best arcade racer series. It’s a difficult question, because there basically aren’t any anymore, not since they shut down Need For Speed, so you can only compare it with games that are much older, which isn’t quite fair.

Neither is comparing it with old Sega games (although they’re all great) or Ridge Racer. For me the two big classics are Burnout (either 3 or Paradise) and Split/Second: Velocity but they’re old too and not open world, so the only thing you can say is there’s nothing else really like Forza Horizon. Microsoft should probably take that as an important lesson in generation.
Jimbo

Stopping while you’re ahead
I find it strange that Warner Bros. were onto a good thing with The Lord of the Rings with the Shadow Of Mordor games and then just stopped. We know eventually they shut down the developer but that took nearly a decade and in that time it all just got wasted.

Shadow Of Mordor might not have been the most authentic Tolkien game but at least it was good and that’s got to be the most important starting point, surely? I’m glad they didn’t make a MMO but how exactly you’d combine the epic scale of the books and the individual stories, for a proper game, I don’t know.

You can simulate the combat easy enough but not the storytelling, which I feel it’s a miracle the movies were ever able to adapt well and still have them be fun. I think a game would have to have strategy elements but maybe focus on different characters than the main story, which was also what Shadow Of Mordor was doing anyway.
Benjy Dog

Turtle power
Nice review of Forza Horizon 6. The score given that I expected it would get. I’m just hoping it’s different enough from the last game, but the Japan setting has caused me to pre-order it anyway. I’m hoping the cars aren’t just a rehash from the last couple of games, Forza Horizon edition of the same old cars. That’s the only problem I have with the series and the cheesy avatars and annoying voice-acting but they aren’t dealbreakers at all. I’ve been hoping they might throw some Skoda rallying cars into the mix but it’s probably wishful thinking.

I bought that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, Splintered Fate, after you published how cheap it was. I went in for a penny in for a pound with it and bought its DLC as well. It’s a nice little Hades clone, if quite basic in comparison, but the characters are all different enough to keep trying more runs.

I do like the Turtles though, so it’s been fun playing it, although rather buggy. On first downloading it, it wouldn’t start so I had to reload it twice before it did. Then yesterday, I couldn’t choose room upgrades, the game went on the blink, and I had to reset it. Minus that, it’s been a good little game to play on and off especially for the price and I’ll keep going with it.
Nick The Greek

GC: We did consider an 8 for Forza, as it doesn’t really do anything new, but it’s just too much fun.

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The sound of Doom
I’m going to be honest, I didn’t even realise Minecraft had any music, and I’ve watched my kid play it a lot, but whatever. Super Mario Bros. definitely deserves to be in a list of the best ever tunes and, while it wouldn’t be the first thing to come to my mind, so does Doom.

As soon as I hear At Doom’s Gate it transports me straight back to the early 90s. I assume it’s probably in the newer games but I don’t remember it, which is a shame. I do like the newer games but there’s been something slightly off about all of them, I feel. I think they’re a bit too open world, as once you get in a fight they’re amazing but the exploration and story and everything is very meh, in my opinion.
Barkley

Next generation remake
So, this new version of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. Anything concrete as to whether it’s going to be a remaster or a remake? Switch 1? Switch 2? Both?

The original N64 version was/is a masterpiece. Best game ever, best year in gaming ever. Just sayin’.
Paul C.
PS: Good review for Forza Horizon 6, though I would have been mightily surprised with a score of anything less than 9. Should get 500+ hours out of this game.

GC: Ocarina Of Time is just a rumour. The suggestion is that it’s a remake and a big title like that is going to be Switch 2 only. Rhythm Paradise Groove in July is almost certainly going to end up as Nintendo’s last game for the Switch 1.

Embargo scheduling
Great Forza Horizon 6 review. It’s one my most anticipated games of the year and I’ll give it a try on my Legion Go via Game Pass before it runs out later in the year. If it’s a bit too demanding for a portable device I’ll wait till the PlayStation 5 version.

However, whilst I appreciate the review I just can’t understand the embargo. The game comes out less than 24 hours after reviews for those who upgraded to the premium edition. In some cases there’s people already playing the game who are able to give their opinions before reviewers.

I’d understand if the game wasn’t very good but judging by both your review and Metacritic it’s a massive success. Why wouldn’t Microsoft want to use positive reviews as a way to promote the game ahead of release? Also, as a racing game it’s not like reviews are giving away any critical plot points of the game.

It’s not just Forza either. I just can’t fathom that when developers and publishers have made what they are fairly certain is a really good game that wouldn’t want reviews to go out a week before release to promote the game and build hype.
matc7884

GC: The standard version of the game isn’t out till Tuesday and Microsoft wouldn’t have anticipated people getting copies before the premium edition. Also, having a review too early can run the risk that people forget about the game by the time it’s actually out, which is certainly a consideration for lower profile titles.

Zero respect
Considering Rockstar got fined for paying below minimum wage only a few weeks ago, I’d say even £40 is too much to be paying for GTA 6.

If a company that is making $1 million a day in revenue can’t be decent enough to pay all its staff a fair and decent wage it deserves the same amount of respect it gives its low paid workers.
Anon

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Like what I like
Really good point in your Mixtape article, about the poor opinion some have of non-games feeding into the Mixtape bashing.

I’ve seen quite a few sarcastic quotation marks put around the word game, when discussing Mixtape. I’ll grab one from the comments section from your article. ‘Suspicious article. I had already forgotten about this ‘game’.’

I think the debate as to whether a non-game, narrative game or visual novel should ever receive a 10 is fine. My opinion is yes, they are as valid as any other game.

What’s happening with Mixtape though is not honest questioning of what deserves a 10/10. Which is a time honoured discussion.

It’s some saying I don’t believe a non-game should ever get a 10 and when one has and reviewed very well it’s very suspicious and must be because of the score being bought or maybe politically motivated.

Maybe it was, but don’t conflate the two. Asking if a non-game deserves a 10 is perfectly fine. Accusing a review of being bought because you think a non-game shouldn’t get a 10 is a serious accusation.

The former conversation is not being shut down, as some have suggested, by the latter receiving serious and needed redress.
Simundo

GC: Non-games are just an easy target, some people are simply angry that someone likes something they don’t, especially if it’s gained critical acclaim.

Inbox also-rans
Anyone wanting to avoid paying £110 for the premium edition of Forza Horizon 6 can pick up a code here for just £72.99. That’s only £13 more than standard edition and the Xbox Store. I couldn’t resist at that price.
Charlie H

If you’re spending the equivalent of Switch 2 on a plush Donkey Kong that doesn’t even look that good then I don’t know what to say, except… can you lend me 400 quid?
Bosley

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