FORZA 7 STANDARD VS ULTIMATE SERIES

Suzuka-one of the oldest circuits in video games, dating back to Pole Position II-has never looked as good as when it's accentuated by the sun as it breaks through clouds during an early morning race. Road Atlanta on an overcast day can exude the secluded quaintness of a course in the U.K. Yet whereas Forza 6 had a premade rain condition for select tracks, Forza 7 has an impressive 16 variations of inclimate weather like thunderclouds and summer drizzle. The last couple Forza Motorsports, along with Forza 7, are engrossing due to their true-to-life tracks and how surrounding environments are enhanced by changes in weather and time of day. These moments are made all the more rewarding thanks to the 122 finely detailed and authentic track configurations spread across its 32 locations. The challenge of weaving a Mini Cooper through traffic at 45 miles per hour can be as thrilling as navigating your way through the various slopes and dips in Dubai Circuit of the Emirates.

FORZA 7 STANDARD VS ULTIMATE SERIES

Like many Forza Motorsports before it, Forza 7's greatest strength is its diversity of driving experiences, which says something for a series that relies mostly on circuit races, rather than adding point-to-point and off-road competition. The same goes for Forzathon and Leagues modes, unique timed events that enhance the replay value of Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Horizon 3. Unfortunately, the traditional Forza outlets of aggression like zombie or tag are not available in the launch version of Forza 7. For the least chaotic approach to measuring and comparing greatness, Rivals presents a host of tough yet worthwhile asynchronous contests where you attempt to beat other players' lap times. The alternative is, of course, participating in a private race, provided you can convince other friends and Forza players-ideally enough to fill a 24-car grid-to play fair and do their best at avoiding crashes. Your best hope of winning is placing near the front of the starting grid. Online you'll find, more often than not, disorderly strangers who are as impolite as they are careless. The friends-as-AI Drivatars return as a pleasing alternative to age-old CPU racing behaviors like rubber banding. And while the recent withdrawal of Lexus and Toyota production models from racing games leaves a void in this robust roster, Turn 10 helps cushion the blow with a hearty selection of Porsches, a manufacturer that was missing from the launch version of Forza 6.Д¬ompetition takes many forms in Forza 7. As always, the draw of browsing the hundreds of cars in Forza is the tease of purchasing a new model like the 2017 Nissan GT-R or scratching that nostalgic itch with a Pacer X from the now-defunct American Motors Corporation. There's no clear theme to distinguish one series over another, but it's easy to go along with Turn 10's seemingly arbitrary playlists of tournaments, given the wide variety of cars and courses lining your journey.Д®ven after you've raised the final trophy in the Forza Driver's Cup, the quest to build a respectable collection of cars goes on. You can spend a dozen hours beelining for the cup, or more than double that if you want to get first in every race. That said, the opening races effectively remind you of Forza 7's vehicle variety, encouraging you to play outside your comfort zone. Since you don't need to enter all the races to win the cup, you're offered the flexibility to compete with the types of cars you're most used to. The career mode alone-dubbed Forza Driver's Cup-encourages you to get down to business in a wide array of competitions spread across six championship series. This break from the ceremonious aspects of motorsport is a welcome one, especially when all you want to do is race. Forza 7 relies less on wooing you with superficial spectacles and instead lets the cars and courses speak for themselves. Granted, I loved the dulcet voice over of Jeremy Clarkson when he dispensed with insight and trivia on cars and courses. The first thing you'll notice about Forza 7 is that it strips away the often amusing glorification and ostentatiousness of motorsport that decorated the series' last few games. And whether you're preoccupied with a pack of assertive Drivatars or fiercer real-life competitors, Forza 7-much like the other installments in developer Turn 10's mainline racing series-is decidedly abundant in different ways to compete. There's exhilaration in taking those sweet rides down roads you've visited countless times and still finding something new around familiar bends. It's about owning sporty cars priced just out of reach in real life, whether that's a Mazda RX-8 or an Infinity Q60. In Forza Motorsport 7, the familiarity of driving your favorite cars on beloved tracks goes hand in hand with the joys of discovery.

Forza 7 standard vs ultimate