Forza Horizon 5 PS5 Review - New Location, Same Thrills
I really enjoyed my admittedly limited time spent playing Forza Horizon 5 when it launched on Xbox Series in November of 2021. I’ve never really been much of a racing fan, but Horizon scratches an itch that few racing games have ever achieved with me. Horizon 5 managed to thread the needle perfectly of providing players with exhilarating speed and action, arcadey fun, and the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want, and play your way. I adored that, but with the game being on Xbox, a platform that I am admittedly, less invested in, I found myself moving on quicker than I probably would have otherwise. Now, Forza Horizon 5 has come to PS5, and I’m behind the wheel and more in love with it than ever before.
Turn 10 has turned to Panic Button to bring the game to this new platform, and players who jump in on PlayStation for the first time will have access to not just the base game, but the expansion content via the Premium Edition which includes the Hot Wheels expansion, Rally Adventure, Live as well as the new Horizon Realms content. It’s an overwhelming amount to dive into with showcase events, rallys, tour races, and much more to explore, and then the expansion content gets layered atop it. Hundreds of hours of content is here straight out the box, and if your determination is steeled enough, you’ll be chasing down three stars on every challenge, chasing every accolade possible to unlock new cars, credits, skill points, and more. The most exciting part, like any well-designed open-world title is the fact that you can turn, drive in one direction, and take on any challenge that comes your way, discover new roads, go off-road, and bush bash.
While there is typical online functionality present, and plenty of ghost data for players to compete against, the subtle reminders of where your friends are at in the experience serves as a constantly enticing incentive to keep playing more. The excitement as you hit a new road and inch a bit closer to having explored the world more than a friend, getting another to overtake them, only for the game to then show the next person on the ladder for you to chase is a smartly designed system that keeps the carrot dangled in front of you, eager to keep going. The same applies for races where a friend’s drivatar teases you as you aim to better your personal best completion time. If you’re a competitive soul, Forza Horizon 5 absolutely has you covered.
Of course, the Horizon games are well known for being technical showstoppers, and Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation continues that trend. This is one of the finest-looking games that I’ve ever seen, from the gorgeous and diverse environments, where players glide past stunning beachside vistas, fly like the wind across freeways, and spin their tyres through beautiful, crisp sand dunes, every corner of the world feels as though it has been painstakingly designed to seamlessly connect one beautiful location to another, always providing the players with something aweinspiring to look at. Like the cars themselves, performance is no concern, with the game running at either 60FPS in performance mode and 30FPS in quality mode on a base PS5, while the PS5 Pro achieves both the improved graphics, and 60FPS simultaneously, and also provides players with ray traced car reflections. The game also utlises the adaptive triggers of the Dualsense to heighten the feeling of being behind the wheel of these four-wheeled powerhouses.
The already exhausting amount of content present in the Forza Horizon 5 for PS5 is only going to grow further by launch day with the arrival of Horizon Realms, and so players who’ve anxiously had to look on as Xbox fans have enjoyed the game for four years are now about to dine out on one the finest racing games of all time. Start those engines and see all the sights of Forza Horizon 5 – you will not be disappointed.
Forza Horizon 5 was reviewed on PS5 with a code kindly provided by Xbox Australia.
