Gamescom 2023: Impressions from the Forza Motorsport presentation

Gamescom allows gamers and journalists to try out countless upcoming titles. However, some developers and publishers present their games in the form of manual demos. In practice, this works by having invited guests sit down on the show floor or in a closed business section of one of the created halls, where the developers then present their title. In some cases, this may be a pre-recorded demo, with only the studio representatives present to provide commentary. In other cases, it may be an exclusive gameplay experience, where the developers play the game right in front of you.

For the demonstration, the authors chose the category of German super sedans.

This is how Microsoft showed off the upcoming new installment of the racing series Forza Motorsport right on the exhibition floor. The studio representatives seated us in a small room for about 20 visitors, which, in addition to the game’s logo, was dominated by a large screen. After a short welcome, the representatives of the Turn 10 studio moved on to the actual demonstration of the gameplay. Since Gamescom is taking place in Cologne, Germany, the authors chose the so-called German super sedans category for the demonstration, which includes such models as Audi, BMW and Mercedes. The developer, who took responsibility for the gamepad, immediately chose the BMW M5, and then moved on to choosing the layout. Here we ventured beyond Germany and found ourselves in the sun-drenched Italian Mugello.

At first glance, it was not a specific race. The developers wanted to show a traditional three-lap race during the day and in good weather. In short, this is the type of race that you complete in the multiplayer career mode in the sky. Even before the race began, the authors drew attention to one interesting new feature. Before the start of each race, you will be able to go through a free training session, where you can get a feel for a specific car and track. The developers quickly skipped this part for reasons of saving time. Next came the explanation of another new mechanic in the form of choosing a starting position. If you are not particularly confident before the race, you can safely start from the front of the starting grid. However, in this case, you will receive a smaller reward for the race. On the other hand, if you choose positions at the end of the grid, in addition to more intense battles with other racers, you will receive a significantly larger supply of money and experience points.

After this part, the race finally started, which, among other things, fully showed what the new Forza really looks like. I won’t bore you for long and will simply say that it looks great. I could start with the detailed models of individual cars, continue with the environments of individual tracks and finish with complex lighting and reflections that can reflect the surrounding objects from the bodies of individual cars in great detail. Although complex reflections and car models can be taken for granted, it is the handling of the environment that reveals one of the differences from the competitors. This is because it is one of the weakest links of the competitor Gran Turismo 7 and the games of the Milestone studio. In the new Forza Motorsport, you really feel that the race track is not just an empty place where 20 cars compete. In addition to more detailed objects around the track, the main impression is made by the large crowds of spectators in the stands.

While it was clear that a lot could be learned from a single three-lap race, there was one important feature. The developers had already emphasized the reworked behavior of the artificial intelligence in various official materials. However, such statements before the release are not exclusive and do not automatically mean that there will be truly significant changes, which has been confirmed by a number of games in the past. However, in the case of the new Forza, it became clear after the first round that the computer-controlled opponents are definitely not just riding in a “train one after another”, but are engaged in intense battles with each other and with you, resulting in contacts and exits from the track. At some points, it even seemed that real players were competing with each other.

In addition, the developers noted that the behavior of artificial intelligence will gradually develop thanks to machine learning. However, the authors consistently oppose rubber bandages and other elements of artificial influence on the race. During the presentation of the new Forzy Motorsport, the high production figures, budget, experience and good technical base of the Turn 10 studio were obvious. It is already clear that the competitor of Gran Turismo 7 is waiting for its first serious opponent. But Forza Motorsport has a clear advantage over Gran Turismo: it is not focused on the previous generation of consoles. Forza Motorsport will be released on October 10 on PC (Steam) and Xbox Series X / S.