Forza Horizon 2

Last updated

Forza Horizon 2
Forza Horizon 2 Cover Art.png
Standard cover art featuring the Lamborghini Huracán
Developer(s) Playground Games [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Microsoft Studios
Director(s) Ralph Fulton
Producer(s) Adam Askew
Designer(s)
  • Martin Connor
  • Lee Niven
Programmer(s) Alan Roberts
Artist(s) Benjamin Penrose
Series Forza
Platform(s)
Release
  • NA: 30 September 2014 [1]
  • AU: 2 October 2014
  • EU: 3 October 2014
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Forza Horizon 2 is a 2014 racing video game developed for Microsoft's Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles. It is the sequel to 2012's Forza Horizon , the seventh instalment in the Forza series, and the series' first multi-console instalment. The Xbox One version of the game was developed by Playground Games, the team behind the original Forza Horizon, while Sumo Digital developed the version for Xbox 360, with Forza series developer Turn 10 Studios supporting both builds. The Xbox 360 version is also the final Forza game released for the platform. The game received positive reviews from critics and a sequel, Forza Horizon 3 , was released on 27 September 2016.

Contents

The game was delisted from sale on 1 October 2018, following the expiration of its car branding licenses. The game's online servers, along with those for Forza Horizon, were shut down on 22 August 2023.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Forza Horizon 2. Here, a player is driving the Lamborghini Veneno to a destination. Forza horizon 2 gameplay.jpg
Gameplay in Forza Horizon 2. Here, a player is driving the Lamborghini Veneno to a destination.

Forza Horizon 2 is a racing video game, featuring an open world environment. [2] The player participates in the Horizon Festival, a fictional racing competition set within Southern France and Northern Italy. [3] The game has approximately three times more drivable area than that of its predecessor Forza Horizon, with events set in Provence, Liguria and Côte d'Azur (Nice) along with scaled down towns of Sisteron and Saint-Martin-du-Var. There is a small part of the map that includes parts of the Amalfi Coast and a fictional town called Castelletto which consists of features from the town of Amalfi. There is also some small features in the map like the golf course, the docks (which are only accessible in the Xbox One version of the game) and aerodrome. Players can explore the expansive map, taking part in races and special events in order to advance through the game. Events can take place at day or night, and a dynamic weather system was added for the first time in a Forza-series game. [4]

Among new features in the game are "Bucket Lists", three groups of timed challenges for the player to complete, similar to the 1000 Club in Forza Horizon. They can be completed in solo or co-op mode (when a player goes to the online version of the map, they can be completed with a random person or invited friend). These challenges are continuously updated to provide new challenges throughout the map. Car Meets are an online mode where players can meet up online and compare their cars, similar to "Forzavista" mode in Forza Motorsport 5 . Players are also able to interact with each other in Car Meets, including sharing tuning setups and liveries. In the online version of the game, races such as circuits, sprints, and cross country are playable against other players, along with other game types such as Infected and King. [5]

The standalone expansion of the game based on The Fast and the Furious franchise, Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, added nitrous oxide boosts to the Forza series. Unlike other racing games however, nitrous can only be used during most of the game's events, and only replenishes at the very start of said events. On the Xbox 360, it's only used in drag races.

Development

Promotion at Gamescom 2014 Forza Horizon 2 Gamescom.jpg
Promotion at Gamescom 2014

Forza Horizon 2 is the second game in the series to be developed principally by a studio other than Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios. Playground Games, the lead developer for Forza Horizon, focused on the Xbox One version, using the graphics engine from Forza Motorsport 5 as their starting point. [5] While the engine is capable of displaying content 1080p and 60 frames-per-second, the game was locked at 1080p and 30 frames-per-second, which was deemed necessary because of the game's open-world nature. [5] [6] According to creative director Ralph Fulton, "one of the big technical challenges that we had to face was making sure that we could stream in a world that is next-gen beautiful, but fast enough to keep up with the fastest car." [6]

Sumo Digital took the lead for the Xbox 360 version, starting from the original Forza Horizon graphics engine. [4] As with the original game, Turn 10 Studios provided support to the primary developers. [4] The Xbox 360 version does not include the weather system such as rain or "drivatar" A.I. found in the more-powerful Xbox One version, and also omits tuning and the free-roam open-world (as very few barriers can be broken through and crossed), with Playground Games calling the two versions "different games". [7]

Many cars carry over from the original Forza Horizon, while many new cars, such as the 1970 Chevrolet Camaro, have been added to the game. 1971 Camaro SS.jpg
Many cars carry over from the original Forza Horizon, while many new cars, such as the 1970 Chevrolet Camaro, have been added to the game.

On 22 July 2014, Turn 10 Studios revealed the first 100 of over 200 cars to be featured in the open world game, from exotics, rally cars, trucks, hot hatches, among others. Many cars from the Forza series return, including many cars from the original Horizon game. The list includes the 2014 Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 and Veneno, the McLaren P1, the LaFerrari, the Agera, and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. [8] Another new car that they had released was the Ford Capri RS3100 which is a barn find. All ten barn finds can be found off-road, usually in hidden places.

When choosing the locale for Forza Horizon 2, the developers investigated over 30 locations around the world, including California and Australia, ultimately choosing Southern Europe. [5] Creative director Ralph Fulton cited Europe's "fantastic driving roads, amazing environmental diversity, and just stunning vistas that you really want to explore" as some of the major points in selecting it for Horizon 2. [5] Fulton also noted that most of the recent open-world driving games were set in North America and that Southern Europe "just felt fresh, it felt different, it felt new, and it was a gimme for us". [5]

The Playground Games audio team recorded exhaust, intake, supercharger, and turbocharger sounds on real cars, and each sound is independent and modelled separately. To create loops through the rev range, they paired the sounds to each rotation of the engine. The mix of intake or exhaust notes depends on the camera position inside or outside the car. The team used the increased power of the Xbox One to playback assets of higher quality and loop length. They recorded environmental sounds like raindrops hitting the car, skidding on wet and dry surfaces, and debris kick-up. [9]

Release

On 27 August 2014, Microsoft announced that a demo version of the game would be made available on Xbox One on 16 September 2014. [10] On the day of the demo release, Microsoft confirmed that the game had been declared gold, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release. [11] The standard "10th Anniversary Edition" of the Xbox One version (consisting of the base game and the 10th Anniversary Car Pack) was given to Xbox Live Gold members for free throughout August 2018 as part of Microsoft's Games with Gold program. [12] Forza Horizon 2 and its downloadable content were delisted on 1 October 2018. Those who already own it can still download and play the game and its DLC. [13] On 23 June 2023, it was announced by Turn 10 Studios that they would be shutting down the online servers for Forza Horizon and all versions of Forza Horizon 2 (including the Fast & Furious standalone expansion) on 22 August 2023, thereby removing access to game features including leaderboards, matchmaking, and access to user-generated content, with support for offline play still being available past that date. [14]

Expansions

On 16 December 2014, Microsoft launched Storm Island, an expansion pack for the Xbox One edition of the game. [15] Storm Island adds, along with the new setting and associated tracks, five new event types, an expansion of the game engine's weather system, five new vehicles and an additional barn-find car. [15] On 25 February 2015, Microsoft announced Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, a standalone expansion to promote the release of Furious 7 . It was released on 27 March 2015 for free until 10 April 2015. [16] The expansion added music from Furious 7, composed by Brian Tyler, exclusively for the Showcase events. Actor Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges who played Tej in the Fast & Furious series was also featured in the game with his voiceover. In June 2015, Microsoft announced a new Porsche expansion pack for the game that was released on 9 June 2015. [17] The expansion, which was authorized by Electronic Arts, the then-license-holder for Porsche vehicles in video games, adds ten vehicles, such as the 944, 911 GT3 RS, the Macan Turbo and the Cayman GTS. [17] The expansion also adds new Bucket List items, new Rivals events and 15 new achievements based around the Porsche models. [17] All the DLCs contents are only exclusive to the Xbox One edition of the game.

Reception

The Xbox One version of Forza Horizon 2 received highly positive reviews. It received an aggregated score of 86.25% on GameRankings based on 53 reviews [18] and 86/100 on Metacritic based on 82 reviews. [19] Writing for IGN, Luke Reilly said that the game had "comprehensively updated" the standards for open-world racing games and that it was " Test Drive Unlimited , PGR , Smuggler’s Run , and Forza Motorsport all crammed into a T-shirt cannon and fired into your face". [23] Conversely, Polygon's Arthur Gies, while giving the game a positive review, said that the track design in Forza Horizon 2 "can't compete" with the licensed tracks used in Forza Motorsport 5. [26] Jonathan Leack of CraveOnline called the game "racing paradise" and "a highly enjoyable destination for anyone willing to buckle up behind a wheel". [29] Leack also compared the two separate versions of the game and discovered a number of differences. [30] As an example, when players are given the option to choose their first car at the start of the game, the Xbox 360 version uses a graphic interface, while the Xbox One version lets the players choose the cars in-world. [30] Calling the Xbox One version a "system-seller" and "a good time to invest in next-gen", Leack said that Sumo Digital "has done a fantastic job" with the Xbox 360 version and that it was "one of the best-looking racing games on the platform". [30]

During the 18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Forza Horizon 2 for "Racing Game of the Year". [31]

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional work by Turn 10 Studios, ported to Xbox 360 by Sumo Digital

Related Research Articles

<i>Forza Motorsport</i> (2005 video game) 2005 video game

Forza Motorsport is a 2005 simulation racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox gaming system. The word Forza is Italian for strength. The game is the first installment in the Forza series, which has continued on Microsoft's subsequent consoles, the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It features over 200 cars and multiple real world and fictional race courses. It also featured online multiplayer via Xbox Live. It is compatible on the Xbox 360 via backwards compatibility. Forza Motorsport received universal acclaim according to the review aggregation website Metacritic, and received a Gold sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The NPD Group reported that in its release month the game sold over 100,000 copies in North America.

<i>Test Drive Unlimited</i> 2006 video game

Test Drive Unlimited is a 2006 racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Atari Melbourne House developed the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions. Being the eighteenth entry in the Test Drive series, Unlimited serves as a reboot of the franchise, discarding the continuity of the previous games. The game features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and the terrain is modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu that features over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of roads and highways.

<i>FlatOut 2</i> 2006 video game

FlatOut 2 is a 2006 action racing video game developed by Bugbear Entertainment and published by Empire Interactive in Europe and Vivendi Universal Games in North America. It is the sequel to the 2004 game FlatOut.

<i>Forza Motorsport 2</i> 2007 video game

Forza Motorsport 2 is a 2007 simulation racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It is the second title in the Forza series, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport (2005) and was followed by Forza Motorsport 3 (2009).

<i>Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights</i> 2007 video game

Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights is a racing video game. The PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS versions were released in September, the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 versions in October, and the Microsoft Windows version in November 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel</span>

The Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel was developed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 and was introduced at E3 2006. Released in November 2006, the force feedback steering wheel controller includes the standard gamepad buttons along with floor-mounted accelerator and brake pedals. Although the wheel is capable of running truly wirelessly from a standard Xbox 360 battery pack, use of the force feedback and active resistance features requires an external AC adapter.

<i>Forza Motorsport 3</i> 2009 video game

Forza Motorsport 3 is a 2009 racing video game developed for Xbox 360 by Turn 10 Studios. It is the sequel to Forza Motorsport 2 and the third installment in the Forza series. The game includes more than 400 customizable cars from 50 manufacturers and more than 100 race track variations with the ability to race up to eight cars on track at a time. These cars vary from production cars to race cars such as those from the American Le Mans Series.

<i>Need for Speed: Shift</i> 2009 racing video game

Need for Speed: Shift is a 2009 racing video game developed by Slightly Mad Studios in conjunction with EA Bright Light and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, MeeGo and J2ME. It is the thirteenth installment in the Need for Speed franchise.

<i>Fable</i> (video game series) Video game series

Fable is a series of action role-playing video games for Xbox, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Xbox 360 and Xbox One platforms. The series was developed by Lionhead Studios until the studio was closed in 2016, and is published by Xbox Game Studios.

<i>Forza Motorsport 4</i> 2011 video game

Forza Motorsport 4 is a 2011 racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment in the Forza series. It is the first title in the series to support the Kinect sensor alongside the traditional controller-based gameplay. It is the last Forza Motorsport released for Xbox 360; 2012's Forza Horizon and its 2014 sequel were the last two Forza games for the platform, while 2013's Forza Motorsport 5 was released as an Xbox One exclusive.

<i>Forza</i> Racing video game series published by Xbox Game Studios

Forza is a racing video game series for Xbox consoles and Microsoft Windows published by Xbox Game Studios.

<i>Forza Horizon</i> 2012 video game

Forza Horizon is a 2012 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360 on 23 October 2012. The game is the fifth instalment of the Forza series, having originally spun-off from Turn 10 Studios-developed Forza Motorsport titles. Taking place during the fictitious Horizon Festival, a street racing event, the player's aim is to progress via winning races, while also increasing their popularity level by performing stunts and activities. Unlike previous games in the Forza series, Forza Horizon takes place in an open world that players can explore.

Playground Games Limited is a British video game developer based in Leamington Spa, England. It is known for developing the Forza Horizon series, which is part of the larger Forza franchise. In 2018, Playground Games became part of Microsoft Studios. They are also developing the next game in the Fable series.

<i>Forza Motorsport 5</i> 2013 video game

Forza Motorsport 5 is a 2013 racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox One. It is the fifth Forza Motorsport and sixth overall installment in the Forza series. The game was revealed on May 21, 2013 during the Xbox One reveal event and was released on November 22, 2013 as a launch title. Jeremy Clarkson, who was featured in the previous installment, Forza Motorsport 4, returned to narrate alongside James May and Richard Hammond, who co-presented alongside Clarkson in Top Gear. The narration was used for the game's commentary when choosing a new event, championship, or league.

<i>Forza Motorsport 6</i> 2015 video game

Forza Motorsport 6 is a 2015 racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox One. It is the sixth Forza Motorsport and eighth overall installment in the Forza series, and available worldwide on September 15, 2015. Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, a free-to-play version for Windows 10, was released on September 6, 2016, thus making the first Forza title to be released for Windows.

<i>Forza Horizon 3</i> 2016 video game

Forza Horizon 3 is a 2016 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox One and Windows. It is the ninth instalment in the Forza series and the third instalment in the Forza Horizon sub-series. The game is set in a fictionalised Australia, where the player is the leader of the titular Horizon car festival and has to expand the festival by completing events to earn fans. Like previous Forza Horizon games, it features an open world environment where players can freely roam the map.

<i>Forza Motorsport 7</i> 2017 video game

Forza Motorsport 7 is a 2017 racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios, serving as the tenth installment in the Forza series. It was released on Windows 10 and the Xbox One family of consoles on October 3, 2017, with early access to players who pre-ordered the game's Ultimate and Deluxe editions. It is succeeded by Forza Motorsport, the eighth in the Motorsport series, on October 10, 2023.

<i>Forza Horizon 4</i> 2018 video game

Forza Horizon 4 is a 2018 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on 2 October 2018 for Windows and Xbox One after being announced at Xbox's E3 2018 conference. An enhanced version of the game was released on Xbox Series X/S on 10 November 2020. The game is set in a fictionalised representation of areas of Great Britain. It is the fourth Forza Horizon title and eleventh instalment in the Forza series. The game is noted for its introduction of changing seasons to the series, as well as featuring several content-expanding updates which have included new game modes. A sequel, Forza Horizon 5, was released on 9 November 2021.

<i>Forza Horizon 5</i> 2021 video game

Forza Horizon 5 is a 2021 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the fifth Forza Horizon title and twelfth main instalment in the Forza series. The game is set in a fictionalised representation of Mexico. It was released on 9 November 2021 for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

References

  1. ↑ "Forza Horizon 2 Opens Up a Whole New World for Racers". news.xbox.com. Microsoft Corporation. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 Roberts, David (25 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 Review". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Gitlin, Jonathan M. (25 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2: massive multiplayer online, massive fun". Ars Technica . Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Ryan McCaffrey (2 June 2014). "IGN First: Forza Horizon 2 Announced". ign.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Luke Reilly (4 June 2014). "Forza Horizon 2: Resolution, Framerate, Music, & More Detailed -- IGN First". ign.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  6. 1 2 Tom Phillips (5 June 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 runs at 1080p 30fps on Xbox One". eurogamer.net. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Forza Horizon 2 On Xbox One And Xbox 360 Are "Different Games"". egmr.net. Blotch Network. 23 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  8. ↑ Staff (22 July 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 Cars Revealed!". forzamotorsport.net. Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  9. ↑ Doke, Shunal (23 June 2014). "Forza Horizon 2: How to record a Lamborghini". IGN. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "Forza Horizon 2 Xbox One demo arrives September 16". CVG. 27 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Forza Horizon 2 Gone Gold". CVG. 15 September 2014. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  12. ↑ Reed, Chris (31 July 2018). "Xbox One's Free Games With Gold For August 2018 Revealed". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  13. ↑ Fingas, Jon (19 August 2018). "'Forza Horizon 2' leaves the Xbox Store on September 30th". Engadget . Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  14. ↑ Yang, George (23 June 2023). "Forza Horizon 1 and 2 Servers Will Shut Down in August". IGN . Ziff Davis, Inc. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  15. 1 2 Lauren Puga (16 December 2014). "What's New in Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island DLC". ign.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  16. ↑ Wesley Yin-Poole (25 February 2015). "Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious is a standalone expansion". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 Seyth Miersma (8 June 2015). "Porsche returns to Forza with Horizon 2 expansion [w/video]". autoblog.com. AOL, Inc. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  18. 1 2 "Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 25 September 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  19. 1 2 "Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  20. ↑ Ben Griffin (25 September 2014). "CVG Review: Forza Horizon 2". computerandvideogames. Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  21. ↑ Brett Zeidler (25 September 2014). "Review: Forza Horizon 2". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  22. ↑ Oli Welsh (25 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 review: Festival of Speed". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  23. 1 2 Luke Relly (25 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 review: Fence Splitter". IGN. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  24. ↑ Ludwig Kietzmann (25 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 review: Fetch the Bentley, we're going for a drive". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 25 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  25. ↑ Paul Taylor (25 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 Xbox One". Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  26. 1 2 Arthur Gies (25 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 review: Road not Taken". Polygon. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  27. ↑ Beck, Adam (25 September 2014). "Review: Forza Horizon 2". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  28. ↑ Ken Barnes (6 October 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 Review". Pure Xbox. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  29. ↑ Jonathan Leack (24 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 Review - Racing Paradise". craveonline.com. Evolve Media, LLC. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  30. 1 2 3 Jonathan Leack (27 September 2014). "Forza Horizon 2 Xbox One vs Xbox 360 Comparison Shows Two Great Versions". craveonline.com. Evolve Media, LLC. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  31. ↑ "2015 Awards Category Details Racing Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved 29 November 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.