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Xbox | Driving | Forza Motorsport

Boxart for Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport 54 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 4.5
  • CONTROL: 5.0
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.2
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.8
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Feature: Head-to-Head: GT4 vs. Forza

Feature by FUNKYZEALOT | 05/06/2005 | 19:32:24 PM PST

Does it meet up to the hype (and money)? We go in-depth into both franchises to see where they go right and wrong.

Forza has just been released, and the game has seen overwhelmingly positive reviews. Gran Turismo has long been heralded as the crowning achievement of realism, car variety and visual splendor--but how does it hold up against the newest contender?

We break down the comparison into six parts: Cars, Gameplay Modes, Driving, Graphics, Sound and Overall.

Cars
Wide selection of cars has been the meat of the Gran Tursimo series, and Forza has come with a formidable arsenal of its own, featuring over 200 cars. And Forza has more where it counts.

There's a niche draw to Gran Turismo, to be sure--diehard Skyline fans have long-yearned to drive the '71 GT-R that made the name plate famous in the first place... or the forgotten R31 Skyline, eclipsed by the sensation that was the R32 when it was released in 1989.

However, those couple hundred cars of obscurity seem overshadowed by Forza's refreshing influx of exotic cars. Finally, a 360 Challenge Stradale to grind around the curves without fears of $100,000 repair costs--something 10 variants of CRXs can't come close to compensate for. While GT4 does have some supercars such as the Pagani Zonda, it lacks the Italian powerhouses that are iconic to the word "sports car." Forza does have a selection of older cars, the notable including the 240Z, drifting icon AE86, and Toyota 2000GT.

On the flipside, GT4 seems more on the cutting edge with newer car models, featuring the new BMW 3-series before it was even released. Forza by contrast, has some models already getting phased out (such as 2004 Audi, which is already getting replaced by the redesigned '06).

On the customizing front, GT4 has a wider selection of rims... but this is far eclipsed by Forza's robust selection of exterior mods (side skirts, bumpers and hoods).

And nothing beats working towards driving a Enzo Ferrari.
Edge: Forza

Gameplay Modes
Gran Turismo starts with a major handicap for the simple fact that it has no online mode. Modes have largely remained unchanged, except for a race-management mode called B-Spec, and the scenic but dull Photo Travel. If you're unfortunate enough to not have a GT3 save handy, you'll need to go through the painful Driver's License courses--which although are easy to pass, have become more tedious than ever.

Microsoft's response to the B-Spec is the Drivatar, which features an adaptive AI that gets trained to how you drive. The DNA of the developer's driving styles can be seen in the AI cars themselves, which are driven by Drivatars tuned to their own habits.

Forza's online matches are brisk and addictive. It's a shock to make the transition if you're accustomed to exploiting AI flaws (running them off the curve, cutting them off when they try to pass)--because those human players will try the same tricks on you. Sometimes it's best to steer clear of the mess and wait for the opponent to wipe out--satisfying when the difficulty's turned up. Plus, all of your track times (even in offline career mode, provided you're connected to Xbox Live) get recorded, so you can work toward being the reigning track champion of Laguna Seca.
Edge: Forza

Driving
The PlayStation 2 analog controls has always been mushy, imprecise, prone to sudden jumps in sensitivity, and with a rubbery resistance that makes thumb motions needlessly more difficult. Contrast that with the Xbox controller, which has a nice even scale of sensitivity, and a resistance that feels natural.

Controller differences don't feel pronounced in driving games, but the slight edge goes to Forza, especially when using the right analog stick to accelerate/decelerate. The only downside to this configuration is the shoulder buttons are very sensitive, and you'll often inadvertently shift gears by touching them.

In terms of core driving and physics, both are pretty similar, but the obvious differences surface when taking account of Forza's damage modeling, which adds a new angle of game play. It's not accurate visually or physically (try to get even the bumper off of a Ferrari), but the approximation is a realistic deterrent to not plow into opposing cars and metal guard rails.
Edge: Forza