GAMES/IMPRESSIONS

It’s a testament to the maturity and sophistication of games that there are so many new ways of delivering a genre, and each attempt might strive for it’s own “personality” so that it doesn’t get dismissed as a rip-off. Personality? Project Gotham might be the street-smart show-off who you beg to be admired by just because he’s so damned flashy, and Ridge 6 might be the shallow but entertaining breakdancer who doesn’t care about how sophisticated he looks but simply wants to impress you with his moves. However, just as you finish high-fiving the kids and make your way home, you get smacked down by a gentleman wearing a sharp suit and a disapproving glare. Forza 2‘s approach isn’t radically new, but to someone who hasn’t played a racer with such heavy simulation pretensions for a while, it’s quite a shock to the system.

I know Badger’s already written about the game here, but as a newcomer to both the game and the series, I thought people might like a second opinion. Forza 2 isn’t an example of a deliberately difficult game, despite the opening paragraph’s inclination. The difficulty is the same sort of difficulty that came from being force-fed Ridge Racer sequels on OPM demo discs and then being introduced to Turismo: it’s difficult through unfamiliarity. Once you accept that sim games require a different way of thinking, Forza 2 can become quite satisfying. Again with the GT comparisons, this is a game that isn’t really concerned with the thrill of skilled racing, but is more interested in demonstrating the way in which skilled driving can yield it’s own rewards. The racing line is one of the major contributing factors to the feeling that this game is disciplining you in the ways of its ruleset: how the physics, handling, geometry et al interact and how they must be used to your advantage.

Despite many penalties and a few frustrating races, I’m enjoying the racing, even moreso than the design. I’ve barely scratched the surface, having just got the “All Gold (Proving Grounds)” achievement, but I don’t doubt I’ll be back for more…glutton for punishment that I am.