Quick Review: Forza Motorsport 7 on PC

Earlier this week, Forza Motorsport 7 came out for Windows devices such as PC’s and Xbox machines, and I may have called it the best car video game ever at the time. Well, a few days later—and a few more hours playing it—and my opinion hasn’t changed; this game is supremely gorgeous, and fun to play in the extreme. I am playing on my PC, which is run by an i7 processer and an overclocked Nvidia GTX1080 video card. Because my video card displays to a Dell UHD screen, I am lucky enough to be able to play the game above 1080p; not quite 4K, but slightly above ‘2K’. While I am sure it is possible to play it using mouse and keyboard, I can’t imagine how you would modulate steering and acceleration, so I use a Microsoft gamepad—a nerdy way of saying an Xbox controller.

Now that the boring necessities are out of the way, the first inkling that this game is more than that which has come before it comes before the game is even installed. Upon starting the process of downloading the game, you will be prompted to find room for, so near as to make no difference, 100gigs worth of automotive video game goodness. As this is nearly 40gigs more than any other game I have ever downloaded, I suspected something special was in store.

Then again, having over 700 cars would take up a lot of space I suppose.

Once the game finally downloads—a feat which took over 4 hours at 70mb/s + –you are treated to an un-skippable intro scene, which, depending on your system, gives a glance into the graphics you can expect. Once in the main menus of the game, you have the normal, expected menus; ranging from single player and multiplayer, to game settings and the in-game marketplace for cars and the like. I decided to hop right in, and go for the campaign mode.

Here, anyone who played the demo is in for a bit of tedium. After another un-skippable scene explaining how “every racer has their first race car” while showing a beat-up junker, you are thrust into the three demo levels, in a set order. The first of these is around the Circuit in Dubai, using a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, which while satisfying to the eye and the sponsor, is a bit of a handful for—presumably—what could potentially be someone’s first taste of Forza. It is a tough car to drive, especially with Dubai’s deserts throwing sand onto the track.

The next track is racing a 2015 Mercedes Benz Tankpool 24 Racing Truck around Mugello Autodromo Internazionale. This track, with these giant semi-trucks, is much more forgiving than the previous track/car combination, and allows anyone overwhelmed with the experience a chance to catch their breath. After this short race, it’s off to a rainy Nurburgring GP Circuit to race a 2015 Nissan Motul, Autech GT-R. Racing a powerful racecar in the rain is just as slidy as you are likely thinking.  More than that, these levels provide a perfect visual spectrum to appreciate the game. In Dubai, my ineptitude allowed me to see the crash physics, while the Semi allowed me to appreciate the variety in driving physics. The rainy Nissan race showed me a bit of both…

After completing these levels—don’t leave during one of them or you have to start over, including the un-skippable movie!—you are finally allowed to choose from a variety of race series, covering most vehicle choices, from vintage metal, off-road racers, and modern supercars. I went with the ‘Hot Hatchback’ class, in the hopes of finding either my beloved Fiesta ST or Focus SVT. Sadly, there were neither, and rather than staying with Ford and choosing a modern fast-Focus, I went with the new Honda Civic Type R, to experience the game’s FWD dynamics.

If the game is to be believed, then the Honda Civic Type R is a special car. A very special car. Rather than understeering with the application of the throttle in a fast corner, as you would expect with a high-power FWD car, the Honda sticks. And sticks. And sticks some more.

Sadly, the game isn’t quite perfect. On more than one occasion, I have encountered various physical and visual glitches. The most dramatic being the entire disappearance of the track for about 300 yards, which the picture above captures the tail end of. I also have encountered scraping sounds while hugging the side of a track; as if I were scraping along an invisible wall.

Despite this, with the few hours I have spent with Forza 7, my appreciation for the game’s mechanics and visuals alike has only grown. I assure you, I would have spent much, MUCH, more time with the game, had some pesky thing called Real Life gotten in the way. Now, with this article done, I bet you know what I am going to do.

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