Next Full Forza Motorsport Game Will Have Better Damage, Next-Level Lighting
Microsoft’s next big racing game is scheduled to release in 2023 and will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
Microsoft delivered our first real look at the next "Forza Motorsport" on Sunday's Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase and the company is proclaiming it as "the most technically advanced racing game ever made." It has also announced a release window of spring 2023 meaning if it actually does come out next year, it will be the series' first installment in almost six years.
In a blog post, developer Turn 10 says the new game (just titled "Forza Motorsport," by the way, no number this time) is "built from the ground up to showcase" the new generation of Xbox consoles—even though it will also be playable on PC and via cloud streaming. Par for the new video game course, the first and most obvious enhancements you'll notice are visual. To start, every single track will feature dynamic time of day and weather effects that both alter track surface temperatures and available grip. Car damage is more detailed and nuanced this time around and will feature individual scratches reproduced taking into account the directionality of the contact and how paint comes off at raised, exposed edges. Wheel abrasions and dirt build-up have also been simulated.
To better simulate reflections and lighting—pretty key when emulating something that has as many reflective surfaces as an automobile—the game will do real-time ray tracing during actual, on-track gameplay. This is something that the game's chief rival, PlayStation's "Gran Turismo 7," notably does not do.
Turn 10 also says the flagship Xbox racer has also been improved under the skin. An overhauled physics engine is said to be 48 times (!) better than before. To make it a more interesting and realistic racing experience, tire and fuel management, multiple tire compounds, and "new in-depth car building," whatever that means, have been implemented all in response to player feedback.
In any case, here's the new trailer and extended gameplay demo. Both take place on the classic Maple Valley track and are apparently running in-engine on an Xbox Series X. Eagle-eyed and well-traveled gamers will also spot the Forza debut of South Africa's Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in the trailer.
"Forza Motorsport" is slated for spring 2023 and will be playable on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. In addition to the traditional standalone purchase options, it will also come to Xbox's Game Pass subscription service at launch.
Got a tip or question for the author about the new Forza game? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
