Following 2011′s Forza Motorsport 4, it became more apparent than ever that Turn 10 Studios and Microsoft had surpassed Polyphony Digital and Sony’s classic series, Gran Turismo, with the premier simulation racing franchise in the video game industry. It’s for that reason that fans were thrilled to hear that Turn 10 Studios would be bringing Forza 5 as a launch title for Xbox One.
As we prepared ourselves to race, we looked on in awe as the camera swooped around our selected vehicle, showing off the most detailed automobile modeling we’d ever seen. The announcement trailer that Microsoft showed off displayed the most gorgeous graphics seen in a racing game to date, but what it didn’t show is perhaps the most compelling part of the game’s presentation. During our time with the game, we noticed tight controls, lush visuals, and an excellent sense of speed, but it was the damage modeling that really impressed us.
According to Phil Frazier, Group Program Manager at Microsoft Studios, the damage modeling is extremely sophisticated. “It’s [real-time]. We have multiple layers of damage,” he says. “Because of the power of the Xbox One, what you’ll notice is you have a layer of dirt and dust that accumulates on your car, so even if you don’t make contact with anything during the race, your car is going to get dirty.”
We witnessed the intricacies of the damage system firsthand, and learned that what starts with a little dirt from driving off-road can quickly turn into much more. “You’ll see a little bit of oil, a little bit of dirt and dust accumulating on the tires,” Frazier says. “Then, as you start to scratch the cars, you have a layer of surface damage, which won’t actually dent the car, but it will scrape it along the side. Then you start to have the actual physical damage, where the car will press in and you’ll see the body take dents, and you actually have the possibility for your car to start dropping part — like the mirrors, the fenders, and the bumpers will actually start to fall off. You add all that together, plus the glass, and you can really do a lot of damage over the course of a race. It’s a really nice effect and people have been looking for that for years, so we’re glad that the power of the Xbox One is finally giving us the ability to deliver that level of realism.”
As we raced around the track, we also noticed another big improvement: the Xbox One controller vibrated in the triggers to offer more precise feedback, another feature of Xbox One that Frazier was also quick to praise. “The great thing with the [Xbox One] controller is that there’s like 40 improvements to the controller itself,” he says. “Our personal favorite on the Forza team are the haptic motors inside the triggers. On the gas side, you can feel whether or not you’re over-exerting the throttle, and on the brake side, you can feel whether or not your wheels are slipping. The combination of these really helps you feel the road better when you’re driving, so it’s great working on a project that shows the benefits of the haptics overall.”
In talking with Phil Frazier, it was clear that the Forza 5 team worked to create an experience that not only remains loyal to the franchise, but also takes full advantage of the new power and features of the Xbox One. Our time with Forza 5 gave us a vibe of upgraded familiarity. The haptic engines in the trigger did wonders to give us a better understanding of our car, and the game’s scenery was nothing short of beautiful. As we pulled past the finish line, the camera zoomed in on the fender of our Ferrari, showing off all of the damage we had just caused to the beautiful machine, making us feel a bit guilty for what we had done to the digitally-rendered automobile. With hundreds of cars beautifully rendered in the final game, as well as the most true-to-life simulation mechanics in the industry, Forza 5 could very well prove to be the car enthusiasts’ dream come true when it launches.
