‘Forza Motorsport 7’ takes series down new roads
Loot boxes , a staple of mobile games, have come under scrutiny by gamers. The mechanic, in which players are awarded random items, has filtered its way to consoles. Games such as “Overwatch” and “Injustice 2” feature them as perks and a way for developers to make money.
Fairly innocuous at first, the practice has crept up on gamers, but Turn 10 Studios stepped into a hornet’s nest when they added their interpretation of loot crates to their latest game, “Forza Motorsport 7.” Admittedly, it’s a nonsensical cash grab, but dismissing a whole game based on a loot crate is a rash overreaction. That’s like rejecting a Porsche from Pfizer because it has an ugly ad for Viagra on it.
Loot crates that have mods are a specious way of earning credits in the game, but “Forza 7” offers so many opportunities that players don’t really need the loot crate mods to advance in the game.
Money is earned via Drivatars, an AI reflection that races for themonline. When players level up, they have a choice of getting a wad of cash, a car discount or Drivatar gear. They can increase the challenge and realism for a hefty increase in credits. All of this can make “Forza 7” a grind, but that’s always been part of the experience.
The big difference is that Turn 10 reworked the single- player campaign into something called the Forza Driver’s Cup. Players start fromthe bottomand go through six championship cups. For each trophy, players will pick fromaseries of events that shows the diversity of experiences in the campaign.
“Forza Motorsport” has evolved from being a sterile racing game into one that has personality and embraces car culture. In the new phase of its life, the franchise aims to create a more organic experience. The idea behind the game is that no two races are alike.
The developers build on this concept by creating a dynamic weather system. Now, races change over time. Players can race from sunrise to evening and have the weather change from cloudy to pouring rain. Puddles form on the track, and slick spots emerge. During early mornings, there can be fog in the distance that obscures the track. No matter how the weather changes, players have to adapt for each race. Themove adds a new layer of realism, but Turn 10 relies on it too much early on.
A cooler element is the huge crashes that occur on the track and create a caution warning. These don’t happen often, but they alter the outcome of a race by eliminatingmuch of the field.
Another notable addition is the diversity of vehicles. Turn 10 looked beyond traditional racing and has included big rig competitions, which are popular in Europe. Racers can also drive off-road vehicles on a track, something that’s not often tried. The showcase races offer some offbeat events from previous games with new twists such as car bowling with limos. The developers maximize the 700-plus vehicles in the game.
The last pillar of “Forza 7” is that it’s the one of the first games on the system built for native 4K and HDR support. I demoed the game in 4K, and I experienced most of it in HDR. On the Xbox One X, Turn 10’s racing will be a showpiece for the console. The HDR on Xbox One S makes the visuals pop with softer sunset lights and nuanced graphics on cars.
Turn 10 also brings back the auction house and Forzathon. The auction house lets players make credits by selling liveries and car setups they create. That’s yet another way to earn money without racing. The Forzathon are events designed to build community.
Although it’s not perfect, “Forza 7” points the series in the right direction. The game builds on an already solid foundation, giving players something new with the weather effects and 4K and HDR visuals. It would be a shame for players to ignore the title because of a knee-jerk reaction to loot boxes. That shouldn’t overshadow a good entry to the series.