Is Forza Horizon 4 Still Worth Playing? A Veteran Racer's Take

From Sim Racing to Street Racing

I grew up in the trenches of racing games, the kind where a missed braking point meant a ruined lap and where you practically needed a degree in telemetry to get the most out of your setup. I'm talking about the old legends: F1 1998, GTR, GTR2, GT Legends, and the gritty joys of Colin McRae Rally. Later came the more modern sims—Project Cars, Assetto Corsa—the kind of titles where your steering wheel was practically part of your soul. But as much as I lived and breathed that simulation life, I also had a not-so-secret love affair with arcade racers. Need for Speed II, Porsche Unleashed, and Most Wanted all had a place in my heart. Porsche Unleashed, especially, still feels like a warm memory I keep going back to.

At some point, I learned to relax. From the third installment onward, Forza Motorsport became my weekend drive. I enjoyed its love for cars, even if it didn't quite live up to the motorsport part of its name. Gran Turismo will always be the purist's game, and yes, the first Gran Turismo is what got me into this hobby. But Forza had heart, it had style, and it felt more welcoming. I recall the endless joy of playing Forza Motorsport 4 with the Top Gear content. Back then, a thought I couldn't shake was, "What if Forza did street racing? What if they fully committed to the idea?" With Forza Horizon, that wish was granted.  I got everything I wanted in a game: it was fun to play, offered the realism I was longing for, and it was dressed up like a festival.

Unapologetic Fun: The Heart of Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4 revels in its identity. It is an arcade racer and thus no comparisons with simulators like rFactor, iRacing, or Gran Turismo make sense. Forza Horizon 4 is clear in its aim. It is an open road, off-road dirt track, and street arcade racer with a horde of vehicles to choose from, allowing as much joy in the act of driving as in the actual race.

Freedom has always been the hallmark of this series, and with Forza Horizon 4's British countryside setting, it is a feast of rambling expanses. From open roads to floppy, muddy forest roads, and across farmlands with a flock of sheep, the environment is varied and uplifting. Forza Horizon 4 takes pride in its chaos. It is not about interval racing; it is about the joy of a sweeping turn, a too-early throttle, and a correction that skips a smile across the face.

A Buffet of Content: Cars, Events, and a Dynamic World

When it comes to the abundance of content, the Forza Horizon series does not disappoint, and Forza Horizon 4 is no exception.  Forza Horizon 4 is a buffet filled with vehicles and race types. There are circuits, point-to-point sprints, and endurance challenges. There are even silly showcase events that let you race a hovercraft, a jet, and other vehicles.

The world map is even influenced by the changing seasons, with each season giving the world map a different personality and altering its appearance. One minute, you are drifting around autumn leaves, and the next, you are sliding across an ice road. The free roam is excellent, with a large area to drive around and endless activities. And yes, you can drive around just to explore the world, and it is very likely that you will lose track of time doing it.

The Crown Jewel: Mastering the Driving Mechanics

The driving mechanics are what make Forza Horizon 4 a great title if you buy PC games. Yet, it hits that ideal balance that I'm always looking for. It is quick, responsive, and accessible. However, it is also grounded. You cannot just smash the control stick and expect to win. You will lose time on poorly executed lines. If you make a hard landing, you will lose your rhythm. It is a risk to cut corners, and while it might save you a second, it is more likely to cost you ten. It is the arcade driving style, and the fundamentals of driving are the most important.

Forza Horizon 4 is not rFactor, and it does not need to be. You get the thrill from the flow, and for this game, it is seamless. The driving is well executed and very exhilarating. You will want to play again and again to get the rhythm and flow. The game is not that complex, but the driving mechanics make it feel as such. If you want to feel like you are driving to perfection, this is the game to play.

A Visual Feast, But with a Stale Aftertaste

Let's complicate things a bit. The landscapes are lush and varied, the cars are lovingly detailed, and the breathtaking dynamic weather is worth mentioning. However, let's face it, the game has a few rough edges. In recent years, the competition for re-releases and ports has become rather fierce, and there is no shortage of examples to draw from. Take Bayonetta and Okami, for example. After their re-releases, they have a complete remaster polish to make them feel evergreen. In comparison, Forza Horizon 4 feels a bit dull and stuck in the time of its original release.

The pop-in issue is the game's worst offender. Ordinarily, it is not my style to critique the graphics of a game, but in this case, it is impossible to bypass. The trees, the shadows, and randomly appearing traffic cones are good examples of this practice. This is not the case of subtle pop-ins that are easy to overlook, but the case of sudden and drastic pop-ins, which cause the user to feel disoriented. In a game that has high production values, this is distracting from the re-capture immersion, and beyond that, it is silly. It is in the game, and it is horrible; there is no shortage of evidence for this.

The Sound of Silence: A Muted Audiovisual Experience

Almost every other aspect of this game was enjoyable. However, the sound design is unfortunately a weaker part of the experience. While the sounds of the cars are ok, the difference between the attention paid to the visuals and the sound is dissonant, resulting in a muted and sometimes boring atmosphere. The engines don't fully roar, the crashes lack a satisfying impact, and the overall experience feels thin. Considering the passion exhibited in this game because of the love of cars, I expected the sound to finally fully immerse me in the experience.

Legacy and Nostalgia: The Game's Lasting Emotional Impact

Forza Horizon 4's greatest accomplishment, and in my opinion, its legacy in the racing genre, is the emotional bond to the game it creates. In all my years of playing racing games, I've never had the emotional nostalgia that Forza Horizon 4 gave me. It gave me the 2000s PS2 racing era, wrapped in a modern package. Forza Horizon 4 does not give you a game to play; it gives you a journey.

Verdict: The Ultimate Arcade Playground?

Forza Horizon 4 is not perfect, but it is the best you can get if you buy Xbox racing games. The pop in is infuriating, and so are the uneven sounds, and the polish does not quite measure up to some other re-releases. Yet, underneath, there is the most enjoyable, self-assured, and flat-out fun racing experience there is.

Forza is not for you if you want a serious racing simulator. But then again, there is a street racing game that is so joyful that it is a pleasure to drive, and it is exhilarating to offer an endless playground of content. Forza Horizon 4 is an arcade-style racing game, and if you loved the genre, as I have, it will keep you smiling lap after lap.