5 reasons why Forza Horizon 2 is so good

The review is in, and Forza Horizon 2 is not only a great racing game but also one of the best releases of any genre so far this year. That shouldn't be a surprise, you take ingredients from the Forza Motorsport series and mix them in with a superbly designed open world with speed in mind and you've got yourself a winner.

Here are five reasons why Forza Horizon 2 stands out from the rest of the field. 

Atmosphere

The game takes place around the Horizon Festival, a non-stop party featuring fast cars and pulsating music. There's no real story here, other than the nameless player-controlled character driving from town to town and competing for his shot at glory. The lack of narrative is made up for with the music and excitement that the festival brings. It's a struggle not to get caught up in the hysteria.

Location

Colorado was a great setting for the first game, but southern France and northern Italy simply better it in every way. Road trips across the world can be lengthy and there's a temptation to go off-road and take a shortcut, but taking time to enjoy the scenery and take in every one of those 315 roads is much more enjoyable.

Bucket List Challenges

Breaking up the single-player game are Bucket Challenges, cars dotted around the world that you can jump into and take for a spin. You could be driving supercars to the other side of the map before a time limit runs out, or dodge traffic through a busy Italian street for points. Whatever it is, each of the Bucket List challenges is a fun excursion that provides real fun.

Online games

Online games aren't just about beating your opponents in a race. The King and Infected game modes make a return from the original Horizon, and we're extremely happy to see them. King has players bashing into each other in the hope of being tagged as the king for the longest period before time runs out, while Infected is the opposite as players race away in fear of being tagged as infected for the longest.

Stylish driving rewards

Forza Horizon not only rewards you for winning races, you also get points for driving stylishly inside or outside competition. Whether it's performing that perfect drift round a sharp bend or narrowly missing oncoming traffic, you'll constantly be picking up extra XP points that go into leveling up. It's a wonderful system that really should be adopted by more games.