Reaction: Forza Motorsport Should Be Feeling The Pressure After New Gran Turismo 7 Update

Wouldn't be an xbox studios game if it didn't launch half assed eh

What it needs way more than split-screen is multiplayer builder's cup. The options to play with friends in forza are bottom tier

They need to sort out some of the bugs first. I had an infinite loading screen bug when the game was applying upgrades to my car between career races. When I rebooted the game it hadn’t even saved my last race result, meaning I’ve got to do it again 🙄

Not a fan of racing games ,I gave forza a go and it bored me to tears ,however, I do love me a split screen mode in any game ,and I would give it a go if this was incorporated, split screen ,few drinks and a few mates ,is a right old banter filled laugh 😁

I was really into the new Forza Motorsport for about two weeks after launch, and it was fun when I would play, but it almost feels like the mechanics would be better suited for phones or tablets.

In fact, I can remember years before I had an Xbox playing Real Racing on the iPad. Obviously Xbox doesn’t have the best working relationship with Apple right now, but it would be so cool to get a Forza Motorsport game on mobile, since it would fill a void left by the aforementioned Real Racing.

Split screen is one of my biggest used features on games. As a matter of fact I actively seek out and prioritize buying games with splitscreen over anything else. I'm part of a weekly get together and that is one of the biggest uses my Xbox sees. Black Ops 4, for example, is my most played COD simply due to four player splitscreen.

Just uninstalled Forza Motorsport last night for the lack of it and the uninspired single player game that gives me PTSD flashbacks of arcade and movie racers. From the less than realistic handling, to the THIS IS A RPG, NOT S RACING GAME. AND YOU'RE GOING TO LEVEL UP CARS BEFORE YOU CAN UPGRADE THEM, big pass from me.

Even though GT, itself, still isn't the best of sim games, it still is orders better despite being cross gen.

Seems like the Xbox store reviews, where only people that have claimed it can leave reviews, mostly agree given the 2 and 1/3 star review score.

I had very high expectations for Forza as I always do and like wise with Forza Horizon.
So basically FH5 did the business and is critically acclaimed.
What surprised me even after more time than usually Turn 10 somehow managed not to release Forza not to the same standard and critical acclaim as FH5.
Also after Redfall and Starfield this is what worries about Xbox and their studios.
Let’s release average to just above average games that could/should have been better, especially from internal studios.
I mean look how Remedy released a critically acclaimed game across more multi platforms.
It’s not great when third party studios are knocking out games across multiple platforms better than your own internal studios exclusives and for your Microsoft’s own Xbox console.

I don't think iv played split screen since the gt4/project gotham 2 days - Ive made peace with that fact and going back there now would just feel irksome 🙄😄

Not sure that Couch Co-op is a big priority for Microsoft. I can't imagine that feature being 'useful' for those who play over the Cloud and PC doesn't seem like its ideal for Couch co-op - especially for Keyboard/Mouse players.

With Series S being relatively cheap (certainly cheap in the current Console market), its almost as if devs expect Gamers to have their 'own' Console, PC or Cloud enabled device to play ANY multiplayer game with their friends/family in the same house or even room without adding a Couch co-op mode.

Gaming, whilst it can be a Social experience, nowadays gamers will have their 'own' hardware. You don't need to go round your friends house to play together, you can play online - even if your friend has a Playstation and you have an Xbox in some games. I couldn't play Goldeneye online so the only time MP was 'playable' was if friends/family also wanted to play and were all together at the same time to play. Back then, my kids were too young for a TV/Console in their room too - but by the 360/PS3 era, we 'never' played couch co-op as the kids would be in their room on their Console and I would play in the main lounge with them Online.

At least then there was NO cheating by Screen watching to see where someone was that usually ended up in arguments and at least one being angry/upset as would happen with Goldeneye....

What's the beating that the reason it was missing from the initial release is that they could not get it running satisfactorily on the Series S...?

Features aside, the single player is still broken AF! They should be feeling the pressure with or without GT7s update but yeah add that on top of course.

havnt played any game split screen in decades

I doubt they are feeling any pressure to add split screen. It's a small use case for a sim racer.

They have the data on how many people used it in the other motorsport games. What is the over/under on how many accounts used split screen for FM7?

If they ever make that Kart racer that makes so much sense with the dozens of mascots they have accumulated then split screen would be a good fit.

Yawn - split screen … just fix the single player experience…

@themightyant
I get what you are saying.
You know me, been and xboxer since day one.
I just wish the Xbox games to be the best they can possibly be in all areas.
Critical acclaimed and legendary in status.

We're not saying it's over for Turn 10 or anything

.... definitely over 🤦‍♂️😂😂. Now make an article and blame the Series S for it.

@themightyant
To add to that if the game pass crowd like me play day one and the word gets around a game is not all that. Then future purchases could be low.
Word and mouth of a great game is the best free advertising there is.

Turn10 has bigger fish to fry, like fixing a broken game. Builders Cup is still a big issue. I just wasted more time trying to complete one of the series, again. Tried not to buy upgrades and apply other tricks (which is not normal) but I'm starting to get frustrated because they did not help and other problems occurred. Completed a series and the game crashes ==> and I'm back in the middle of the already finished series, like WTH? And I almost finished the new series, that progression is lost too (and that series is locked again). That's like 7 races gone!!
Another time, I had to buy a car for a new series, crash, also progress gone, and I have to start in the middle of the previous, already completed series. This is bonkers!

If a race is won, save the bloody game, so we can continue even after a crash. Or included a manual save. This game is a mess! How you can release a game in this state is beyond me!

Edit: Games has never crashed on me during races itself, not even hiccups. Always happens when a menu appears. And the car level retains since that hotfix (after a crash).

It wouldn't be a Forza thread without @InterceptorAlpha complaining about the car levelling up mechanic

As for the split screen which personally I wouldn't get much use from, I completely agree that this is a really nice feature to have and support those who would like it.

However, this game fails on the basics, I've had to re-race so many of my career mode races due to the game crashing it's getting beyond ridiculous. What makes it worse is the collective media, including PureXBox, barely aknowledge the issues and I wonder if they're even playing the same game!

Fix the bugs would be great because underneath there is a good game there.

Yet turn 10 want us to wait forever (mid November? For update) yet Spider-Man 2 has various updates already. Larian dropped various updates quickly.

Why can’t turn 10?

Side note there’s room for both games both are different enough. But it’s good to see FM/Xbox is pushing Sony to improve GT7.

For me there isn't enough excitement in the racing or the overall game itself. I don't get the adrenaline rush I used to get playing Driveclub or even Wreckfest.

Prefer so much more local play to global play.

As a big Forza fan and someone who prefers it to well any other racing series i feel the only thing this entry has over GT7 is the visuals. I feel GT7 is just a much better and more complete game then the latest Forza and i hate saying that.

@BAMozzy Microsoft has been actively deprioritising split-screen since back in Halo 5. They just have something against it.

@themightyant
Totally off subject.
Just bumped into a work colleague
COD guy about 30 PS5 and Switch owner.
I said to him nearly COD weekend for you.
His reply:
I might bite the bullet and buy a series x and game pass and COD for Series x this year, then going forward it will be on GP day one.
Also I can get to play Starfield on GP as well.

There you go didn’t expect that reply but maybe Xbox are onto something.

The new Forza Motorsport has felt like a setback from previous Forzas, and this just adds insult to injury. There is a good reason why I deleted Forza after a couple of days and went back to GT7, and after this update, I have a hard time seeing the new Forza ever pulling me away. The fact that I say this as someone who has been a big fan of Forza Motorsport since the original says a lot about this whole situation.

I would have bought it, if it had split screen and offline play

@BrilliantBill Nonsense 😂

@robe Ya know me. Might ad well list all my issues if I'm listing any.

Especially as someone that also builds motorcycles and cars. And even having a car that is featured on the game, albeit a lower class, Golf MK3. Still now love for Jeep TJs though. 😭 Gives me a bit better insight on how off handling characteristics are.

As well as the fact that I can buy a part and plop it on one of my vehicles without having to level up anything. So much for it being a sim. 😂

Have a like/heart/whateveritis

I mean, it only took a year and a half for this “big update” so i’m curious where Forza will be in a year and a half …

Own both but not really big on racing games ..but Forza feels much better to me

Love Forza....both Horizon and Motorsport...but for me this Forza Motorsport feels shallow and a bit of disappointment if I am honest.

Forza has only just been released give them time (it's mainly PC owners who get the most problems) , if you want a car crash of a release then look no further than GT7, they hid the Microtransactions from the review copies so they only appeared on release of the game which in turn makes the review scores void as it was to late to change them. Everyone knows the rest of the story, changing Microtransactions made them worse, going offline for ages etc.

I’d like bots in custom games. Been having a blast. Still have 1 1/2 single player cups to do and I have almost 100 hours in. It’s really fun online too. Wish I got placed with other wheel users though. Best I’ve placed is third on multiplayer.

Ah well, will give the update a try some day on my PS5 but what FM does way better is that you don't need to grind that much as in Grind Turismo to buy a car. You don't need to do the same event or race over and over and over again. In FM you can earn money in every race and the cars are quick to buy.

@BrilliantBill Maybe MS do - or Maybe MS see's the numbers of Gamers who still use Split Screen and don't think it's worth wasting time/budget when it won't 'increase' revenue as people can still play 'together' online.

Its not like 30yrs ago when Consoles had NO other way to enable gamers to play together - but 'useless' if you had no friends/family wanting to play in the house at the same time as you.

Its not as if MS is Deliberately taking away the options for Gamers to play together - in fact I would argue they are trying to make it 'easier' for Gamers to play together on 'whatever' platform and 'wherever' they may be with their games on PC/Console/Cloud and even on Game Pass day/date so that even if you can't afford to 'buy' the same platform and the Game to play together, they have a much cheaper option.

As I said, things have changed to. When I was a child, we didn't have TV's in every room and I could only play if my parents weren't using the TV - nowadays Kids have their own hardware, their own TV, their own Mobile etc - family members may have their own Tablet/Laptop/PC too so they can still 'play' Forza together without Couch co-op.

All I am saying is that it may not make sense to spend all that time optimising and building a Game specifically with Couch Co-op when it won't bring in 'more' sales and the numbers who 'still' would use it are becoming fewer in Number so its even less of a Priority and maybe Devs would prefer to use the Resources in a different way too...

It's a shame licensing complicates things so much because Forza's best outcome would be bringing back the old games. Like FM3 and 4 are considered the best Forza Motorsport games by far.

@OldGamer999 I understand your point, but why mention Starfield? It had a pretty solid release as far as I know? It still crashes quite a lot, but that seems more like a fundamental thing (their engine) opposed to releasing an unfinished game.

Couch coop for a racing sim is not a priority for me, for an arcade racing game like Mario kart it's primordial but Forza motorsport I don't need it.

Heck, even Nintendo which is as tech savvy as a rhino can pull off 4-player with Mario Kart. I know, I know, but still...

@Darude84
Didn’t mean to hurt Starfield, have put about only 30 hours in but to me it should have Xbox’s
For example only TOTK, Original Halo and gears of war.
Good game could have been legendary with some smart developer choice and update systems and better coding for loading times and how often etc.

@Darude84 yeah, Starfield is already one of Bethesda’s most successful launches, reached 11 million players already, and dominated headlines all month. Xbox also saw the biggest game pass sub jump that day than at any other point in game pass history, and also was top of npd last month while also being on game pass and will have a huge tail to it that people will come back to. HiFi rush was also incredible, Halo is seeing a comeback, and we got age of empires on console and closed abk.

Sometimes the things people say just make no sense. Aside from Redfall 2023 has been incredible for xbox and game pass!

@Grumblevolcano
Before we had game pass etc.
I think about after Forza 4 sales started to decline but around the same time Forza Horizon sales kept going up.
Obviously with game pass etc it’s to hard to judge now.

@J_Mo_Money
Having been an xboxer since day one have to disagree about an incredible year for Xbox and GP.
Had Redfall been well above average game.
Starfield a 95 plus legendary game.
Forza a 92 top end AAA.
And none of them with any real issues.
Then that would have been an incredible year.
Also considering how long these games and delays had taken place it’s an average Xbox year for me.

@OldGamer999 I think what you are describing is a legendary year … think of the whole year with its ups and downs and it’s been an incredible year. But potato pataoh …

I was loving Forza until I started getting booted out the game and losing progress on Friday. I have stopped playing since it happened two days on the trot. It’s a grind enough to get the car xp and decent amounts of money without it randomly kicking you and erasing your last few races. What makes it even more frustrating is I don’t understand the point of it always being online if it’s not going to cloud save after every race.

It could be amazing in a year. Hopefully it becomes amazing in the next few months. At the moment it’s a game I want to play but won’t because my gaming time is at a premium and I don’t want to waste it.

@AlwaysPlaying
Well everyone has their own interpretation of what an incredible year is but to me an incredible year is when you release the following in one year.
TOTK - 96
Metroid Remake - 94
PIKMIN 4 - 87
Mario Wonder -92
All big AAA exclusives.
Some above average games like Kirby forgotten land.
Some very good indies
Mario kart dlc extra tracks 24 off.
130 million consoles sold and counting.

When my lovable Xbox get the above obviously with their style of games, I will award them and my series x an incredible year.
I sincerely hope that arrives one year.

@OldGamer999 i stopped caring about metacritic years ago, i dont need someone to tell me how my food tastes and need a 95 to enjoy a game. Starfield was epic for me, hifi rush a nice surprise, both did well for xbox. Forza has the foundation to be incredible long term, and ABK will add even more value to the service i cant see myself cancelling Not to mention the content coming to halo has given it new life. Excited for the future of xbox.

@J_Mo_Money Yeah it amazes me how some people still obsess over metacritic and scores the way they do. It might have had some value before we had things like streaming sites and Gamepass, but now a days I don't really have any need for reviews, it's so easy to get a feel for a game just by watching someone else play it, or better yet being able to play it yourself on a subscription.

Let me throw some thread topics at you:

How is it possible GT7 multiplayer is this garbage.
Got bored of campaign so I decided to make my own fun.
Anyone getting bad lag / juddering on PS4?
Crash after 1.11 install.

These are taken from GT Planet website and were posted roughly a month after the launch of GT 7 . GT7 had plenty of issues at the same stage of their launch and many months were spent solving those issues. After major bugs and polishing happened more features & content have been slowly added.

I would like to remind folks that Motorsport hasn't quite been out a month yet and they also are in a bug squashing phase. Given time they will also move past that and add new content and features (Yas Marina is supposed to be a free track also coming out with the November update as a start.)

The one part of the article I can agree with is that I believe Turn 10 will build a great game with many features over the coming months.

Before anyone says it yes in an ideal world neither game would have gone out with all the issues they both have / had. However our world is less than ideal on many many levels so we do the best we can with what we have at a given time and then work to improve going forward.

@J_Mo_Money
I don’t need metacritic you know a super well polished game in every area when you play it.
Starfield for me is good and I really enjoyed the fps indoors especially once I got a few grades.
Not gonna list my dislikes.
Forza should have released incredible but didn’t.

I might be a harsh xboxer but I played through the most glorious moment of Xboxes existence the 360 days, when you have been there with Xbox and know what they were capable of, then maybe it makes me harsher now on Xbox.
Their internal studios should do better.

If I was head of Xbox studios I would be ashamed that third party studios can produce better games across all consoles and pc platforms including Xbox then my own Xbox studios.
That has to tell you something.

@JayJ hell, xbox just won publisher of the year a few years back. Now having doom, diablo, cod ect first party? I dont have the TIME to play all this amazing stuff …

@robe People should be constantly complaining about the car leveling feature at every opportunity. I just did my first my first showcase which should be a big moment but a lot of the excitement is diminished by having to use basically the stock version of the car. This is the experience most people will have... driving stock versions of cars in career mode. It's silly that they were so dogmatic about "earned not bought" or whatever their dumb marketing phrase was.

I would love to have couch co-op for this game.

I don’t need split screen. I need system link. Now to have a lan party all by casual friends have to have a gold account. That sucks.

Im afraid it would take more than local co op to save this title for me. Ive put a lot of hours in, but its just not fun.
Ive gone back to the simple arcade delights of the crew motorfest, and Im having loads more fun with that..

I’m enjoying my time with the new Forza (through GamePass) but I wouldn’t have paid anymore than $40 for it. It actually kinda feels like a downgrade to MotorSport 7 it a lot of ways.

@RBRTMNZ I can see your point and I understand other objections to this. But, I don't mind driving the stock cars for a few races and slowly improving them. Some of the cars in their stock config are awful, having to suffer or struggle to control the car for a little while makes me appreciate the upgrades more.

But, potato potato I guess!

@Cherip-the-Ripper well starfield was shocking forza seems ok to me but not played it enough

@JayJ @J_Mo_Money Personally for me Metacritic is a godsend. I have a full time job, family commitments, pets and social engagements most weekends. If two games I am interested in release the same day, one scores 9 on metacritic and the other scores 5 I am absolutely going to use my limited time to play the 9. General consensus is, has always been and always will be an excellent indication of how good something.

@OldGamer999 FM4 was before FH existed (FM4 was 2011, FH1 was 2012). It just seems to be part of the general trend that Xbox 1st party releases were of higher quality pre-XB1.

@GeeEssEff i’m not sure what you having a full time job has to do with forming your own opinion? I have all of those things too, and i was gaming WAY before metacritic existed. High on Life was one of my favorite games last year and it has a 67 on metacritic because reviewers “didn’t like the writing.” Gaming journalism from big sites has gone way down hill these days, and i dont need someone like the jimquisition telling me if i should like a game or not. Takes minimal time to watch some videos and read up on a game, and i know if I’m gonna like something or not these days. I’m not gonna choose one game over another because something might be an 8.5 and another is an 8.7. That, frankly, is asinine to me.

Seeing as Ride 5 has splitscreen and Forza Motorsport doesn't somethings to me but not a lot I think.

Thing is I like split-screen but with online required no idea how valuable it is in the future besides just well old school split-screen fun.

Is it a defining feature for a certain niche audience yes. Just like Halo co-op campaigns are as much as the multiplayer and custom game modes.

I don't like either GT/Forza current gen games, I think their singleplayer structures aren't for me at all so won't change much but still.

Updates of tracks, cars and more will prove something of 'which' whether real life, old Forza Motorsport staples in FM8/FM Series consoles/FM Reboot whatever to call this game. What they offer to keep them going, people coming back briefly, or keep playing, what modes, and things to try out and change over time as the games are intended to be.

I mean I miss the Forza Motorsport 1 original tracks (remastering them would be nice even if they did the cars and hmmmm but at least advertising it for clarity or remake them). I'm not getting Complex String from GT3 again any time soon for license tests, a complex race car race around it's particular corners would be awesome and hard but so much fun (even if the new original tracks have their moments the personality or just corners aren't always as far like the Cape Ring 'Ring' part at the top of the course map is great but the other layouts are eh not for me) but we don't even have mods for Complex String yet I think. Even if some content/quality of life ones for GT2-4 have been cool.

FM2's original test tracks ones were fun in their own way to begin the game besides the cut back on some and with a 360 gen starting it was fair. FM5 had it's new gen cutbacks as well it didn't bother me. The real life ones are fine but I do like the GT/Forza touches to things or else I'd play an annual racing game or other racing sims what can I get from them to make me care more, what cars, what tracks, what GT/Forza charm.

GT3 did as well on PS2 and worked around them just like FM2 & 5 did. Or Ride 4 having FM1&2 region system but expanded upon. It may be a bike game but man they have taken ideas interesting directions RIP Ride 4 being hard, and 5 probably the same and next gen of 4 elements to 5.

I miss hillclimbs of FM4. Open worlds aren't going to fulfill that for me. Neither is Touge in Grid 2008 or Tokyo Extreme Racer Drift 1 & 2 but very few if any offer that option anymore.

@GeeEssEff Problem with critics is how often they will promote games they're paid to promote, and join in bandwagons praising or being critical of certain games. They're not much different from fanboys really.

I mean if I went strictly off what critics and metacritic has to say, I would have missed out on a lot of my favorite games and bought a lot of games I really wouldn't like.

All I really want is some music!

@Grumblevolcano
Thank you for correction.
Yes the original Xbox and xbox360 quality of games were of better quality to me and few lead the way as well.
That’s one of the reasons why I get frustrated at the not so high quality of Xbox games today.

@InterceptorAlpha me too because kids. Something forza was always great for. Building wacky cars and racing split screen. It's the best thing about it. Major suck.

Forza Motorsport are not what GT7 is for Playstation. Forza Horizon is the big racing game for Xbox, not Motorsport. Despite being different beasts. PS has no other huge first party racer then GT7. Motorsport has the better racing and realism, but GT7 has way more diverse content. Motorsport is lacking severe in that department.

@J_Mo_Money You’re right my commitments don’t have anything to do with me forming my own opinion. They do however have everything to do with where I focus my free time which is the point I was making. Don’t get me wrong I will try a game Im super interested in if it’s on a service like gamepass but outside of that I’m not going to spend money and time on a game that 90% of critics think is bad to average when there’s hundreds of other games that 90% of critics think are excellent. Regardless of the state of gaming websites nowadays they tend to align on most games and come up with very similar pros and cons which I will look into before investing. My system is not so different to yours in that I will look at overall scores, read/watch some reviews from critics I trust and then decide whether I want to buy the game or not. It’s not like I just go “ahhh that one was 8.7 and that one was 8.5…I really like the look of the 8.5 but I better go with the 8.7 because Metacritic says so”…I’m not that basic.

I have just got a lot more precious with my time this year because I own all three systems and there’s a hell of a lot of quality games releasing on them but not enough time to play them all. Metacritic for me is an excellent tool to help.

@Nightcrawler71 I just had a similar issue. No reboot but when I loaded the game today, my result from my last race yesterday hadn't been saved so I had to do it again.
Luckily, I like Le Mans. If i'd have had to race Virginia again, I'd have been p155ed!!

@JayJ EXACTLY. I mean, if I listened to the people that told me pineapple doesn't belong on a pizza, then i would have missed out on that awesomeness.

We'd have problems 'round here!

I have been playing the EA WRC trial and that is exciting. I understand it is a different beast, but you actually feel you are achieving and progressing toward a goal or reward after every race. I just don't get that feeling with Forza.

@RetroMan71 How's the new WRC game compare to the other ones? Might get it for my brother for Christmas since he likes those types of games.

@robe That's a good point. I'm not a big RPG person, and don't personally get much satisfaction from building up a character, so CaRPG mechanics might be especially lost on me while fun and enjoyable for others.

@J_Mo_Money To be honest, the last rally game I played was Dirt5 which is more arcade from what I can remember, but WRC felt great. The cars had great weight and felt grounded and responsive. You really get that adrenaline feel and a sense of 'One More Go', because you know you can beat your previous trial time. If he really likes his rally, then he should like it. I only played about 2-3 hours worth out of the 5 hour trial, but I really enjoyed my time with it.

@RetroMan71 of course I'm also leery of the madden syndrome with those types of games where it feels too "samey" and is it worth the money compared to the last one.

Splitscreen? Boy that takes me back to 2008 when I wasn't an adult that worked and had slumber parties with my goofy little friends. Surely such a feature blows Forza right out of the water mope perfect 10/10 Xbox bad hurrr.

They are racing games, just race and be happy. Jesus.

GT7 has split-screen? Now me and my friend can be bored together!

Joking aside, I own both GT7 and FM and neither one of them are going to knock your socks off. If you're a FM fan, you'll continue being an FM fan. GT isn't going to change your mind with one feature addition.

I really dont ever like comparisons between Forza and Gran Turismo, because of the console war BS just becomes overwhelming fast.
On Forza Motorsport though, I will say this. Forza 7 was a FAR better game. Even visually, F7 had a vibrancy that entirely missing from the latest game. And modes-wise the new game just cannot compete.

@J_Mo_Money I think one of the big differences this time round is that you can build your own rally car from scratch for the Career Mode only and there is a Moments Mode that changes daily, giving you certain types of events etc.

@J_Mo_Money Lol I happen to like hawaiian pizzas as well.

@NeutronBomb I think the biggest loss for me with the latest FM is the loss of the ability to easily upgrade any car and go racing with it fully customized just how I want it. When they turned car upgrading into a time consuming grind, where I can't build my ideal version of a car until I have driven it for hours on end, it's simply not fun for me anymore. Heck even the points system for upgrades ruins it, because I can't just do what I want. All the restrictions to car building makes this Forza simply not feel like the Forza games I knew and loved.

When it comes to racing simulators where I can't modify my car, I have no shortage of better or more entertaining games to play. Car modifying has always been the thing that gave Forza an edge for me all these years. They messed with the one thing they shouldn't have messed with, trying to fix something that wasn't broken which broke the experience for me.

@JayJ Ah, a man of taste.

@JayJ I always found that aspect daunting NGL. But yes, sucks that you more technology minded fans can no longer scratch that itch.