More details have emerged regarding the biomes and the season in Forza Horizon 5.
The next Horizon game will be the most diverse and rich world in the series. The map is 50% larger than the Great Britain of Horizon 4, and the prospect ever-changing scenery stretching from the Pacific to the Caribbean coasts is so exciting! We can't wait to get driving.
It's also been confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 will have weekly seasons as in Horizon 4, but the Mexican landscape will be affected in different ways. Here's a run-down of the eleven distinct biomes in the map and how they will be affected by the changing seasons.
The Volcano
As the only Mexican location with snow in winter, the volcano will be a steep and challenging ascent. In winter, rain will gradually become snow as you head higher uphill.
We expect the volcano will be located at or near the centre of the map, surrounded by the Living Desert. It will have panoramic views stretching across to the coasts.
We've seen the central crater on the volcano frozen over in winter and also looking like it's ready to erupt in the original trailer. We're anticipating the caldera also being a key site in one of the Horizon Stories, with a research station based there.
The Living Desert
This location will be busy with wildlife and beautiful foliage. The living desert biome also features distinctive geographic formations such as little water pools and towers of fractured rocks.
The City of Guanajuato
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guanajuato is a city with distinctive architecture. Notably, many of the city's roads are partially or fully underground.
We're expecting to enjoy spectacular races through these tunnels. We're also looking forward to hearing how the next-gen sound technology brings the city to life.
Guanajuato will likely be south of the volcano and midway between the two coasts.
The Rocky Coast
The west side of the map will feature this distinctive coastline. There is little in the way of vegetation here so expect to be drag racing on these beaches.
We also expect to see a golf course on the west of the map, providing some pristine turf to leave tyre tracks across.
The Sand Desert
This arid landscape will be full of large dunes and long, straight roads. It'll be the proving ground for both off-road buggies and your X-tuned hypercars.
Expect to see sandstorms in this area as the seasons change.
The Canyon
Unique sound treatment similar to Guanajuato will fill your ears as you drive through the canyon. We've seen quite a lot of this biome in the trailer and the original gameplay video and so we expect to follow the river through the canyon to the jungle to establish the festival site early in the game.
We expect the canyon to mark the northern edge of the map.
The Tropical Coast
The idyllic beach location, filled with palm trees, white sand and calm waters. When the stormy season comes though, we'll expect this area to be very dynamic. Large waves and flying foliage will disrupt your driving during that week.
This is likely to be a popular area for photography, given that it looks like a holiday destination!
The Swamp
In the swamp we will be weaving our way through shallow waters and smashable mangrove tree root networks.
Wooden walkways from the real swamps of Mexico have been transformed into drivable structures in Forza Horizon 5.
The Arid Hills
This grassland across the rural landscape hides a large lake which dries up during the winter season. We're looking forward to seeing how that is utilised by the developers!
The Farmland
Fields of fruit trees cover the hills in the farmland area. There will also be a network of rivers providing irrigation and making this a challenging landscape in anything not designed for off-road.
The Jungle
Again, a landscape we've seen in the gameplay demos and trailer. The jungle will be a thick area of trees, the canopy perforated by god rays. This will be tricky to race through. We've also seen that this area contains waterfalls and hidden ancient temples.
We're looking forward to drifting around the recreation of Ekʼ Balam as seen in the most recent Let's Go stream!