Forza Motorsport: 5 things the new game needs to succeed

News around Forza Motorsport has been thin on the ground as we approach the anniversary of the game's reveal.

While there was a recent playtest, there is no sign of the game reaching the shelves in 2021. Which means the game is still in a pretty early stage of development.

If that's the case, then maybe Turn 10 can still create the perfect Forza game, as long as they include these things!

Accessible sim racing

That may seem like a misnomer, but it can be done. Forza Motorsport simply needs to include a good tyre model, physics, and setups that actually do what you would expect.

The Motorsport side of the Forza series is supposed to be about actual racing, but it's been a step behind Gran Turismo when it comes to the more realistic aspects of racing. Which is saying something.

We don't need it to be like Assetto Corsa, but since Forza Motorsport 7 arrived Assetto Corsa Compitizione has landed on Xbox and shown people what can be done on console, while the F1 series has evolved massively into the accessible "simcade" style it is today.

Striving for realism while keeping the game accessible should be the #1 target for Turn 10 with Forza Motorsport.

Policing the online scene

Every online racing game struggles with its penalty system. There are just too many moving parts to properly adjudicate without having a physical race observer in EVERY lobby. That said, there are certainly steps that could be taken to make online racing less chaotic.

Ghosting cars if they are 100 yards beyond the ideal braking point would stop those divebomb revenge players that can't handle you overtaking them and are looking to take you out. Immediately ghosting players that get all 4 wheels off the track and only making them physical again when they are pointing the right way and up to racing speed would prevent you getting taken out by someone elses mistake.

Dynamic weather

It seems so obvious it shouldn't need mentioning, but FM7 was that long ago that it really does!

As Forza allows you to do some true endurance races there needs to be a clear and good day/night cycle along with dynamic weather. Some of this comes back to the physics. You need to be able to feel the loss of grip on a cold morning run compared to a late afternoon surface, you want to have a real difference between a light drizzle and a downpour of rain.

Weather-effected races are often the most enjoyable (and demanding) races players can be involved in. It gives us all the chance to play Rainmeister and pretend like we are Ayrton Senna, gambling onto different tyres and finding grip in strange parts of the track.

Proper force feedback and wheel support

The availablity and popularity of racing wheels has come a long way since FM7 was first released. More console players than ever have a wheel and want to use it with new racing titles.

While the Horzion series should always prioritise pad players and arcade racing, Motorsport needs to fully embrace wheel performance and give players a sense of actually driving the car.

FM7 can feel very floaty and light on a wheel, and that needs to change. We want to fight the car through corners and feel the rear slipping, we need to feel the bumps and the way setup changes impact handling.

VR support

Consoles are yet to fully jump on the VR bandwagon, but racing titles are the ideal place to show off what VR can do.

It might be a little niche, but fully supporting VR in Forza Motorsport is a great way to be a pioneer in the genre, and it would force Gran Turismo 7 to step up or get left behind!