5 Hour Review: Forza 2

I literally couldn't wait to get to work today so I could sit during SOL testing and write about Forza 2. The only thing keeping me from leaving early from home was Forza 2. And I never play games in the morning before work.

I spent the first hour and a half playing the game making this. It was extremely invigorating. This "dancing sugar plum" created a slight, girlish squeal in the car leaving from EBStop. One I was glad Nicole was not witness to. One I ended up telling her about anyway.

If it helps it's testament any, I probably won't buy a steering wheel for this game. Turn 10 has seem to included voodoo in it's code that maps not only the controls for driving, but the feel of driving right into the controller. If I close my eyes while driving, I really feel like I'm overpowering a double apex and skidding into the grass. As the tires shudder over the pavement. Just before they give out. I know exactly when it will happen.

I'm starting to enjoy the speed of the gameplay. The increasing difficulty of leveling up something might as well be in a driving game. It does take away from the experience I'm used to, but it adds an element that is hard to find in Gran Tursimo that is found in so many other driving games: fun.

I have yet to experience the online sections of the game. I've only seen two people show up in my pre-race track record listings, a feature I was unaware of but glad to accept. So long are the days of A. Nonymous holding a record of 2:00:00, which are now replaced by Shoddy McNutface holding a record of -00:31:27. I'll probably get used to that though.

Other musings in the game include race music off by default, real-time reflection mapping, an extra level of zoom during graphic layering (maybe it was in the old one too), rim sizes (and better selection) and tire width, many more paint colors including metallics and 370 variations of chameleon green.

I wish there were alternate car management views, but I've come to realize that you don't need to manage cars. It sort of Googles cars for you as you pick races, like before. Panning would have been nice in the camera controls during painting. Oh..and for the sake of your lord, update the replay camera modes to include a track side only montage. Every time I start being awesome, it switches to the hood view. Remember, I used that to be awesome with already.