Looking under the hood of Forza Motorsport 2 can be a tad intimidating. The graphical engine that pushes oodles of polygons at sixty frames per second is almost as incomprehensible to the average gamer as the physics engine that is updating three hundred times per second. The level of realism that this simulation foists upon the gamer might scare off those that think that fun got left behind in the dust. It didn’t. The developers of Forza 2 haven’t just created a shining example of technology design, but they’ve also presented a darn fun game to drive it.

Rubber, Meet Road

Forza 2’s dedication to being as realistic a driving simulation as has ever been seen on a console is really just an outgrowth of the original game on the Xbox. Like the original, Forza 2 dives deep into the physics model to make every last variable – from the surface of the road to the type and size of tires you have, to every last little tuning adjustment you can make – contribute to a very detailed look at car performance. The deeper you get in to this game, the more you’ll understand how cars work, and the recreation of reality is so good, that driving any individual car could pass as a virtual test drive of the product. It’s a real testament to the talent of the developers and their eye for detail.

Car-P-G

Of course all this realism could possibly scare off a lot of gamers who are more interested in the sense of speed and power, and don’t mind power-sliding through corners and bounce-passing off of opponents. But for those with patience (and secure enough in their manhood to play with the stability and traction control options turned on), Forza 2 is tremendously satisfying. That has a lot to do with its RPG like gameplay that has you leveling up as you win races and earn money, unlocking tracks and cars and constantly deepening the experience. It’s easy to get sucked into all-night sessions of Forza 2, trying to finish one more race to earn enough money to make it to level 30 and open a whole new series of races and tracks and cars. Your garage full of cars is almost like your party in a traditional RPG, each with a specific use; your ‘72 Lotus Elan sprint comes in handy for the classic sports car challenges as well as European only type events, while you might use your souped up Lancer Evo in events limited to All Wheel Drive cars only, or a rivalry race against a bunch of Subaru Imprezas. The possibilities are numerous and you’ll want to explore them all.

My Car, Mine.

In addition to the amazingly detailed level of car customization you can do under the hood to affect car performance, Forza’s popular painting tools are back, with even more stencils and paint layers from which to craft amazing looking graphics. Provided you have the artistic talent. Just take a look at the Forza forums to see the amazing designs players have been coming up with. I can’t remember another game that created as much of a sort of side cottage industry as this, and with Forza 2’s newfound ability to trade and sell customized cars over Xbox Live, it’s clear the developers have realized what a hit this feature is. It’s just the cherry on top of an amazingly delicious ice cream sundae of a game.

Article by: Tom Price