While fans likely expected a Forza racing game this year from Microsoft, most were surprised to see it be Forza Horizon 5 instead of the latest entry from it's more simulation heavy sibling. At E3 2021, Microsoft revealed plenty of new details on the latest Horizon title as it moves players to the sunny sands of Mexico. The map itself looks to be massive full of points of interest to discover as well as 11 distinct biomes including jungles, beaches, deserts, swamps, and even a volcano.
In addition to a new location, Playground Games has made sure to load the open world racing title with new features including a revamped physics system as well as an evolution of the seasons and dynamic weather introduced in Forza Horizon 4. Part of that includes new sandstorms, dynamic weather effects that limit visibility and ratchet up the challenge when in a race. Playground Games has also confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 features the highest point in any game int he series thanks in part to the Gran Caldera volcano, a location that also marks the start of the player's journey.
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During Microsoft's Xbox Showcase at GamesCom 21, Forza Horizon 5 was once again thrust into the spotlight. This time around, fans were shown the Initial Drive, nearly 9 minutes of brand new gameplay featuring the cover cars, 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands and the Mercedes AMG ONE. As expectect, Horizon 5 starts off with a bang as players begin their adventure by jumping out of a cargo plane onto La Gran Calderra Volcano.
Naturally, Playground Games has created a visual showpiece for the Xbox Series X with impressive skyboxes, landscapes, and vistas. The race down the snowy peaks of the Volcano quickly turns into a race to the Horizon Festival featuring absolutely massive jumps, speeding through a huge duststorm, twisting and turning through a swampy jungle, and a final run along Mexico's rocky coast blazing at full speed.
In addition to the new gameplay reveal, Microsoft and Playground Games also revealed a special limited edition controller for the Xbox Series X/S. The controller sports a yellow design with pink and blue paint blotches splashed on mimicking the colors of the Horizon Festival. However, the biggest piece of this controller is that ther yellow is transparent, allowing players to see the inner workings of the controller. In addition, the controller comes with DLC for the game including a car, a cosmetic item, and a victory emote. Pre-orders are open now for $74.99 with a launch date of November 9.
Forza Horizon 5 launches November 9 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.