Forza Horizon 6

5

Overall Score

5.0/5

Pros

• New racing location in Japan
• Impressive graphics overall
• Impressive game audio
• New customization options
• Rewards for map exploration

Cons

• Main story is not interesting
• The predictable visual layout
• Missed Immersion Opportunities

forza horizon 6 review

Forza Horizon 6

“Forza Horizon 6 is an absolute masterpiece and easily one of the best racing games I have ever played”

If you love cars even half as much as I do, you have probably been waiting forever for the next Forza Horizon series installment to finally pack its bags and head to a new location, which is Japan. Well, the wait is officially over, and I can tell you firsthand that Forza Horizon 6 absolutely delivers the ultimate Japanese car-culture paradise.

From the second you mash the throttle, the game drops you into a breathtaking, open-world playground that blends a neon-lit, shrunken-down Tokyo with winding mountain passes, dense forests, and hidden rural racetracks. It strikes the perfect balance between arcade fun and realistic handling, making you feel every bit of grip as you drift through hairpins or blast down the massive highway loops.

Whether you want to customize your dream ride, build your own private track in the countryside, or just park at a convenience store to hang out and snap photos with friends, this game completely captures the soul of car culture. Trust me, you will want to grab your controller and dive into this journey right away. Let’s take a deep dive into the Forza Horizon 6 review and see if it’s as impressive as it looks. 

Overview

I will admit, it always felt a bit weird to me that the series took until its sixth entry to finally visit Japan. This is the birthplace of drifting and legendary car meets, so a stopover here is long overdue. But after spending a week tearing up the streets, I’m honestly glad the developers waited.

This game isn’t trying to be a 100% geographically accurate replica of Japan. Instead, it feels like a Japanese-themed amusement park for car lovers. It takes iconic, beautiful pieces of the country—like a shrunken-down Tokyo, sharp mountains, dense forests, rural racetracks, and the snowy Alps—and smashes them right next to each other.

The racing itself feels super familiar if you’ve played past games, blending approachable handling with a realistic sense of weight and grip. I even noticed the AI making better split-second decisions to avoid crashes. What really sets this entry apart is a revamped campaign structure that brings back the structured “wristband” progression of the older games, giving you a clear endgame and a massive final goal to chase.

What’s To Like

So why’s this game such a masterpiece? Let’s explore the reasons why. One. This is easily the most credible, detailed, and car-friendly world the series has ever built. It feels like a living world made for cars, packed with bespoke multi-level parking lots, alleyways, and gas stations where you can just park, hang out with friends, and take photos.

Two. The visual scale is a total showstopper, and it runs flawlessly with zero stuttering. I keep stopping just to admire the tiny things, like flaking paint inside overgrown tunnels, distinct textures on different road surfaces, and tire marks left by other drifters on mountain passes.

Three. The car audio is the best it has ever been. Downshifting in tight tunnels creates this amazing, realistic echo that I honestly can’t get enough of. You can even hear the faint squeak of performance brakes when you push them too hard.

Next. After 20 years, we can finally put decals on window glass! The creation tools are wild now—you can customize your own garages, build private racetracks on estates in the countryside, and set up multiplayer events anywhere in the open world with no loading screens.

Forth. The developers smartly scaled back the random “wheelspin” prizes so they don’t feel overused. Instead, you earn credits at a good pace and get to hunt down more hidden barn finds and “treasure cars” just by exploring the map.

Lastly, the massive events at the end of each campaign tier are spectacular. One of them literally features a giant mech stomping its way toward Tokyo while you race through the chaos.

The Deal Breakers

Even great games have flaws. First, there’s no Underground Garages. While the parking lots are great, I would have loved to see deep, polished-concrete underground parking garages with working gates. Games like Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown still have this game beat on that specific front.

Next. The storyline is not that interesting. The game makes a big deal about your character arriving as a regular tourist instead of an established superstar, but it doesn’t actually change anything. You are immediately handed three pre-modified cars anyway, making the choice feel kind of meaningless.

Thirdly, since the game introduces a cool new feature where you can physically drive up to cars parked in the world to buy them, I wish the intro made you cruise around Tokyo to buy your first project car, rather than just gifting you vehicles right away.

And finally, the predictable visual layout: While the environments look gorgeous, traveling through tight tunnels that predictably open up into combat-style racing arenas can get a little formulaic after a while.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Forza Horizon 6 is an absolute masterpiece and easily one of the best racing games I have ever played. Playground Games took their time bringing the series to Japan, but the wait paid off completely.

By combining the most jaw-dropping, detailed map in franchise history with a vastly improved progression system, they created a pure automotive paradise that you’ll want to get lost in for years.

If you’re ready to start your own racing open-world adventure, click the link HERE to check out more of what’s in store. Once you dive in, come back and leave a comment to let me know—is Forza Horizon 6 your favorite game of the year so far, or do you think another upcoming title will steal the crown? 😀