At Xbox’s E3 presentation, Playground Games revealed the latest addition to the Forza Horizon series, Forza Horizon 5. The open world driving game will see its titular festival head to the stunning and diverse landscapes of Mexico.
The previous entry in the series was released almost three years ago and explored the countryside and highlands of Great Britain. Forza Horizon 5 will be releasing on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on November 9 this year and will be available on Xbox Game Pass the same day.
Forza Horizon 5 is set across a large area of Mexico and will cover rainforests, deserts, seaside towns, beaches, Mayan ruins, canyons, and even a volcano. This volcano also happens to be the highest point ever in a Forza Horizon game. Players will also be able to whip around in the twisting streets of Guanajuato. Mike Brown, Creative Director at Playground Games, said the Mexico map is the “largest and most diverse open world ever” in a Forza Horizon game.
The game will also be getting Expeditions which are missions that are part of a campaign mode that has players going on an “adventurous journey across Mexico to explore new locations” that the Horizon Festival can expand to, Brown said. Forza Horizon 5 will also have an Events Lab mode, which provides players with the tools to create custom races and game modes.
Elsewhere, the game promises more of the same arcade racing action, filled with physics defying stunts and a massive array of vehicles to drive around in, from modern supercars to off-road buggies. The cover car for this title is the Mercedes-AMG Project One Forza Edition, which can be seen ripping through the Mexican country in a Forza Horizon 5 gameplay demo.
The world has been captured in incredible photorealistic detail and looks stunning, especially with ray tracing technology. Brown said that Forza Horizon 5 has dynamic lighting that changes with every frame. The next generation of Horizon live servers will also ensure that other online players are always nearby. A new AI assistant called Forza Link will also track the status of players and those they meet online to help connect them.
Forza Horizon 5 looks incredible so far and its day one release on Game Pass this year will mean lots of players will have an affordable way to jump into the game. No news on the upcoming Forza Motorsport was revealed today, despite being announced at last year’s Xbox showcase. Given how good Forza Horizon 5 looks, it is likely that Turn 10 Studios needs plenty more time to recreate the huge roster of cars and tracks that should be available in the upcoming game in stunning detail.
Forza Horizon 5 will launch on November 9, 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.