Forza Horizon is a 2012 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360 on 23 October 2012. The game is the first installment of the Forza series, having originally spun-off from Turn 10 Studios-developed Forza Motorsport titles. Taking place during the fictitious Horizon Festival, a street racing event, the player's aim is to progress via winning races, while also increasing their popularity level by performing stunts and activities. Unlike previous games in the Forza series, Forza Horizon takes place in an open world that players can explore. Upon its release, Forza Horizon received critical acclaim. It has since spawned its own series, with four additional sequels to date: Forza Horizon 2 in 2014, Forza Horizon 3 in 2016, Forza Horizon 4 in 2018, and Forza Horizon 5 in 2021. The game was delisted from the Xbox 360 Marketplace on October 20, 2016, following the expiration of its car branding licenses.[2] On 23 June 2023, it was announced that the online servers for Forza Horizon along with Forza Horizon 2 would be shut down on 22 August 2023. Forza Horizon focuses specifically on casual street racing, rather than professionally on race tracks, as it takes place on a map of temporarily closed public roads. The open-world map that players can explore is based on the U.S. state of Colorado. It features multiple types of races, such as circuit races, off-road rally, and traditional point-to-point races. The roads feature both AI traffic and, when playing online, other player-controlled drivers.[4] Players may challenge the other racers they encounter to a one-on-one race to a given location. The races start at the current location, and finish at a randomly generated way-point, usually more than 500 metres away from the player and their opponent. A skill system is implemented in the game; players earn popularity during races by driving aggressively. Acts such as drifting, jumping over obstacles and getting a car on two wheels all contribute to the player's popularity level. These can be chained together in a combo, which in turn affects the money players are paid at the end of a given race.[5] As a player's popularity level increases new special events are unlocked, such as races against helicopters and planes.[5]
In an interview with Turn 10's creative director Dan Greenawalt, he stated the game was developed in close relation to real music festivals—namely Coachella—and that he envisioned a more relaxed game-play experience than other games in the Forza series, while keeping a more realistic handling style. Being the main theme of the game, a large focus of the game is on the festival itself and activities surrounding it, rather than just racing.[6]
Speed traps are present in the game, and players can challenge each other for the top speed in a given area. Cameras record player times, which can then be shared among rivals. Those rivals can then attempt to beat the shared time.[5] A photography mode is also included. In addition to races, the map is scattered with barn find cars, rare classical vehicles that can be restored and added to the players garage for later use.[7][8]
Other aspects of game-play include an auto-show, in which the player can buy or sell cars; a garage, in which the player can manually or automatically upgrade their cars, and a paint shop, in which players can create custom paints, liveries, and paint presets for their vehicles. When free-roaming, the player may encounter discount signs which, when smashed, give a price reduction on all upgrades from that point forwards.
