I really like Forza Horizon 6, and I haven’t run into it yet

For the past week, I’ve spent every evening walking through the Japanese countryside, humming Babymetal as I watch it. Forza Horizon 6 is a racing game, in which you play as an upcoming driver with the goal of making a reputation. But, like the rest of the series, it’s an open world, where you can spend as much – or, in my case, too much – time exploring as you go. And that’s something that has changed a lot Hope 6. It is a combination of design and form: Japanese fiction is not the largest map in a In the front game, but it’s incredibly diverse, and the game lets you get as far as you like. Hope 6 from the glittering streets of Tokyo to the snowy streets at the foot of Mount Fuji, and I won’t stop until I’ve downloaded every one of them.

The purpose is written in Hope 6as it was with its predecessors, and moving up through the groups of the Festival of the Horizon, a coordinated series of driving events that spread over one geographical area, in this case all of Japan. This can include anything from drag racing to clay singing to stunts on trails that are intricately placed on the side of a cliff. As you compete, you earn points, which connect you to chains that open up more events as you earn more points. It is an open system, which allows you to focus on the competitions you like or are good at and avoid the rest.

Or, if you’re like me, avoid them all.

Depending on how I play Hope 6All races and progress is a way to progress, and the end result is driving cool cars around Japan. And you don’t have to spend a lot of time competing in Horizon Festival events to do that. Part of this is because almost every map is open to you from the start. As soon as I finished the game’s opening, I went ahead and just drove wherever I wanted; Aside from one fenced off area that I guess represents the slow races, I still haven’t found anywhere I couldn’t go.

Hope 6 encourages this type of research. There are two ways to progress through the game: One is about the Horizon Festival events, and the other is called “Discover Japan,” which sounds like a tourist attraction and one. Here you get the experience not of winning races or setting the best time, but of seeking everything. You earn XP by traversing new roads, finding mascot characters and smashing them (don’t worry, they’re statues), and taking on different roles that only come with traveling with real friends. In one story, you’re helping a photographer take photos for a magazine cover; on the other hand, you are trying various mechanical tests by driving in difficult places that you can ignore.

My favorite tasks were finding hidden cars just for taking photos. You are given a glimpse of a rare Porsche or BMW, indicating that it is near a shopping center or near a certain bridge, and if you can find it, it’s all yours. These questions reminded me of similar songs in one of my favorite sports in the world, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildimmersing me in the world by avoiding map markers and forcing me to rely on my eyes. What all these questions and objectives have in common is that they don’t encourage you to research, they pay you for it. They give you a sense of progress and efficiency, even if you’re just taking pictures of vending machines.

Of course, all of this would be pointless if Hope 6 It wasn’t fun to play, which I’m thankful for. The game balances realism and accessibility, resulting in a driving experience that can be forgiving and arcade-y at times, but still requires skill and understanding of cars to compete at a high level. Most importantly, this new environment is absolutely dominant. Establishing open world games is always an important part of the process, and this is true Hope 6Japanese interpretation.

This is the country’s version of the video game, shortened and remastered for the automotive scene. It can be a little weird at times; Crossing the Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, it’s unusual when there are no pedestrians crossing. But most of the time, Hope 6‘s Japan captures the country’s mood, even if it doesn’t translate it exactly. That means you still get some great moments – riding down rainy streets at night with the bright lights of Tokyo watching behind you – but a package that feels like it’s going to last, despite its size. The map also contains small secrets and puzzles that encourage you to go off the beaten track. And radios, as in other sports, are good, which increases the chances of traveling on the road. My advice is to turn the car down to the background music.

All that said, even though I jumped on the bandwagon, I can attest that there are reasons to participate, even if you prefer the analytical side of the game. One is that you get better cars by winning major races. Also, most of the main characters have a weird cinematic vibe that makes it feel like you’re running through multiple layers. Fast and Furious movie; there are high jumps, distances to travel and obstacles, and at one point – I kid you not – a race against a giant.

A very good thing Hope 6 is that you can pick and choose how you want to do it. You are not limited to any method; you can do anything that interests you, whether it’s competing or exploring, and follow that thread to new and exciting places. I’m sure for most people that means faster cars and more trophies. Me? I’m content to drive a refurbished Nissan through the winding forest roads, Rise Against providing the soundtrack for my destructive path.

_{Forza Horizon 6 launches on Xbox and PC on May 19th. A PS5 version is planned for later in 2026.}