Let's get the raw numbers out the way first. Turn 10 is promising over 400 different cars - from 50 manufacturers across Europe, Asia and America - for use on more than 100 tracks, including the Le Sarthe and Bugatti variants of the infamous Le Mans circuit. So much content is crammed into Forza 3 that it will take up two DVDs. It sounds impressive, no doubt. Thankfully, the content on the second disc will be installed to the Xbox 360 hard drive, meaning none of that dreaded disc-swapping nonsense.
This one looks oddly familiar...
At the top of the list of new bits in Forza 3 is a 'rewind' feature, borrowed from fellow racing sim GRID. Players can, at any point during a race, rewind the clock in order to fix up any mistakes they might have made. There are absolutely no limits to, nor are there any penalties given for its use. If you're worried about it making things a bit too easy for yourself, it can be turned off - it is one of the various features that Turn 10 has added, along with automatic braking, with the goal of making the game more accessible to people who normally wouldn't touch a hardcore racing sim. Thankfully though, those who do use these features will not be 'certified' on online leaderboards.
Hence the decision to completely revamp the game's Career mode. Now dubbed the Season mode, Forza 3 will still offer players 200 different events to experience - but only three will be available at any given time on a player's calendar. What is shown on a player's calendar depends on their past efforts and preferences, resulting in a much more accessible game for beginners, but with sufficient depth for Forza veterans. It won't be just circuit racing on offer this time either - in the name of variety, oval and drag races will be present, as well as a drift events and timed runs. To start with, players will be presented with a choice of six cars, where the obvious goal is to upgrade to better sets of wheels. The leveling and XP system from Forza 2 will remain intact. As a result of the sweeping changes, Turn 10 reckons that no two player calendars will be identical.
In true Forza tradition, Turn 10 promises that the community will be well and truly catered for. Players will still be able to put their artistic skills to work with the built-in livery editor, where their work can then be placed online and even sold in the auction house, established in Forza 2. Making its debut in Forza 3 will be a new video editor, which, predictably, allows players to show the world just how pretty their cars and driving skills are. Of course, there will be plenty of actual races to participate in online, with Turn 10 promising new online leaderboards for racers, as well as painters and tuners.
Players can now pretend they are right behind the wheel of their favourite motor.
As well as refined game modes, Turn 10 is also claiming to have made a much more attractive game that runs at 60 frames-per-second. The car models have also been improved, with Turn 10 suggesting that cars will have ten times the number of polygons they did in Forza 2. Big claims, certainly - but early video and screenshots suggest that they just might have done it. But, what will excite driving fans the most are the brand new in-car views, where players can pretend they are behind the wheel of an Audi R8.
Thankfully then, it seems as if Turn 10 is determined to deliver the definitive Xbox 360 racing experience, with changes made in the hopes of making it more accessible for more casual racing fans. Best of all, if what Turn 10 has said is anything to go by, the changes haven't come at the cost of the depth of the game, which promises to be just as deep as ever. Forza Motorsport 3 looks as if it will fulfill the rather lofty expectations - and then some. Expect to see the game on store shelves on 23 October - four whole days before North America gets the game.
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