The Forza Horizon series started as a side project a spin-off of the more serious Forza Motorsport games. But over time, it grew into something much bigger. Six games later, it is now one of the best racing franchises in the world. It has taken players to Australia, the UK, Italy, and Mexico. But there was always one place missing from the list. Japan. Fans had been asking for it for years, and Forza Horizon 6 finally delivers it. The good news is it was absolutely worth the wait.
The World Is the Star
The moment you arrive in Forza Horizon 6, the map grabs your attention and does not let go. The Horizon Festival has set up in Tokyo and the wider Japanese region, and what Playground Games has built here is the best open world in the series so far. You can drift through the famous Shibuya Crossing, race down narrow mountain roads buried in snow, speed past cherry blossom trees, and cut through quiet bamboo forests. Every region feels different, and every time you enter a new area, it feels like a proper event rather than just a loading screen.
The northern part of the map is especially striking, with massive snowbanks lining the roads and shadows stretching across the streets. The southern areas feel warmer, more colorful, and full of life. The variety across the map is genuinely impressive, and the way it all connects feels natural and thoughtful. This is not just a backdrop for racing it is a place you actually want to explore. In fact, simply driving around and seeing what is there is more fun than many of the actual races.
Drive It Your Way
One of the best things about Forza Horizon 6 is that it works for absolutely everyone. Whether you are a hardcore racing fan or someone who has never played a driving game before, the game adjusts to fit you perfectly.
Want a tough, realistic experience where every mistake costs you? Turn off the assists, switch on real damage, and the game becomes a proper challenge. Want something more relaxed where you can enjoy the scenery without worrying too much about the road? Turn on the driving aids, use the rewind button to undo mistakes, and the game becomes a stress-free joyride. There is even an autonomous driving mode that takes you to your destination, letting you sit back and just watch the world go by.
The game never once makes you feel bad for how you choose to play. It simply hands you the options and steps back. That kind of respect for the player is rare, and Forza Horizon 6 wears it well.
600 Cars and Something for Everyone
At launch, Forza Horizon 6 comes with over 600 cars. Since Japan is home to so many famous car manufacturers, this is the perfect setting to show them off. Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Subaru they are all here in full force, alongside hundreds of other vehicles from around the world. No two cars feel the same. Learning how each one handles, sounds, and responds on different road types is genuinely part of the fun.
If you enjoy tuning, the game gives you deep options to adjust your car’s performance to suit any event or season. The weather and seasonal system, which first appeared in Forza Horizon 4, returns here and keeps things constantly changing. Rain-soaked roads, icy mountain passes, and sun-drenched city streets all feel different, and choosing the right car for each condition adds a layer of strategy that car enthusiasts will love.
Online play is also strong. Taking your carefully tuned car against real players is a bigger challenge than racing against the computer, and the ability for players to create their own custom race events keeps the online side feeling fresh.
More Than Just Racing
Here is where Forza Horizon 6 really separates itself from other racing games. It is not just about crossing the finish line first. A huge part of the game is about simply being in the world.
You will take tourists on sightseeing drives through beautiful parts of the map. You will help a photographer track down the perfect shot. You will deliver food across the city in missions that feel a bit like an old arcade game. Some of these side activities are better than others the delivery missions are probably the weakest of the bunch but most of them are genuinely enjoyable and give you a reason to slow down and appreciate the world around you.
The best activity in the entire game, by a wide margin, is the treasure car hunts. There are nine hidden cars scattered across the map, one in each region. Your only clue is a single photograph showing somewhere in the game world. You have to look at the photo, match the landmarks and surroundings to a real location on the map, and then drive there to find the car. It sounds simple, but it is surprisingly absorbing. It also means that many players, including this reviewer, spent the first several hours completely ignoring the main campaign just to find these hidden vehicles.
The classic Barn Finds return too hidden classic cars tucked away in remote parts of the map, waiting to be discovered and restored. These little moments of exploration are what make Forza Horizon feel special.
Rewards That Never Stop
Forza Horizon has always been generous with its reward system, but Horizon 6 cranks it up even further. The game cheers you on constantly. Win a race and you earn progress points and experience. Lose a race and you still earn something. Drive cleanly without crashing and you get a bonus. Crash into everything in sight and you earn wreck points. There is almost no action in the game that does not give you something back.
Experience points unlock skill points, which improve your car’s abilities. Progress points unlock new events and missions. Wheelspins random prize draws that you earn regularly hand out free cars, cash, and fun cosmetic items like custom horns and outfits. Every time you open the menu, there is something new waiting to be claimed. It never feels greedy or manipulative. It just feels fun, like the game is constantly patting you on the back and saying well done.
The properties you can buy around the map now come with full customization tools, letting you build and decorate your own space and invite other players to visit. It is a nice idea, but in practice it does not add a huge amount to the experience. The fun in Forza Horizon 6 is firmly on the road, not in a garage.
Stunning to Look At and Listen To
Visually, this is one of the best-looking games available right now. On both Xbox Series X and PC, the level of detail is remarkable. Cars are modeled inside and out with real precision, and the environments shift beautifully across different weather conditions and times of day. Switching between cars is faster than in previous games, with almost no wait time at all.
The sound design matches the visuals. Every car has its own authentic engine note the deep growl of a muscle car, the sharp scream of a sports car, the quiet electric hum of a Tesla. Switching to the first-person driver view and just listening to your car on a long straight road is a simple pleasure that never gets old.
A Few Things That Could Be Better
Forza Horizon 6 is excellent, but it is not perfect. The biggest issue is one that only really affects players who have been with the series for a long time. The formula has not changed very much. The big Showcase events dramatic races against helicopters, robots, and other oversized machines are still exciting to watch, but if you have seen a few of them before, the pattern becomes predictable. You know the game is going to let you win as long as you keep pace. The spectacle is still there, but the genuine surprise is not.
The game also makes a confusing decision near the end. For the first thirty or so hours, it tells you repeatedly that you are free to play however you like. Then, as you approach the final events, it suddenly demands that you have completed nearly everything before it will let you continue. That shift feels out of place given everything the game had been saying up to that point.
These are not dealbreakers, and if this is your first Forza Horizon game, you will likely not notice them at all. But for veterans of the series, they are worth mentioning.
My Verdict
Forza Horizon 6 is a wonderful game. Japan was the ideal choice of setting, and Playground Games has made the most of it. The map is the best the series has ever had. The cars look, sound, and feel incredible. The flexibility in how you play means it genuinely works for everyone. And the constant stream of rewards and discoveries means there is always a reason to keep playing.
If you are new to the series, you are in for a treat. If you are a long-time fan, you will love it while hoping the next game pushes the formula a little further. Either way, right now, Forza Horizon 6 is the open-world racing game to beat.
Rating: 9 / 10
