In addition: first look at the cross-platform comparison.

Almost since the existence of video games, racing games have been a monument to the most advanced technology-an opportunity to dazzle the audience and vividly realize cars sliding on virtual highways. With the development of this technology, the performance of driving has also evolved-more advanced physics technology enables more realistic simulations, and a more powerful graphics architecture makes the world around you more vivid. With the introduction of new game consoles, new racing games will inevitably prove why you need that new machine. From Project Gotham Racing to Forza Motorsport to Forza Horizon​​n, Microsoft understands this-and in Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games provides an extraordinary system display.

The defining structure of Forza Horizon is a combination of driving and open world exploration. Players will be immersed in a vast map full of competitions and events-participating or just participating in these events allows players to drive a variety of powerful cars along the way. In order for this work to be effective, the game needs to render large open areas that are both visually striking and completely clear, while retaining the near-field details that can show the car and the environment. Oh, it needs to do all this work at a speed of 200 miles per hour.

Forza Horizon 5 does better in these respects than any previous work in the series-the car and the surrounding environment are more detailed than before, while objects in the distance retain appropriately rich outlines. Without a doubt, this is one of the most visually impactful racing games we have ever played at Digital Foundry. It immediately and surprisingly demonstrated the features that the Xbox series of consoles can provide, and at the same time, it also works well on the Xbox One-class kit (we will study this more closely in the next article soon) . This is the most ambitious cross-generational game we have seen, and a masterpiece of scalability.

Forza Horizon 5: Digital Foundry technology display.

But in order to keep the basics unaffected, Forza Horizon 5 basically has six console versions. Xbox One is rendered at 1080p, 4x MSAA (the dynamic resolution is sometimes reduced to 810p), which is convincing enough at runtime, but significantly reduces the visual feature set. Xbox One X? Native 4K, minimum 1600p DRS-4x MSAA is used again-but the visual features are fully increased. Both games run at 30fps with almost no noticeable performance degradation. On the new machine, there are performance mode and quality mode. The S series runs quality mode between 1440p and 1080p (the preview code upgrade we saw), the performance alternative is 1080p, and DRS falls back to 810p. X series? Fixed native 4K in quality mode, with 4K performance options that can be reduced to 1600p. Similarly, 4x MSAA is the standard configuration of all Xbox series game consoles, and it is worth emphasizing that DRS is only activated occasionally.

In addition to resolution and frame rate, there is more scalability. The visual quality is divided into three (very) broad levels. Xbox One S is a sufficiently low-spec replica of other versions-the new signature technology is in place, the content is complete, and the running speed looks good, but obviously this is not the best state of the game. Xbox One X not only has more pixels, but also provides a richer experience in all aspects-it is close to the performance mode of the X series and S series, and only runs at half frame rate. The quality model of the series mixers is worlds apart in detail, fidelity and completeness-the level of detail is surprising. Interestingly, 4x MSAA is suitable for the original representation of the vehicle, but is not really compatible with the organic landscape, producing flickering artifacts in situations where the time AA solution might help. In the third quality level, Series X goes one step further than Series S, with additional technology putting it in the high-end PC experience.

However, as we learned during our recent visit to Playground Games, although the game pushes the visual effects to the high end, Forza Horizon 5 still benefits from its support for old consoles to a certain extent-therefore Although the achievements seen here are extraordinary, we know that there is still room for growth. To be fair, we have seen this growth. As a study of this work, I re-examined the 2014 Xbox One Forza Motorsport Horizon 2-as handsome as it was then, and its three sequels running on the same hardware look heavenly in terms of details, effects, and fidelity. Difference.

The core of the game is the car you drive. Forza Horizon 5 has a variety of vehicles to choose from. Although your surroundings are dense, the level of detail of the vehicles is impressive. There are plenty of options to choose from: this is where the partnership between Turn 10 and Playground Games really benefits it. Essentially, cars created for Forza Motorsport, which focuses more on simulation, can be used directly in Horizon.

However, the Playground does have certain control over the car design and can freely modify the aspects to suit their game. This includes everything from exotic customization to the ability to showcase convertible cars with the roof down. Overall, what is impressive about Horizon is that Playground Games combines car design with the fidelity of closed-circuit racing games and integrates them into a completely open world, which is a bigger game. When checking the vehicle, I first looked at the models unique to Forza Horizon 5-many cars in the game also appeared in Forza 7 and Horizon 4, but with some new inclusions.

One of the new cars added to the Horizon 5 is the gorgeous new Toyota Supra-this collaboration between Toyota and BMW makes the classic Supra design beautiful and it is well represented here. The paint finish with a clear coating is perfect, truly scattering light across the entire surface. For this game, the Playground also added curved normals-the main benefit of this technology stems from improvements in lighting and shadows. For example, when looking at the area around the bumper, you can see the benefits of improving shadows in the occluded area. This is a new feature that improves fidelity and is not available on the basic Xbox One.

When viewing cars in Forza Vista or using photo mode in specific locations, enable ray tracing on Series X and S consoles in quality mode-of course, it would be nice to see this in games, but at least it provides one The good visual advantage in these modes is especially self-reflection-you can see the mirror or wheel accurately reflect. You can also admire details such as the texture of the brake disc or the tire itself. The bodywork is also very delicate, the details are down to the smooth and round parking sensor. The interior quality is also good-comparable to Forza Motorsport 7, but I think the shading has improved. From the buttons on the steering wheel, the labels on the shift lever, to the buttons on the entire center stack, you have it all. It looks very good.

All of this applies to the cars I checked, so they all look great, but even if you stop in a normal game, those cars that are just driving around the world are very detailed. Now, of course, during matches, some LOD management will happen, but on Xbox Series X-especially in quality mode-it is almost invisible. The point is that the car rendering is great and comparable to a more focused simulator, and the engine improvements help these vehicles to be brighter. Of course, the car only occupies a part of the visual experience. The environment is equally important. The advantage of the Forza Horizon series is that it depicts dramatic places where players can drive anywhere. Mexico is one of the best choices we have seen so far, and the technology supports it well.

The sense of scale is huge, and the change in height is something we have never seen in this series, but in order to best understand the scale, we need to start small. For Playground Games, making games look beautiful is not only about providing a convincing sense of movement at speeds of up to 200 mph and more, but also about creating a convincing simulation of the world, maintaining at walking speed-and having Lots of detail. The road surface itself is as detailed as you would expect in a driving game, but for the first time the developers integrated parallax occlusion maps into the terrain surface with Series X quality mode. This allows the appropriate height and viewing angle to be set on such surfaces, thereby increasing the sense of realism.

When using the quality mode, another similar technique is also used for building materials: cone-shaped ladder mapping. Stop the game, enter photo mode and travel in the environment-the smallest bricks have convincing depth. When you are off-road, the level of detail is even more impressive. The actual geometry is combined with the terrain to further increase the depth of some scenes, but the way the procedurally drawn ground system works surprised me. The forest floor is full of pine cones, leaves, pine needles and branches. Screen space shadows are also used to highlight small plants.

Essentially, what we have here is the result of Playground's "recipe system", in which multiple texture layers are combined and then painted in the entire landscape. In quality mode, the X series can combine up to five layers to create complex materials. When drawing the landscape, the attributes of the result are also considered-for example, where grass is drawn, the effect of this on the physics of the car is automatically considered. Basically, the combination of procedural generation and these recipes allows artists to quickly (but carefully) create highly realistic environments. Then there is the leaf system-the developers have greatly enhanced the appearance and response of the trees and plants in this game. First, there is a new light penetration system that can affect how light passes through leaves. The leaf bending system has also been enhanced so that different types of trees can bend and sway correctly in the wind-and the wind system has also been upgraded. When the storm comes, this is a sight worth seeing, that's for sure. In fact, Forza Horizon 5 accurately maps the weather system of the entire game world.

Another key improvement in Horizon 5 is that it relies on more detailed environmental grids-most notably rock formations. This allows a significant increase in the perception of scene details, as jagged and smooth rock formations define the terrain area. Then there are towns scattered around the world-the average level of detail of buildings has increased significantly compared to earlier entries in the series, and so has the density. Now more objects and moving elements appear in these scenes, which helps to create an environment that feels detailed enough to support walking around.

These are just some of the elements in the entire game, and they are all used to create the various biomes you will explore. From the dense jungle environment to the huge active volcano, there are many places worth seeing. The main factor that helps sell this environment is the visibility you get. In previous games, there was always a feeling that the hills basically limited your overall view of the area, but there are more views in Horizon 5 that allow you to see far away. This alone will help create a more enjoyable world of exploration. Part of the reason that the previous version is still persuasive is that even on the basic Xbox One, the perspective details are preserved, emphasizing scale and scope-but there is more to rendering the world than the original geometric details.

From weather effects to lighting and shadows, the atmosphere in Forza Horizon 5 is defined by a series of changes and improvements made to the core rendering system. First of all, one of the most important improvements made to the renderer is the introduction of a new global illumination method-the voxelization solution of the previous game has disappeared, replaced by facet GI-or surface-driven global illumination, To be precise, render indirect light reflections. Essentially, the GI data is generated based on the normal direction and albedo of the surface, and is placed using a procedural probe system. However, the probe system has a set of rules that can be applied, allowing developers to move probes more strategically to focus on key areas, such as tunnel entrances or around buildings.

This data is baked, but because of the use of computational shaders at runtime, it can be combined with real-time lighting conditions to create various blends. This means that we can obtain appropriate reflected lighting under appropriate circumstances, while reducing the obvious light leakage and real-time changes throughout the day in voxel-based solutions. This solution is also applicable to the previous generation machines, but on the Xbox Series X, the resolution of GI data has been increased by four times.

The combination of GI solutions and physics-based special materials has produced some very realistic scenes that almost passed the "small picture test", where viewing the screenshots of the game in a small size can almost make you believe that this is really one. a photograph. Forza Horizon 5 also utilizes a large-scale environmental occlusion channel, which helps to properly shade the area without creating the impression of ugly black outlines. This soft AO channel helps to give the impression of darker jungle or shadows and cracks around the vehicle.

Another major advancement of the game is its weather system. During the game, you will encounter a series of weather conditions, including severe sandstorms and rainfall, but the new feature in Horizon 5 is a way to communicate these conditions to the player. First of all, the sky system can now correctly reflect the upcoming weather. When the storm passes through the landscape very realistically, you will see cloud changes and swirls. The scene darkens, the clouds thicken, and raindrops inevitably begin to fall. This moment-just before the rain-is one of my favorite weather conditions in real life, and I was surprised by how well the game captures it, especially when using HDR. Puddles also gradually formed, causing visible reflections, while water droplets appeared on cars and water surfaces.

Sandstorms may be more extreme-just like rain, you can see the storm from a distance, until a certain point, the developers rely on particles to show the incoming sand. However, once you drive directly into it, the game will transition to a completely volume style fog-something that should be used in various other conditions throughout the game. The particles are also properly lit and shaded on the Xbox Series X. In fact, the initial opening scene at the top of the active volcano is an amazing display.

We focus on the graphics aspect of the game, but audio is also an important part of the horizon experience. Elaborate soundscapes or soundtracks can even elevate medium games to new heights and push great games to heaven. This is especially true for racing games, where the soundtrack and sound effects must be perfectly coordinated to maximize the player's performance. Forza Horizon 5 provides this at different levels from music selection to sound processing to the original sound effect itself.

The DF team's first impression of Forza Horizon 5 is based on the Xbox series code covering the first hour or so of the game.

First, audio uses a form of software ray tracing to correctly simulate audio collisions. Developers can mark different scenes to indicate the type of material-whether it is metal, wood or concrete-and the sound engine will respond correctly. Sound bounces off the environment, making these different areas produce different sound responses. The game can also change the sound based on whether the sound source is blocked or not-so the car behind a large building will sound different from the car on the scene. In theory, you should be able to hear the car turning off the screen without seeing it.

This is combined with the most advanced Dolby Atmos soundscape to take full advantage of height channels (if you install them in a home theater setting). Obviously, this is not something we can accurately convey in written words, but consider the sound of rain or wind surrounding the room while driving, and the sound of objects whizzing by at high speed. It's incredible. The game also actively uses the LFE channel, the bass is extremely rich and deep, sometimes causing room vibration.

Forza Horizon​​ n 5 creates "moments" with exciting and moving audio. It goes beyond technology-it's about music and how to match key moments in the game, especially in presentation events. The entire soundscape is designed to strengthen the emotional connection with the driving experience, something captured by arcade racing masters such as OutRun and Ridge Racer, and Forza Horizon 5 is further enhanced-the perfect fusion of sound, visual effects and handling. It is very powerful. Now, of course, you don't need surround sound settings to enjoy game audio (surround headset audio is still good!) But this is definitely one of the situations I highly recommend.

This is the hallmark of a game masterpiece. After all, I still don’t feel I have run out of good things about Forza Horizon 5. This is a content-rich game that always offers something new and exciting-an open world game that attracts and keeps your interest, always working to make you feel good when you play the game. In the end, Forza Horizon 5 fully met my expectations based on the history and quality of the series. Once they fully transition to the new series of consoles, I hope the team can get more, but for now, this may be the most impressive example of a cross-generational game I have played so far. They made all the right decisions when building the Series X version of the game, and Series S offers so many things on such a low-cost console. There are some caveats, the previous generation version still applies, but I recommend playing on the series hardware.

In short, I think you can now tell that I like this style of play very much. I am not ashamed to admit that non-simulation racing games are one of my favorite gaming experiences. Frankly speaking, Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best games of its kind.

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Senior Writer at Digital Foundry | Dark 1x

As an American living in Germany, John has been playing games and collecting games since the late 80s. His keen vision and obsession with high frame rates have earned him the nickname "Human FRAPS" ​​in certain circles. He is also responsible for the creation of DF Retro.

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