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    Forza Horizon 5 steals the show at E3 opening, coming November 9th

    Overnight E3 kicked off for 2021 and Xbox, with the newly acquired Bethesda, showed off 30 games, 27 of which will be in Xbox Game Pass.

    While all gamers have their own favourites, for me, the game that absolutely stole the show was Forza Horizon 5. There is no debating, that it looks absolutely incredible and I wish they’d share their secret source with other developers, because what they’re able to accomplish with the same hardware is nothing short of amazing.

    FH5 was one of the a very select set of titles that actually used the in-game engine to render the visuals we seen today. from the presentation, we know they went to incredible lengths to achieve the realism we see in the demo. This included capturing the sky in 12k, which obviously gets down-scaled to 4K by the time we play, but the clouds look real, essentially because they are.

    In the jungle, we see the volumetric lighting system feature god rays through the leaves. There’s a faithful recreation of an active volcano using photogrammetry data, which precisely maps the landscape, you get to race on. From racing off-road through the sandy deserts, to sliding sideways through tight and detailed streets, the game looks stunning and that’s before we see drivers encounter an all consuming dust cloud.

    One of the new tricks modern consoles are capable of, is ray-tracing, and you’ll be able to explore the cars in stunning photo-realism in Forzavista.

    In Forza Horizon 5, racers get to explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico. Showcased in the preview we seen today were new cars like the Merecedes Project One (Forza Edition), the Ford Bronco, Porsche Taycan to name a few.

    It’s been all the way back in 2018 since we got the last title in the franchise, Horizon 4, which did receive a visual upgrade last year when the Xbox Series X shipped. A few years on and the list of features for Horizon 5 are as impressive as the visuals.

    • A Diverse Open World – Lead breathtaking expeditions across a world of striking contrast and beauty.Discover living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons, and a towering snow-capped volcano.
    • An Adventurous Open World – Immerse yourself in a deep campaign with hundreds of challenges that reward you for engaging in the activities you love. Meet new character and choose the outcomes of their HorizonStory missions.
    • An Evolving Open World – Take on awe-inspiring weather events such as towering dust storms and intense tropical storms as Mexico’s unique, dynamic seasons change the world every week. Keep coming back for new events, challenges, collectibles, and rewards, and new areas to explore. No two seasons will ever be the same.  
    • A Social Open World Team up with other players and enter the Horizon Arcade for a continuing series of fun, over-the-top challenges that keep you and your friends in the action with no menus, loading screens or lobbies. Meet new friends in Horizon Open and Tours and share your creations with new community gift sharing. (On console this requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Live Gold, memberships sold separately.)
    • Your Open World– Create your own expressions of fun with the powerful new EventLab gameplay toolset including custom races, challenges, stunts, and entirely new game modes. Customize your cars in more ways than ever before with new body kits, wheels, paint options and more. Use the new Gift Drops feature to share your custom creations with the community.

    This highly anticipated follow-up arrives on November 9 on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles; PC on Windows and Steam; and Xbox Game Pass including console, PC, and Cloud Gaming (Beta). 

    Forza Horizon 5 will launch on November 5th, 2021 for Early Access customers who buy the Premium Edition and Premium Add-Ons Bundle. Those purchasing the Standard and Deluxe Editions will be able to race from Nov. 9th, 2021.

    The breakdown of versions and pricing is available below in US pricing, with AU pricing expected soon.

    • Standard Edition: $59.99, £54.99, €69.99 (retail and digital)
    • Deluxe Edition: $79.99, £69.99, €89.99 (retail and digital)
    • Premium Edition: $99.99, £84.99, €99.99 (retail and digital)
    • Premium Add-Ons Bundle: $49.99, £39.99, €49.99 (digital)

    From everything we seen today, including Halo, Horizon 5 is the game, I want to play today.

    If you missed the announcement overnight, you can watch it below in 4K.

    Jason Cartwright
    Jason Cartwrighthttps://techau.com.au/author/jason/
    Creator of techAU, Jason has spent the dozen+ years covering technology in Australia and around the world. Bringing a background in multimedia and passion for technology to the job, Cartwright delivers detailed product reviews, event coverage and industry news on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Tesla Shareholder from 20/01/2021

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