forza Archives - Shane the Gamer

Forza Motorsport (Xbox Series X) Review

Shane Thomas — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 04:42:04 +0000

Replay and Rewind. With around 500 fully detailed licensed rides on offer, Forza Motorsport hits the track at full speed on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

The long running Xbox exclusive series places you in the driver seat of some beastly cars, as you develop and progress through your racing career.

First up, you’ll do a few practice runs in varying vehicle Classes. At very first load you’re at a running start. This gives you an ideal feel for the game, as it is slow paced but worthy of the necessary experience.

Then you’re ready to set yourself up. Customize your character and choose a car. On offer is one of three vehicles from Honda, Subaru and Ford.

It’s also within the initial set up that you will set up your ‘Drivatar Difficulty’. Forza Motorsport is a game designed, developed and built for novice through to expert – this said, the harder you set the Difficulty, the more in-game credits you’re likely to score.

You can also tweak settings around Club, Sport and Expert here, again this will reflect any bonuses you receive.
Admin stuff out of the way, you’re good to go.
Races have objectives, everything from gaining a high finish placement through to lap times.

While Forza Motorsport does have the look and feel of a racing simulator, there is still an arcade flavour to it too. And this is the good thing and sets this game aside from similar titles.

As you tear around the tracks your car will Level Up. Levelling up gets you ‘Car Points’. These can be spent on parts which you can equip to your vehicle to gain speed, traction, stability and more. But, as in the real world, parts that you add to your car to improve one feature, may decrease something else, which will be displayed in the PI (Performance Rating) – so kit your ride, but do it strategically.

All vehicles have a PI limitation too. So like an inventory in a RPG game, you’re limited to what you can equip.

If you’re unsure about upgrading your car and what parts to add, you can just use ‘Quick Upgrade’ and let the game optimise the vehicle for you.

As in the real world of racing, you can get penalised for bad driving.

Go off the track or collide with another racer – if it is your fault and was avoidable, expect a time penalty.
This brings me to car damage. Graphically Forza Motorsport is flawless. But if you have an unplanned fender bender or T-Bone another vehicle in a race, aesthetically the damage is minimal.

This breaks that ‘reality’ feel. True, Forza Motorsport is not Destruction Derby, so I don’t recommend getting yourself in to a metal twisting fray, but hitting another vehicle at 200 kms per hour should do some real damage. Again, Forza Motorsport has that arcade feel.

All tracks that you race on are developed from real world, and as with the licensed vehicles, meticulously detailed, including the addition of five new ones that have not been in any prior Forza game.

You can take it online, of course with multiplayer, get your racing abilities up to scratch with Practise but it is definitely the career mode where Forza Motorsport shines. It’s well paced, and gives you a real sense of progression (and satisfaction if you complete the track objective and / or score more points by completing a bonus objective).

Whether you’re a seasoned Forza racer or about ready to jump in to the virtual drivers seat, Forza Motorsport has the looks, the feel, player progression and endless replay making it the ultimate racing game for Xbox this year.

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Forza Horizon 5 (PC / Xbox Series X) Review

Darren Price — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 09:32:53 +0000

Get your plane tickets ready as Playground Games invites players to another Horizon Festival with Forza Horizon 5. ¡Viva México!

From the moment the game loads my heart was in my mouth, with me controlling exotic cars that had, just moments before, been launched from the back of a cargo plane (in flight). Forza Horizon 5 puts its cards on the table straight for the start.

Everything about the game is designed to be over-the-top.

The introductory race alone, though the Mexican landscape, racing against two motorcycles, a plane, and a guy in a wingsuit was exhilarating and had me smiling ear-to-ear.

The Forza Horizon games have always felt like the antithesis of the dry, overly-serious (but still excellent), Forza Motorsport games. The games’ missing campaign, as it were, and Forza Horizon 5 is no exception.

Back in 2013, Playground Games took Turn 10 Studio’s incredible Forza Motorsports game engine, with its sublime car physics, and loosened a few nuts to create, in the original Forza Horizon, an arcade racing game like no other.

An open-world extravaganza of cars, set against the fictional Horizon Festival. Part burning man, part Cannonball Run, the Horizon Festival is the perfect setting to showcase a crazy racing competition on-road and off.

The first Horizon Festival took us to the US state of Colorado introducing us to a vast open-world ready to explore and race across.

For the next festival, we were off to the French and Italian Riviera, where the world opened up even more with fences now smashable for some true “off-roading”. Australia was up next before 2018’s Forza Horizon 4 took us to the United Kingdom.

Forza Horizon 5 takes us to Mexico, giving us a huge map to race across. As before, it’s a microcosm of the diverse country’s biomes. From desert to rainforest, and even an active volcano, The game certainly delivers an exciting and new environment.

If you’ve played any of the other Forza Horizon games, you know exactly what to expect. Playground Games have found the perfect formula for their games and don’t seem keen to change it. And I don’t blame them.

As with the previous games, players are participants in a massive festival of racing. From old classics to high-tech modern racing cars, there are over 500 vehicles in the game at launch. These can be won or purchased at the Horizon Festival hub.

Unlike many similar extreme sports games, Forza Horizon 5 never feels the need to force the “awesome” to be down with the kids. The game design and presentation are exciting and immersive without the need to be “zany”. Some of the radio presenters can be a bit grating, but that’s also true in real life, though.

The cars handle perfectly, but probably not accurately.

The Horizon Festival gives you, its star driver, a free pass when it comes to the laws of physics and the limits of vehicular structural endurance. This is as much down to the realistic physics simulation of Forza developer, Turn 10’s game engine as it is Playground’s arcade tweaks. It doesn’t take much to get to grips with the cars as you drift around turns seemingly with ease.

Whilst Forza Horizon 5 is based on a serious vehicle simulation, the emphasis is on fun and exciting racing across a vast open world. As with all the Forza Horizon games since the second one, you can drive anywhere, smashing through fences stone walls, bushes, and general detritus.

The game world is breathtakingly realised and open from the start to explore. The reproduction of Mexico’s landscape looks amazing. The combination of dusty roads and jungle makes it look very similar to Forza Horizon 3’s Australia. The difference, though is that this map seems a lot bigger and a lot higher.

I took a car for a run, aiming it at some mountains in the distance (the type that is usually just a backdrop to the actual environment), straight-lining it through fields and fences.

I reached the mountains, crossed over the top mountains, and found a gorge and more rolling hills on the other side. Not only is it a huge game world, but it also doesn’t hide the fact from the players, giving them beautiful vistas that go for miles.

But the cars are the stars. Expertly modelled from their real-life counterparts, the game allows players to get up close and personal, checking them out in the Forzavista virtual showroom. Ever wanted to see what it looks like climbing into an Aston Martin DB5?

Well, you can do just that.

Each car feels different to drive. Car performance can be improved and customised by installing new parts. Increasing horsepower, braking, and handling, as well as gearing and weight reductions, can give you the edge over other cars.

New cars can be unlocked or purchased in-game. Players of other Forza games will be awarded free cars for their loyalty. I got six cars for playing the previous Forza Horizon games as well as Forza Motorsport 6 and 7.

The game is based around a series of racing events and championships that become available as players progress. The events around the main stage hub are expanded by opening new venues throughout Mexico.

Each of these venues has a specialisation that adds road racing, dirt racing, PR stunts, street racing, and my personal favourite, cross-country events, to the map. To unlock these hubs, you need accolade points earned from winning races.

The races are fast and (for want of a better phrase) furious. Cars jostle for their positions with little regard for each other. Personally, I don’t think that there’s any other game that offers the same motor-racing thrill. The game can be played via a third-person chase-cam, interior camera (with or without steering wheel), bonnet cam, or clean bumper view (my personal preference).

Forza Horizon 5 is free-flowing with activities and rewards. Your car collection increases quickly as the game progresses, similarly, the never-ending flow of cash allows the purchase of upgrades and outfits for your in-game avatar.

In a very short while I found myself absolutely spoilt for choice as to which event to partake in and races opened up, dotted about the entire map. As well as races there are barn finds to locate, bonus signs to smash, speed traps, and other activities littering the landscape.

The game is set up with arcade settings by default.

But these can be adjusted for an additional challenge. The racing line can be switched off, or set to indicate braking only.

Vehicle damage, which is cosmetic only by default can be adjusted to affect performance. The steering can be switched to simulation, more in line with that of the Forza Motorsport game. The game also caters for manual gearing, with or without a clutch. Most people will play the game using a controller, but on PC it also supports the popular racing wheel setups.

This versatility, something that I’ve overlooked in the past, almost turns the game from an arcade racer into a racing simulator.

Whilst reviewing the game on PC via Steam I had issues connecting to the online element of the game.

Even on Steam, it seems that you need to log into a Microsoft / Xbox account to play the game.

It was this that seemed to be causing problems, requiring me to type my password every time the game started. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of an Xbox/Windows Store version of the game, which worked with no problems- hence the delay on this review.

Just like its predecessors Forza Horizon 5 integrates the online component virtually seamlessly into the experience. Xbox friends have “Drivatars” generated for them.

These are AI models of their driving style and populate the game world. You may find yourself racing against some familiar drivers even in single-player. If you want to go head-to-head with real people, online races can be accessed at the click of a button.

As introduced in Forza Horizons 4’s UK, seasons also feature in the game, though I doubt these will be as dramatic as snowy winters in the Scottish Highlands.

Early in the game, I did have to race through an impressive dust storm. There were also some earth tremors whilst driving up the volcano. So, I imagine drivers will have to face some environmental effects during the game. It would seem from the menu that summer is the wet season and spring is the hot season, beyond that we’ll just have to wait and see.

Each season lasts a week in real-time comes with seasonal challenges and events.

The game’s visuals have been upgraded from its predecessors, looking even better for this outing. This is not something to be taken lightly, considering just how incredible the previous games look. Even now the first Forza Horizon from 2012 still looks pretty amazing.

Forza Horizon 5 pulls out all the stops to deliver next-gen visuals that are designed for Xbox Series X. I reviewed the game on a PC powered by an Intel i9 10900K with an Nvidia RTX 3090 GPU. This enabled me to crank the visuals up to Extreme and run the game in 4K with HDR, getting a framerate of around 75 frames per second (this is at the native resolution with no downscaling tricks). This is a drop compared to that of For a Horizon 4, where I was getting 115 FPS. This drop in performance is likely due to the game’s impressive draw distance and general graphical makeover.

I did notice the framerate take a small dive a few times in the jungle areas, still way above 60 FPS, though. Testing the game with variable resolution resolved this, but personally, the drop in visual quality wasn’t worth the performance gains.

Disappointingly, ray-tracing on PC and Xbox Series X is not utilised in the actual game, just the Forzavista showroom. But, the game engine does such a good job of faking ray-tracing, that you’d never know it didn’t utilise it.

The reflections on the cars’ bodywork are amazing, as are the reflections in puddles.

Naturally, the game runs really well on the Xbox Series X.

The game visuals can be set for quality or performance.

I also got to test the game on an Xbox One X, running at 1080p. Even on the lower spec machine, the game runs faultlessly, still looking amazing. Running the game on an OG Xbox One presented a noticeable drop in resolution, but it still looked great and ran smoothly.

The Windows Store version of the game grants access to both the Xbox and PC version of the game, allowing progress to be shared between the two platforms. Whilst I’m no fan of the Windows Store, this alone makes it probably the best way to buy the game for PC users, just in case they ever need to play on an Xbox.

With the standard version of the game being free for Game Pass subscribers on release, Forza Horizon 5 is yet another reason to join Microsoft’s game subscription service.

The game is available in a few tiers.

The Forza Horizon 5 Standard Edition is exactly that, with just the game. The Deluxe Edition includes the Forza Horizon 5 Car Pass as well as the game, giving access to additional car packs as they become available. The Premium Edition is as the Deluxe Edition but with the two upcoming expansions, the Forza Horizon 5 Welcome Pack and VIP membership, which grants extra bonuses, emotes, and a free player house.

Forza Horizon 5 is more of the same, which is fine.

The presentation is slightly more refined, but still has same the superb gameplay that sets the series above its peers.

The new location is a perfect choice and the festival setting is both uplifting and a bit crazy. The game has a wonderful collection of cars that it freely gifts to players. Not only is the breakneck driving absolutely breathtaking, but so are the visuals.

One of the best games of the year, without a doubt.

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Forza Motorsport 7 (Review) Xbox One

Edwin Crump — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 23:45:40 +0000

Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon releases have become some of the most regular on the gaming release calendar, right up there with Call of Duty and FIFA.

Each year a Motorsport or Horizon releases, and the other on an alternate year. With so many entries out there, how can developer Turn 10 improve on what is already a nearly perfect game and keep pace with the rest of the gaming industry? The answer, it turns out, is by iterating everything on track, and experimenting with everything else off track. While some of these experiments are successful, others have fallen flat. It leads to a mixed release, with some of the best driving, marred by some of the worst metagame experiences.

It’s also strange to be reviewing this game on the existing Xbox One platform. Forza Motorsport 7 is THE flagship game for Microsoft’s powerful Xbox One X console, boasting enhanced resolution and visual effects. But the Xbox One X isn’t out for another few weeks, so, for consoles, the game has to be judged on its presentation for the original Xbox One (where I spent my time) and the Xbox One S.

But there’s a catch here as well.

Motorsport 7 is the first full-fledged Motorsport game to be released on PC – a part of Microsoft’s admirable Xbox Play Anywhere initiative. While Forza Horizon 3 and Forza Motorsport 6: Apex share very similar technology, Motorsport 7’s new home on PC is a milestone in Microsoft’s gaming strategy. And it is a very good port. My PC handled 1440p, 60FPS with most ultra settings at a solid 60FPS with little issue. Perhaps the most interesting part of the port is that it includes a feature normally reserved for console editions – dynamic graphics settings.

This means that you can set a target setting level (e.g. low, high or ultra) and the game will try and do its best to reach that while it can, but pull back some detail or resolution to maintain a frame-rate target where it cant. In the racing genre in particular this is extremely important, and I’m pleased to say that it works very well. Settings I’d usually lower (such as shadow resolution) I set to dynamic, just in case the game could handle the full quality settings in some moments. In an improvement on Forza Horizon 3’s settings, in Motorsport 7 you can set individual graphic settings to dynamic or not, rather than the all-or-nothing approach in Forza Horizon 3. I wish more games included this option, and I hope Motorsport 7 sets a precedent for other developers to follow.

My only complaint with the PC version (besides that it’s only available on the Windows Store) is that local splitscreen racing is not available there. On a system with vastly increased power compared to an original Xbox One, I feel like I’m slightly cheated out of the full experience. There should be more options for play on the PC (four-player splitscreen, perhaps?) rather than fewer, but the removal of splitscreen on PC follows a disappointing trend (Borderlands 2, Star Wars Battlefront etc) that I sincerely hope is arrested sooner rather than later.

But in either the Xbox One or PC version, you are going to get a beautiful version of the game. Tracks are incredibly detailed, cars are magnificent and there’s been what I think is a substantial improvement to drivers’ character models and animations, at least between Motorsport 5 and 7, having no experience with 6. But the best has to be the improved weather and skyboxes. A dynamic weather system is in play, and huge deluges in particular are spectacular. Dynamic weather affects the road surface too (make sure to enable this in your assist menu, its strangely disabled by default), making previously dry sections of track more difficult to manage.

As you might expect, cars handle fantastically. No matter the vintage or make, cars just feel right. For me, developer Turn 10 have perfected the exact space that Motorsport sits in. Not quite a sim, but definitely not arcade. While a wheel is how this game is best played, the controller experience is pretty good and I felt at home with it. Given the wide breadth of excellent racing games now, perhaps this is the time to invest.

But it’s off the track that some of the biggest changes to the game have been made. Traditionally, Forza games allowed you to decide your own balance between giving you driving assist and monetary in-game rewards. Motorsport 7 does away with this system, instead introducing loot boxes and modification cards. Simplistically, you now earn money to open loot boxes that contain more mod cards which allow you to earn more money by completing in-race challenges or by selling the card. Each card can be used multiple times, depending on the card and potential bonuses include things like extra in-game currency.

While I can see how this system mixes up the formula and provides additional excitement and variation to each race, I can’t say I was thrilled by this addition. For me, the motivations are all wrong. Players who want cars and upgrades are going to play anyway, and I’m not sure what is gained by randomising car upgrade parts. There was nothing wrong with buying upgrade parts directly so personally I feel like it’s reinventing the wheel (and making it randomised). At least it’s all with in-game currency, rather than real money, but that will soon change.

Nevertheless, I feel like its an unwelcome addition that clouds the game from what it’s truly outstanding at – racing. While I think it’s designed to make each race exciting and unique, for me it meant spending more time in menus and less time on the track. In fact, I’ve spent about 3:1 hours of non-racing to racing, which is far too high. Perhaps I’m different from the average player, but that’s without getting into detailed cars designs or other intensive off-track activities.

Other additions include a specialist car dealer who makes random visits, offering speciality cars at different price points. The dealer feels a bit like Xur from Destiny – someone you wish were around all the time but is nevertheless exciting when they’re there. It should be noted that the elite VIP package has had a substantial downgrade too, so it’s worth investigating if you really want to commit your money to that edition

Forza Motorsport 7 is an outstanding release from extremely talented developers. From its extraordinarily detailed cars, to the excellent sound design to detailed tracks it’s an admirable package. But there’s ever-more rivalry for your time in this space. From Assetto Corsa to Gran Turismo Sport and Project Cars 2, competition in racing games has dramatically improved, and Forza 7’s off-track “additions” may tempt people to look elsewhere. If they do though they’ll miss out one of the best racing games on the market, especially on consoles. And once the Xbox One X comes out, it’s sure to be the best looking console racing game, though admittedly only for a small proportion of players. I say go for it. Though there are reservations about the metagame, there is so much else to recommend.

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Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One) Review

Grant Cheetham — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 23:31:50 +0000

The Horzion festival is back and better than ever. Taking place on the gorgeous sunny shores of Australia, Forza Horizon 3 shows us how fun racing games really can be. While there is very little departure from the winning formula established in Forza Horizon 2, there is enough tweaks under the hood to make this rendition of the Horizon festival the best one yet.

For me racing games have traditionally fallen into two categories; It is either a racing simulator, focusing on realism, or an arcade racer, focusing on just being fun. Even though it is definitely leaning in the latter category, Forza Horizon 3 manages to take the best of both worlds. It does this by taking the realistic look, sound and feel of the cars from the Forza Motorsports series and builds it into an open-world racing game. The end result is the most fun I have had with any racing game before.

This year’s Forza takes place in none other than Australia. This isn’t the lazy man’s Australia though; this is the real deal. This is the Australia you get when you look past the stereotypical iconic Sydney features and find out what Australia really has to offer. Much to the benefit of the game, Sydney doesn’t even get a look in, instead we are offered up other arguably more interesting areas of Australia such as the Yarra Valley and Surfers Paradise. The attention to detail, even down to the colours of the bins, was just impressive.

Being an Australian I am sure there is a bit of bias here but I found the setting much more to my liking than Forza Horizon 2. The contrast of beautiful beaches, thriving cities, wild jungles and the lifeless outback offers up an excellent variety in scenery as well as terrain to drive on. No matter where you go, the environment just looks stunning.

For a racing game, I found myself doing an awful lot of things that weren’t related to racing, not because I had to but there is so many fun things to do. Between trying to beat your friends records at speed traps, knocking over billboards, exploring the landscape, completing bucket list challenges, trying out new cars,searching for hidden barns and trying to rack up a nice skill streaks, driving around the vast open world of Australia proves to be an extremely fun time waster.

This isn’t to say that racing isn’t done well in Forza Horzon 3. In fact, I can’t think of a way to fault it. The driving mechanics are superb. There is a mind boggling number of races you can choose from. Every race offers a unique course, utilising the wide variety of terrain on offer. The AI is great. This is really the ultimate racing experience.

The festival has been changed up a bit. This time around you aren’t just a participant in the Horizon Festival, you are now the boss. This new aspect does provide new and interesting ways to play the game and really allows the player to impact the world provided. You choose what the races are, you choose where the races are held, you grow the festival and you recruit the drivers.

This plays into the major themes ofForza Horizon 3, customisation and choice. Probably the biggest way in which this theme is manifested is with the blueprints. Instead of having to choose from a bunch of preselected race themes, you can now choose to craft one yourself. This flips the traditional formula on its head, instead of choosing a car to fit the race type, you can now fit the race type to suit the car. In addition to the theme of the event, you can also choose the weather and time of day that the race will take place in.

The Drivatar system, now synonymous with the Forza franchise, is once again featured. How the name initially comes across aside, the system gives some personality to your AI opponents. In theory it is supposed to take in some characteristics of how your friends drive. In practice, the AI you are seeing is in no way a perfect copy of the actual person however it adds some much needed human elements to the way the AI drives. Also, seeing your friends gamertag pop up above another an opponent adds much to the competitiveness of the race.

You don’t have to be a dedicated racing fan to enjoy Forza Horizon 3. Although I’ve enjoyed a couple of games in the genre over the years, I wouldn’t call myself a fan of cars or racing games. The game does an exceptional job at catering to newcomers to racing games, hardcore fans and people in between like myself.

One way in which the game does this is through the great selection of difficulty and assist options to choose from to cater to all types of gamers. My personal favourite feature is the ability to rewind time to get another attempt at that manoeuvre you just failed to pull off, taking out the frustration that can come with racing games. Although this may make some hardcore racing fans cringe, it can actually be a great training mechanism for improving your skills at racing games. While there are a variety of assists available, you are rewarded with higher credit bonuses if you don’t use them.

The car upgrading system also does an excellent job of catering to the experience of all types of gamers, something much appreciated to someone as clueless about cars as myself. If you want to dive into it yourself, there is a wide range of things you can upgrade, each with a nice description of what it actually does in layman’s terms. For the really lazy, such as myself, there is an auto-upgrade option. You select the performance target of the car you want and the game works out how to get it there.

The extensive car decorating system featured in previous entries in the series makes another appearance. While I personally don’t have the patience, it is simply amazing what people in the community can create. Just like in previous entries, whole car designs or individual decals can easily be uploaded and downloaded to and from the community. If you spent countless hours on creations in the previous entries, thankfully you are able to download them for reuse in this entry.

A big focus of Forza Horizon 3 is on multiplayer. This not only plays through the leaderboard and club system but also on the variety of online modes you can play. The most unique is the game type modes. Rather than your typical race, you instead play a variety of games which include variations of capture the flag and tag. There is certainly some room for improvement in the way the games are designed however they offer up a bit of fun when you want to take a break from racing.

My favourite online mode however comes via way of the co-op campaign. This offers basically everything you could want from such a mode, allowing you to actually progress in the campaign whilst playing with your friends. The races change up somewhat, instead of being every man for himself it becomes team based. Not only do you have to perform well but your team does as well.

While music certainly comes down to taste, I didn’t care for any of the 8 standard radio stations on offer. Microsoft seems to have had some foresight and has made available their music subscription service Groove as a possible station where you can play your pre-created music playlists. If you are in the majority and don’t have a Groove subscription, there is a free 14-day trial you can use. Although I wish they offered a longer trial, being able to freely select the music you listen to is an excellent option.

Simply put, Forza Horizon 3 is the most fun racing game I’ve played. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel however it does take what was great about its predecessor and build upon it in all the right ways. The additional layers of freedom and the beautiful Australian landscape are enough to raise it above the very high bar set by Forza Horizon 2. You don’t have to be an avid fan of racing games to enjoy what Forza Horizon 3 has to offer.

Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One) Review

Released: September 2016
Rating: PG
Platforms: Xbox One
Genre: Simulator, Racing
Developer: Playground Games
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

4.5Overall Score

Gameplay

Graphics

Audio

Replayability

Reader Rating 1 Vote

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Stellar Spring Games Lineup for Xbox One and Windows 10

Shane Thomas — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 07:46:33 +0000

In San Francisco last week, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to bringing the biggest Microsoft Studios franchises to both Xbox One and Windows 10, and provided us video gaming journalists, YouTube personalities and Twitch streamers hands-on time with Xbox’s most-anticipated spring games and platform experiences.

Kicking off with today’s release of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for Windows 10, the Xbox spring games lineup includes a wide array of fan-favorite franchises coming to both Xbox One and Windows 10, including Quantum Break, Forza, Killer Instinct and more.

“At Xbox we believe gamers should be able to play the games they want, with the people they want, on the devices they want,” Spencer said. “Making more of our popular games available for gamers to play on either Xbox One or Windows 10, each powered by Xbox Live, is another important step towards this vision. We are committed to delivering amazing gaming experiences for gamers who play on consoles, PCs or both.”

Whether you enjoy hitting the race track in a gorgeous supercar, bending time to your will, or venturing deep into apocalyptic worlds, Xbox is delivering an amazing lineup of games this spring and beyond:

Dark Souls III – Attendees enjoyed hands-on with new content from the third entry in the acclaimed Dark Souls series at the Xbox Spring Showcase. Releasing on April the 12th, 2016 on Xbox One, Dark Souls III takes players through an apocalyptic, dark journey to unfold the secrets of the unique universe created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, FromSoftware and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment.
Forza Motorsport 6: Apex – Arriving in the Windows Store this spring, Forza Motorsport 6: Apex is a free, curated standalone experience for Windows 10 that provides fans with a diverse tour of what Forza Motorsport 6 has to offer, including trademark innovations iconic to the Forza franchise, such as Drivatar opponents and Forzavista cars, as well as new ways to play and compete. The experience also takes advantage of DirectX 12, delivering breathtaking visuals at up to 4K resolution, and was playable for the first time at the Xbox Spring Showcase on an Intel Unleashed Custom (additional details).
Forza Motorsport 6 (Porsche Expansion Pack) – Available today, the Porsche Expansion Pack for Forza Motorsport 6 on Xbox One spans Porsche’s 60-year history, giving players the chance to race and master 21 Porsche models, including nine new to Xbox One, in an all-new eight-hour Career campaign. The Porsche Expansion also features the debut of the Virginia International Raceway track, in both night and wet conditions (additional details).
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for Windows 10 – Available in the Windows Store starting today, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is playable for the first time on Windows 10, and was shown on Alienware Area 51 and iBUYPOWER Revolt 2 at the Xbox Spring Showcase. Remade from the ground-up, the game features amazing 4k resolution built with DirectX 12, unlimited refresh rates and controller and mouse and keyboard controls.

ID@Xbox – ID@Xbox showcased two marquee titles:
Pit People from The Behemoth is coming first to Xbox One, followed by Windows 10. It is a fast-paced, turn-based co-op adventure in a closed Beta later this year.
Below from Capy is coming to Xbox One. Below is a descent into the Depths. Explore. Survive. Discover.
Killer Instinct: Season 3 – Microsoft Studios and Iron Galaxy announced that eight new fighters are joining the arena in Killer Instinct: Season 3, available March 29th, 2016 on both Xbox One and Windows 10. The team provided hands-on with the first four characters available on launch day – Kim Wu, Tusk, The Arbiter from the Halo franchise, and Rash from Battletoads – on Xbox One and an MSI Nightblade X2 Windows 10 PC.
Minecraft with Oculus Rift support – Microsoft and Mojang are teaming up with Oculus to provide the first-ever demos of Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition with Oculus Rift support, shown at the Xbox Spring Showcase on Cyberpower Black Crow and Acer Predator G6. You can play Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition in Creative or Survival mode in full 3D while using the familiar Xbox One controller that ships with every Rift sold. Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition with Oculus Rift support will be available through the Windows Store and Oculus Store this spring.
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition – Microsoft Studios highlighted additional content for Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, demoed at the Xbox Spring Showcase on Xbox One. The Definitive Edition enhances the award-winning original game release with new content, including new areas, abilities, more story sequences, multiple difficulty modes, fast travel between areas, and more. Available March 11th, 2016 on both Xbox One and Windows 10.

Quantum Break – Remedy Entertainment debuted the DirectX 12-powered Windows 10 version of Quantum Break at the Xbox Spring Showcase, offering hands-on demos running on an Nvidia Z97 Carbide, Asus ROG G11 Series, and Acer Predator G6 (additional details). Anyone who pre-orders the Xbox One digital version through the Xbox Store, purchases an Xbox One digital token at participating retailers, or pre-orders an Xbox One Special Edition Quantum Break bundle, will receive the Windows 10 version of the game for free, downloadable from the Windows Store via redemption code when Quantum Break launches on Xbox One and Windows 10 on April 5th, 2016.
Tom Clancy’s The Division – Ubisoft treated attendees to in depth hands on time with the open beta content for Tom Clancy’s The Division, an immersive online open-world action role-playing game. Releasing March the 8th, 2016 on Xbox One, players will team up with other Division agents to reclaim New York City from the chaos of a deadly pandemic (additional details).
DirectX 12 Showcase: Rise of the Tomb Raider, Ashes of the Singularity, King of Wushu – Square Enix, Snail, and Stardock showcased their latest DirectX 12 enhancements for Rise of the Tomb Raider, King of Wushu, and Ashes of the Singularity on Origin PCs, iBUYPOWER Revolt 2, and Maingear PCs. Ashes of the Singularity is taking advantage the DirectX 12 multi-adapter technology, allowing PCs to use multiple GPUs, even from different manufacturers. Rise of the Tomb Raider was playable for the first time at the Xbox Spring Showcase running DirectX 12.

New features for the Windows 10 Xbox App and Xbox One were also announced, the Xbox team discussed new updates arriving soon on Xbox One and also in the Xbox app in Windows 10, demoing some of the new features on a top-of-the-line Razer Razerblade 14-inch laptop. Here’s what we are in for:

– Gamerscore Leaderboard in the Achievements section and Hero Stat Leaderboards in Game Hubs
– See Avatars in your Activity Feed if you’ve chosen to replace your gamerpic with your Avatar
– An updated “Featured” section spotlights games, deals, community events and more
– 16-person Party Chat is enabled across both Xbox One and the Windows 10 Xbox app
– Xbox 360 achievements will automatically post to your Activity Feed
– More interactive Game Hubs with web-linking
– Compare your Avatar with your friends’ Avatars
– Reputation interface changes, players with ‘good’ profiles will no longer feature a reputation gauge

Stay tuned for more exciting news and reveals at E3 2016, including our full lineup of holiday exclusives as well as new innovations, features and experiences coming to Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Live.

The post Stellar Spring Games Lineup for Xbox One and Windows 10 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Porsche Makes a Comeback in Forza Horizons 2

STG News — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 08:45:09 +0000

Racing fans rejoice – Porsche is coming to Forza Horizon 2!

Arriving on June 9th, 2015 for Xbox One, the Forza Horizon 2 Porsche Expansion will bring ten Porsche models for the first time to an Xbox One Forza game. With Porsche models like the 1989 944 Turbo, the 2003 Carrera GT, and, perhaps the most exciting Porsche in recent memory, the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder, the Porsche Expansion Pack will give fans the chance to explore southern Europe in some of the legendary German manufacturer’s most beloved cars.

In addition to an amazing lineup of cars, the Forza Horizon 2 Porsche Expansion will include 10 new Porsche-themed Bucket List events in Forza Horizon 2, 10 exclusive Porsche Rivals events, and 15 achievements worth a total of 500 Gamerscore points on Xbox Live.

Bringing Porsche to Forza Horizon 2 is fantastic news for Xbox fans and, even better, it’s just the start! Xbox are excited to share that they are working together with Porsche and EA to deliver the Porsche experience to Forza Motorsport 6 players in 2016. We’ll have more details to share in the future on the integration.

The Forza Horizon 2 Porsche Expansion now available on Xbox One in the Xbox Store or through the Forza Hub app for Xbox One. Here’s the list of cars included in the expansion:

2003 Porsche Carrera GT
Unveiled at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show, the 2003 Carrera GT was Porsche’s first concept car since the last 959 rolled off the line in 1988. With the Carrera GT, Porsche has taken the use of lightweight materials to a new level with its carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, magnesium wheels and titanium pushrods. The result is a motor with almost zero rotational inertia, and a chassis that has nearly zero flex. And yes, it’s light. The 5.7-liter V10 creates 605 horsepower and throttle response likened to an F1 racing car. The Carrera GT will hit 124 miles per hour in less than 10 seconds and has a top speed of 205 mph. This is a driver’s supercar that is superbly engineered and puts the responsibility of reaching its performance potential firmly with the pilot. Unlike faster cars in its class, handling in corners was not compromised for top speed potential. These factors spell one thing – Porsche!

1989 Porsche 944 Turbo
The 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo represents the highest level of performance the 944 model line ever reached. For 1989, the 944 Turbo retained all the features of the 944 Turbo S, except the “S.” This includes 30 more horsepower, larger brakes, larger sway bars, a limited-slip differential and ABS. Many will attest to the 944 Turbo’s performance being that of a supercar, but at a sports car’s price. Delivering almost 250 horsepower from its four-cylinder 8-valve 2.5-liter engine, it will do a quarter mile in about 14 seconds, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 162 mph. Even though quite affordable today and readily available, the experience you get in Forza Horizon 2 will give you a taste, without having to sign any paperwork.

1987 Porsche 959
Porsche’s deep pockets and never-ending desire to explore possibilities drove the near-endless list of innovations that make up the Porsche 959. Some call the 959 Porsche’s supercar. Technologically speaking, the car is worlds away from any car of the era and, with only 230 built, the term “exotic” is fitting. The estimated build cost of each 959 was more than $500,000 but the cars sold for $225,000 at the time. Porsche called it an investment, hoping components could be used in future models. However, the only technology ever used was the four-wheel drive system that was part of the Carrera 4. The 959 derives its power from the 962 Group C racecar and puts out 450 horsepower, the highest on record at the time for a road car. The car uses a sequential twin-turbo which aids responsiveness and efficiency in power delivery. The 959’s race history is both on and off-road; it even won its class in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

1982 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3
The early 1980s were a challenging time for performance cars in the U.S. due to ever-increasing EPA regulations. Things were so challenging, in fact, that the 911 Turbo – known as the 930 in America – was withheld from U.S. and Japanese markets until 1986. The flared wheel arches and whale-tail are definitive characteristics of the 911 Turbo. Despite its evident turbo-lag, the 296 horsepower, air-cooled, flat-six delivers aggressive performance and strong acceleration. Power was delivered through a four-speed, though a five-speed was available in the non-turbo Carrera. While 911’s have always been blessed with oversteer, when coupled with the turbo-lag, the car can be more than a handful when accelerating through a corner. It’s hard to believe that at the time, some at Porsche considered letting the 928 replace the 911. Thanks to Peter W. Schultz, then CEO of Porsche, the 911’s future was ensured and thus the continued success of the iconic 911 line and the company maintained.

1970 Porsche 914/6
Conceived in collaboration with Volkswagen, the 914 was to be an economical sports car replacing the VW Karman Ghia and giving Porsche something to call entry-level. Most were produced with VW flat-four-cylinder motors and, in Europe, these were VW badged as well. The 2.0-liter flat-six makes significantly more horsepower than the largest VW flat-four available in the other models of its era. All had a five-speed transaxle. Porsche entered a 914/6 GT in the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race and it took its class and sixth overall – not too shabby for an entry-level sports car. The 914’s mid-engine, rear-wheel drive and near perfect weight balance make it a confidence-inspiring driver through corners. It’s also an endearing starting point for those wishing to own a Porsche, with a combination of fine performance and elegant aesthetics.

2015 Porsche Cayman GTS
There is nothing entry-level about the Cayman GTS. Performance numbers put the Cayman GTS right alongside a base 911 Carrera. When you look at it from the perspective of what car you are getting for your money, it really just comes down to where you want the engine. The Cayman is, of course, a mid-engine design that eliminates the back seat while providing improved weight balance. In car that is meant to take the twist out of every turn, who needs a back seat anyway?

2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 (997)
The 911 GT3 RS 4.0 takes the 997 out with a bang. It was so late in the coming that Porsche had to restart production on the model. The result was something special. All 600 RS 4.0 models sold like hot cakes thanks to the car’s amazing performance. The fact is, most GT3 owners take their rides to the track regularly, and the RS 4.0 is the king of GT3s. The 4.0 in the moniker stands for the displacement, which is 0.2 liters larger than the GT3. That displacement comes from a longer stroke and, coupled with enhanced air-flow, titanium connecting rods, and a single-mass flywheel, the RS 4.0 brings 50 more horsepower to the track. The roar of the flat-six is more than enough to encourage hitting the 8,500 rpm redline, but this race-bred brute just loves to scream throughout the powerband. Sure you can drive the GT3 RS 4.0 on the road, but just make sure that road leads to the nearest race circuit just in case.

2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S
If you have a problem accepting progress, or if technology frustrates you, the 2014 911 Turbo S is here to help. The car’s amazing healing powers come in the form of 560 horsepower emanating from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six. Those compressors offer further therapeutic benefits from variable vane technology that helps them spin up even faster. To keep the tires from spinning, the Turbo S is all-wheel-drive. Thanks to a new liquid-cooled Haldex hydraulic device, the front wheels can handle even more torque. When you put this kind of uncanny acceleration together with world-class top speeds, the 911 Turbo S could be considered a supercar in touring car clothing. New four-wheel steering technology enables tighter and more stable turns at slow or high speed, ensuring that any questions about the value of progress are completely validated.

2014 Porsche 918 Spyder
The 918 Spyder is the starting point of a new era of performance and has raised the bar of what can be expected of a hypercar. With nearly 900 combined horsepower from its 4.6-liter naturally-aspirated flat crank V8 and its hybrid electrical system, and built almost completely of carbon fiber, the 918 is a technological marvel. Consider its accomplishments: the 918 Spyder already set a production car lap record at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and shattered the production car record at the Nürburgring by 14 seconds. It is also visually stunning in all regards and distinctly Porsche, despite looking like nothing else the company has ever produced. In short, with the 918, convention was left by the wayside and innovation can be found at every angle. The result is nothing less than the spark of a new generation of the highest performing vehicles the world has ever seen.

2015 Porsche Macan Turbo
When Porsche entered the SUV market years ago with the Cayenne, some were skeptical. What should have come as no surprise is that Porsche created something amazing. Like the tiger from which it gets its name, the Macan is at once beautiful and powerful. It barrels its way to highway speed, delivers its occupants to their destination in stately comfort, and has looks that draw the eye. With the Macan, Porsche has created one of the most exciting vehicles in a class where excitement isn’t usually the rule of law. But, then again, it’s Porsche – shouldn’t we have expected this?

The post Porsche Makes a Comeback in Forza Horizons 2 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Forza Horizon 2 Duracell Car Pack Released

STG News — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 11:54:59 +0000

If endurance, reliability, and pure performance are what you’re looking for in your cars, look no further than the Duracell Car Pack for Forza Horizon 2, just released exclusively on Xbox One. With five new cars to collect, race and tune (plus a brand new free-to-all car that everyone can enjoy), the Duracell Car Pack features a compelling combination of timeless fan-favourites and sure-fire modern classics.

The hero of the pack is the Camaro Z/28, a track-proven, new-school muscle car with a winning heritage. Hot on its heels is the 2001 Audi RS 4 Avant, a car whose family-friendly functionality belie some serious road performance. If you want to get old school, the 1991 Honda CR-X SiR and the 1995 BMW M5 are ready for duty. In the classics department, the car that brought the dual-rotary motor to market – the Mazda Cosmo 110S Series II – will astound you with its form and its 7,000-RPM redline.

In addition, the June free car is the Lotus Carlton, a rare super-sedan hailing from a manufacturer better known for its light and lithe sports cars.

Here’s a closer look at the cars in the pack:

2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

While the Corvette C7 is an astonishing car, American muscle fans would be foolish to sleep on the brand new Camaro Z-28. Even at nearly 4,000 pounds, this Camaro delivers astonishing numbers on the strip (0-60 in 4.4 secs and less than 13 second quarter mile times) and that’s not even what it is built for. The Z/28 sports its road-racing homologation history proudly by delivering a sticky and well-balanced track experience. With suspension technology straight out of Formula One and a development program that included the Nürburgring, Road Atlanta, and Road America, this is a track-proven weapon just waiting to stomp the competition.

2001 Audi RS 4 Avant

The RS 4 Avant takes the notion of a wagon being some sort of sedate family transporter and tosses it right out the window. It might be surprising to hear but, in its time, this was the most powerful production car Audi ever built, with a 375-hp twin-turbo V-6. This isn’t just some monster they released to scare grocery-getters; the RS 4 Avant is a true sports car despite its ample room in the rear. Bespoke body panels surround oversize tires, enlarged brake rotors sit behind every wheel, and the suspension is lively and responsive. This speedy wagon is ready for a trip to grandmother’s house; just make sure the road over the hills and through the woods has plenty of twists and turns to enjoy.

1995 BMW M5

The 1995 BMW M5 represents the last year of the E34 series. This was the fastest production saloon car in its second evolution. It embodies both luxury and performance like no other car of its time. The M5 was hand assembled and designed for the BMW owner that wanted to lead the pack in a four-door luxury sedan. While never well suited to the track due to its excessive weight, the M5 is the ultimate touring car. The quick-revving, 3.5-liter, 24-valve, straight-6 engine delivered north of 250 horsepower and the 6-speed transmission was one of the few available in the mid-1990s. Together with its stiffer and lower suspension, the car’s performance will rival many sport coupes in its class. These cars are highly sought after by BMW enthusiasts – find out why in “Forza Horizon 2”.

1991 Honda CR-X SiR

Whether you are a Honda fanboy or just looking for a something simple and fast, the Honda CR-X SiR is a top choice for nearly any kind of racing. Start with the VTEC – the CR-X is the second model after the Integra to receive it; once you hit 6,000 RPM, the camshaft profile changes, the timing advances, and it’s time to hang on. Nimble by its very nature as a tiny two-seat hatch, the CR-X is a perfect car to whip past the competition. Next, consider the form of the CR-X, which lends itself to photographs or to looking fantastic while cruising with friends. It’s a lot of car in a small package, but isn’t that also what they say about dynamite?

1972 Mazda Cosmo Sport 110 Series II

If not for the Cosmo 110S, Mazda may not have gone on to sell nearly two-million rotary-powered vehicles over the next 40 years. The Cosmo was hand built and only sold 1,519 models in total, but it was the halo vehicle from which Mazda’s later success spawned. Seeking a way to capitalize on their investment in the Wankel rotary, Mazda brought this phenomenal and, at the time, futuristic sports car to market. Produced from 1967 to 1972, the 110S initially had 110 horsepower derived from its twin-rotor motor. The series II brought 128 ponies to bear and, with them, a five-speed transmission and an improved ride. Less than ten models were ever brought to the U.S., with car collector Jay Leno owning the only remaining Cosmo stateside. Whether you drive one for its sleek looks or for its screaming 7,000-RPM redline, the Cosmo is a JDM artefact that is worth a spin.

1990 Lotus Carlton – June Free Car

From an automaker best known for its elfin racers and commitment to lightness, the large Carlton seems a bizarre vehicle to emerge wearing a Lotus badge. An executive sedan tweaked within an inch of its life, Lotus’ engineering expertise allowed the Lotus Carlton to be the fastest sedan in the world for a period of time. Born at a time when General Motors owned both Lotus and Vauxhall/Opel, the idea was to build a halo car wearing the Lotus badge to generate some attention to the brand. By boring out and twin-turbocharging the Vauxhall inline six, the 377 horsepower Carlton got a bit too much attention — the 180 mph-capable sedan became so wildly controversial in Britain that law enforcement sometimes spoke of banning it from the road. Perhaps the police were simply jealous, as no cruiser in the UK could catch a Carlton on a clear motorway. Lest you think that it’s merely an unruly straight-line ruffian, Lotus did also tune the suspension. It’s no Elise, but you’d be surprised what the big Carlton is capable of.

The post Forza Horizon 2 Duracell Car Pack Released appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Thrustmaster T300RS Hands On

Darren Price — Tue, 12 May 2015 11:24:17 +0000

I like driving in my car: taking the Thrustmaster T300RS, T3PA and TH8A out for a spin.

With the long awaited crowd developed racing simulator Project CARS now on the shelves, it may be time to consider getting a decent racing set-up. Shane the Gamer’s Australian editor, Darren Price, puts the pedal to the metal and takes some top-of-the-range kit from Thrustmaster out for a road test.

Now, I love racing games but, apart from the occasional dalliance with my trusty Xbox 360 racing wheel, my on-track antics are reliant on a gamepad. Of course, when I was asked to test out the PC version of Project CARS with a Thrustmaster wheel, pedal and shifter kit, I really couldn’t say no.

For years Thrustmaster have been providing discerning flight and racing simulation fans with top-end controllers, bringing that extra bit of realism to their games.

Whilst screeching an Aston Martin V8 Vantage through a mountain pass may be exhilarating with a gamepad, the same experience as you ease the car around the bends with a wheel, shifting your way through the manual gearbox, is absolutely sublime.

The Thrustmaster T300RS is robust racing wheel complete with metal sequential gear paddles and a twin pedal set.

This, coupled with the T3PA three-pedal add-on, as well as the TH8A eight position H-shifter, provides what I can only describe as a premium racing experience. The T300RS is PS3/4 and PC only.

Xbox One owners can get a similar experience with the Thrustmaster’s similarly styled TX Racing Wheel Ferrari 458 Italia Edition, which is also compatible with the T3PA pedals and the TH8A shifter.

Let’s take a look at the T300RS wheel first.

From reading the box, the wheel has a contactless motor, which provides a seamless, smooth and realistic force-feedback. Whilst, I’d agree the force feedback is pretty amazing, I’d also add that the motor is very strong; a high-speed crash playing Ubisoft’sThe Crew almost broke my wrist- and I’m not kidding.

As they say, it’s realistic. The actual wheel feels rock solid and sits nicely in your hands.

Like all these racing wheel kits, it’s a bit small- smaller than a racing wheel in a touring car, but is it very responsive and, with an adjustable 1080 degrees of turn, does its job very well.

The centre of the wheel has all the PlayStation buttons, except the L3 and R3, which are located on the unit’s body, about where you’d expect to find the ignition switch, and the gear paddles on the column. That’s thirteen buttons in total, plus a D-pad.

The wheel’s sequential gear change paddles are metal, making them feel very sturdy and in keeping with the wheel’s quality finish. The actual T300RS wheel can be quickly removed and swapped for one of a number of compatible alternative wheels including the ones licenced from Ferrari.

On the left side of the base it has a switch that changes the configuration from PS3 to PS4. PC users should have it switched to the “PS3” position.

The wheel connects to your PS3/4 or PC via a USB cable that may be a little too short for couch-based racers.

The power supply unit is built into the wheel, which means that you don’t have to have an extra block sitting on the ground, instead the unit plugs straight into the mains.The wheel can be either clamped to a table or mounted to a cockpit.

Whilst the T300RS wheel includes a decent-looking set of accelerator and brake pedals, I left them in the box. Instead, I plugged in Thrustmaster’s T3PA three-pedal add-on kit.

The T3PA pedal kit adds a clutch pedal into the mix.

The actual pedals are metal and feel very positive under foot. The accelerator has a weaker spring than both the brake and clutch. There’s an optional rubber bung included which can be used to adjust the braking resistance. With this brake mod installed each petal has its own “feel”.

The pedals can be adjusted- moving them apart a little. The accelerator can also be adjusted up and down. The pedals connect to the base of the wheel via a thincable.

Completing my test kit is Thrustmaster’s TH8A add-on shifter. This thing is a hefty lump of metal (the box says that it’s 90% metal) with eight gates labelled one through to seven and “R”. The actual selector is a solid metal shaft with a brushed metal knob.

I’ve used build-in shifters on wheels before and always found them to be limp and more like a kid’s toy.

The TH8A is a monster by comparison; with its metal construction it’s like something out of a Mad Max movie. The gear positions are very positive, perhaps a bit too positive, but at least you know you are in gear.

The thing is mountable in a few different ways depending on your setup and can, of course, be mounted on a cockpit frame. Whilst the idea of driving a manual car with a clutch again fills me with joy, sequential fans can use the adapter plate to turn the gearstick into a rather pedestrian +/- affair. Why you’d spend all that money to use it like a paddle shift is beyond me, though.

Connecting the gearstick to your system is a bit more involved than the wheel and pedals. How it connects depends on the device you are connecting it to and the game that you want to play.

The shifter kit comes with two interchangeable cables that connect to the stick via a threaded knuckle joint. One of the cables is for connecting to your device via USB and the other is for connecting to the steering wheel base.

For every application on both the PC and PS4 I’ve connected the stick via USB. I’m not sure, but I think connecting directly to the wheel is for when you want to use the stick as a separate sequential shifter.

So, the above describes a Thrustmasterracing setup that’ll set you back the best part of AU$1,400, but what’s it like to use?

Before I delved into Project CARS I wanted to check the kit out with a few games that I’ve played with a gamepad and/or Xbox 360 racing wheel.

The first game that I tested was GRID Autosport on PC. I love this game; it’s a pure racer with all that Race Driver-style story taken out. GRID Autosport is just about racing fast cars.

I did have some teething problems, and this is something worth watching out for, due to a conflict with my Xbox 360 controller’s PC wireless adapter. I’d recommend making sure all your other controllers are disconnected to save yourself a bit of bother.

With the Xbox adapter disconnected, setting the wheel up was painless. It was easy to set the gearbox and clutch to manual and activate the “H” layout stick shift. I’d forgotten how much I missed accelerating through the rev range and changing gear with a clutch.

Switching from PC to the PS4’s Driveclub was a bit of a disappointment. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Driveclub. I think it looks great and I really enjoy those point-to-point races. The level of environmental customisation is fantastic and I’ve had a lot of fun driving around as the sun rises.

But, considering Driveclub is supposed to be a driving simulation, the lack of support for the H shift is unforgivable. Still, the wheel with sequential gears gave me a definite edge over the online competition who were obviously using cars with automatic gearboxes.

Still with the PS4, Ubisoft’s The Crew was a different matter entirely. This is a game full of ambition that, as a racer, doesn’t quite pull it off. With the wheel, the game really starts to shine.

The Crew fully supports the clutch and manual gearstick. The huge and varied driving environment, that felt a bit generic with a gamepad, is an absolute joy to drive around with the wheel. I found myself just taking off, going for a drive, seeing where the road took me. It was amazingly relaxing.

Back on PC, the Codies’ DiRT 3 didn’t work as planned. I had to go into the game’s guts to get the wheel to work and I never got the shifter working at all.

But, in all fairness it is a four year-old game. Still, even just using the paddles to change gear, DiRT 3 felt like a different game altogether. The game really benefits from the force feedback, enabling you to properly judge your traction and maximise your speed around the course.

Formula 1 2014 is another game that opens itself up once you plug in the T300RS. I had to adjust the steering lock to match the F1 cars, but this was easily done with the wheel’s utility software. The wheel uses its force feedback motors to artificially create a smaller lock angle. I found all the Codemasters games I tested benefited from a steering lock adjustment.

This is the thing with force feedback wheels, the amount of feedback, the lock angle and dead zones are a mixture of personal preference and the intentions/aptitude of the game designers implementing the wheel support. You can spend ages tweaking and re-tweaking the feedback and sensitivity settings.

Having tested a few familiar games as a benchmark, I moved on to Project CARS.

Project CARS is rather unique. It’s a crowd funded and developed game, very much in the style of the hardcore niche racing simulations, but with the marketing muscle of Bandai Namco behind it.

Whilst the game caters for the casual console racing set, that is not why it exists. Project CARS has the likes of Assetto Corsa in its sights, rather than Forza 5.

Setting up the T300RS wheel was easy, it’s right there in the controller selection, along with dozens of other wheels. Selecting T300RS with separate pedals gave me my T3PA clutch. To sort out the TH8A shifter I had to manually map the gates, I really thought it would do that for me. But, in any case, it worked fine.

Calibrating the wheel is done in the game by turning the wheel all the way around and then turning it just 90 degrees. Project CARS adjusted the wheel lock on a car by car basis, so there’s no need to tweak the settings in the Thrustmaster utility. Similarly the pedals are calibrated by a quick press of each one.

I did spend some time trying to sort out the clutch biting point with the accelerator. After much trial and error I got the set-up tuned so that I didn’t have to rev the nuts of the car before lifting the clutch.

Project CARS features an incredible selection of cars from 125cc karts to the latest prototype supercars. Not all these cars actually have gears on an H-shifter. Many cars will not accommodate a cheeky block change down to 2nd in order to lose speed and swing around a curve. Cars with a real-world paddle shift are best driven using the paddle shift, as otherwise you will need to shift down through each gate. Mess up and you’ll find yourself in the wrong gear for the shift position, which is not the sort of confusion you want at 150mph.

Despite what some would say, Project CARS can be played with a gamepad, and played well. It is, however, very unforgiving compared with many of its console developed peers and much more suited to a steering wheel.

It’s a credit to the developers as to just how natural Project CARS feels when driven with a wheel and shifter. This is the first time that I can honestly say that I used my real-life driving experience in a video game.

As I’ve spent most of my driving life in the UK, I’m very familiar with driving a manual car. My personal opinion of automatic transmissions has been skewed by the knowledge that it is usually only bad drivers in the UK that drive automatics.

Call me precious, but removing the clutch from a car, turns it into a toy. A device that requires little skill or control to manoeuvre, it’s simply one pedal for go and another for stop. Childs play.

With a clutch, a pedal that can one moment be a brake and the other an accelerator, and the direct control over the vehicles gear ratios, a car stops being such a blunt instrument and instead becomes infinitely controllable by the driver.

I’d be as bold to say that the only way to properly experience driving a car is with a manual gearbox.

The Thrustmaster T300RS with the T3PA and the TH8A, reminded me just how much I miss taking a manual car right through the rev-range to maximise acceleration. My automatic Holden Evoke feels like a donkey by comparison.

As with any steering wheel setup, the T300RS takes some getting used to.

We get so used to driving with a gamepad that the drop in success rate with a wheel doesn’t seem worth it. You have to stick with it. It IS better driving with a wheel than a gamepad.

Would you feel safe driving your car with a controller?

With the learning curve out of the way, experiencing a driving game, especially a simulator like Project CARS, becomes a totally new experience. With the T300RS wheel, the T3PA pedals and the TH8A shifter, I was able to put my real-world driving skill to good use racing cars in virtual championships.

Project CARS is out now on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The Thrustmaster T300RS, T3PA petal add-on and the TH8A shifter add-on are available from all good gaming stores.

Watch out for the Project CARS review on shanethegamer.com soon.

The post Thrustmaster T300RS Hands On appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island DLC – Review

Grant Cheetham — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 07:04:04 +0000

If you loved Forza Horizon 2 as much as me, you are probably looking for a reason to go back to it. Thankfully Playground Games has provided us with that opportunity with the new Forza Horison 2: Storm Island expansion.

This expansion includes a whole new area, a new festival, five new cars and new event types, all of which does fits perfectly into the Forza Horizon 2 universe. One of the great things about Storm Island is that it doesn’t just feel like more of the same, it adds and changes enough to make it feel fresh.

Departing from the European feel of the main game, Storm Island features tropical storms and a focus on dirt roads. This means instead of just fighting for first place, you are fighting just to stay in control of your car. Because of this, I found these races even more enjoyable than those included in the original game.

They have also greatly improved how the festival takes place by forcing you to try out different types of Championships rather than sticking to your favourites.

The Championships are split up into different tiers, each tier containing four different Championships and a special event.

New tiers are unlocked by winning a certain number of Championships. While this may sound off-putting if you already have a small stable of cars you want to use, I enjoyed being forced to venture out into new territory.

In all, there are 90 new events which you can play which provides many hours of additional addicting gameplay. In these new events there are five new race types available which do well to take advantage of unique attributes of the new location.

Some of which feature obstacles on the road which you must try and navigate, once again giving a focus on control of your car.

The island itself is only a fraction of the size of the area in the main game, although it feels as large as it needs to be.

It also feels very well designed and has its very own distinctive new flavour and look.

The only thing I felt was missing from this new island was some decent new music to listen to while you drive around.

While the old content is still available, after numerous hours of play, the songs do begin to feel repetitive and in comparison to many other games, the soundtrack on offer is a little lackluster.

The Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island expansion does exactly what any expansion should do. It provides a fresh yet familiar experience that any fan of Forza Horizon 2 would enjoy.

The post Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island DLC – Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.