Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360, 2007)

I am deeply saddened by Circuit City's going out of business, as I was a loyal customer for years. Although I was pleased to get Forza Motorsport 2 for $12, with their liquidation process, I will miss having some competition for other videogame and electronics retailers. Just like retailers in this field, racing video games have either been great or abysmal. There is no middle ground, as there are classics like Test Drive 6, while there are clunkers such as Need for Speed Pro Street. One of my favorite car based games was Gran Turismo II, which I got with my Sony Playstation 2, because it had fantastic race track action with all kinds of customizations. Forza 2 is similar in this respect, as you can buy all kinds of engine enhancements and paint your car however you like, and for this reason alone it is a winner.

A lot of race car games only have a limited selection of cars. You might be able to get a few production vehicles, some sports cars, and a couple of professional race cars in a lot of video games. In Forza 2, you get several hundred choices to pick from, and for this variety I want to say thank you to Microsoft Games, which produced this based upon the original successful Forza.  There are ten different classes of cars in this game, and you can race in a Chevy Cobalt all the way up to a Audi R8 Professional Race Car. The selection is staggering, and almost overwhelming at first. However, as you learn what are your favorites, it becomes a lot of fun, and there's a big difference between the classes and each vehicle model.

The customization of each car in career mode is ridiculous. You start out with a basic vehicle, such as a VW Gti, and win money through racing events, to upgrade your car. This creativity is so much fun, as you can decide whether to save money to purchase major engine upgrades, which show you what kind of extra horsepower you can expect from each one, or go with new tires and rims. You can also change the aerodynamics of each car with bumper and hood accessories, and I just love giving my cars crazy paint jobs. One of my Ferrari's is green with a red hood, and although it is ugly, it could be said its a lot of fun to have your uniquely designed vehicle on the race track.

The customization and changes you can make are fun, but what makes a racing game successful, is its action levels out on the tracks. A lot of racing games may have wonderful graphics, but without having easy to use controls, this ruins everything. For once I am happy to report that I am most happy with the controller in this game, and there is only one annoyance. While I like being able to have a variety of camera angles, such as the traditional car view and windshield shots, I don't like having the switch view being so easy to accidentally engage. For whatever reason they did this, I don't like the RB Button being used for this function. It is way too easy to accidentally hit during furious gameplay, and I've actually been distracted by the view change while in the heat of the moment action.

This is a minor grievance though, because while it is irritating, it does not take anything away from the rest of the controls. I love having the acceleration on the RT Button and the braking on the LT side. What are brakes for? In this game its realistic in that you have to use the brakes to slow down for sharp turns, and since this isn't your own car, you don't have to worry about burning brake pads and ripping rotors apart. It made sense to have the left stick for steering, and the Y Button is easy to use to see where the other race cars are, without keeping you from pushing the throttle down.

The graphics in this game are phenomenal, and the best I've ever seen for a racing based one. The cars look realistic, and its so obvious where you have damage, because you can see any dents from a mile away. If you like to see racing at actual speeds, they got the feel down right here, as there's a bit of that distorted blurriness once you cross the 100 mph range, but its not enough to give you a headache or become annoying. Its done in such a way that it accurately depicts high speeds, and the tracks and city landscapes are beautiful. Some of the tracks will frustrate you beyond belief, with their hairpin turns, but with the Track Line Assist this makes it a bit less maddening.

My favorite race area on this game, is the one through New York City. It is so much fun to haul through Times Square in a professional race car, and at 200+ mph. There are some sharp turns through the barricades, but its among the most fun places in the game, even though I wish the course could have been a little bit longer here. Most of the tracks take at least five minutes to complete a race, and that is a good amount of time, and there's no boredom here. You can expect to do well at a lot of the tracks, but mastering them is not going to be easy, with the exception of the first one that's based on a regular circular one that you see on the Nascar Circuit. Some of the Suzuki Tracks made me almost sweat, as there are turns where  you don't expect them, even though you have a track map on the screen at all times.

This is a great racing game, that passionate fans and casual drivers will appreciate. It's rated "E" for everyone, so its something that a family could enjoy together, even though it might spark some arguments on who the best of the best is. You just can't get anymore accurate than this is, and with the unlimited amount of cars and tracks, the replay value is among the best I've ever seen of any genre of game. This is proof that racecar games can still have what it takes, to generate a lot of fun and excitement, and I am thankful my last memory of Circuit City will at least be a happy one. Generally this game retails for around $19-$29, and it is worth every penny, because it is one of the most detailed games I've ever had the chance to play. There is also an optional xbox 360 steering wheel, for those fans that have to be behind a wheel, while engaged in a racing game. I'm going to stick with just the regular controls, because they work just fine as they are set up, and bring out the joy that this game can provide.

Recommend this product? Yes