Forza Horizon 4 Hits 7 Million Total Players

[ClydeYellow]

Forza Horizon 4, 4 Months On (Still Needs Online To Be Fixed And Needs To Be More Fun).

Good game? Hmm. Graphics and physics are nice but it is still very buggy and crashes constantly, online is the worst I have ever experienced and there isn't much to do or see. I'll probably have to wait another 6 months to get my money's worth. Still only two stars for me.

That is rather unfortunate. XB1 Horizon games do have a tendency to be a bit crash-prone, but in my experience FH3 was far worse, and FH4 has crashed, what, two or three times on me since launch (I am not counting the billion times it crashed when I mistakenly installed some content on the internal HDD of my Xbox instead of the usual 7200rpm exteral HDD, which seems to drive the game nuts. Stick to one drive for your game files, guys!).

But then, I have the game on an external HDD and am playing on an Xbox One X. I feel more and more than the performance of Forza games is becoming dependent on hardware - and the original XB1 is not just, at times, inadequate, it also ages poorly, becoming a overheating- and crash-prone mess over years of use. The obvious suggestion would be: get an X and a fast HDD - or better yet, an SSD - and see if things improve. But I understand that many players are not willing to sink a rather significant amount of money into upgrading, especially without any actual guarantee it will fix their problems.

As for the, "needs more fun", that's a rather subjective statement. Personally, I find the seasonal events are enough to keep me coming back, and as a content creator I also have plenty to do even when I am not driving.

I like to know as well.

For me GTS plays similar to Forza Motorsport, though it has more grip levels. It's just that the cars seem floaty/weightless in game IMO. Other than that, both GTS and FM are no different from each other due to the simplicity of the physics model.

Didn't play AC, so I wouldn't know.

Heh, it's not like it's on a wholly different planet, physics-wise... However, the lack of any input smoothing on console means it's borderline-unplayable with a pad, unless you like binning it at every corner. I am also not entirely convinced by their simulation of bias ply tires, but then again, I haven't played it extensively with the proper peripherals, so I could very well be terribly mistaken on this.

 

[ShakesMcQueen]

I dont have as much love for fh4. It a great game still but I feel it's more of the same. Not too much an upgrade IMO.

And I hate all the emotes and stupid clothes I get I wheelspins.

It's definitely an evolution of the formula established with FH3, but I think it adds enough to be a good time. However, I don't think they could do it a third time, without some justified criticism and a feeling of stagnation. Even lots of glowing reviews pointed out that while FH4 is great, it's time to do something a bit different for the next one, if the series is going to stay fresh in the future.

 

[ImaRobot]

The unacceptance of opinions not in favor of this game is going a bit far lately.
I know some people kind of asked for it, but it's a game, so their opinion is just as good as someone who likes the game is.


Depends. If you use chase cam, AC is akin to driving drunk.
In cockpit or bumper cam, AC is a LOT more realistic.

It’s an opinion based with very little reasoning and substantive to back up anything that has been said, going so far to damn it for one thing but praise another with similar or worse in that regard. Things like it’s like Minecraft in 4K, it looks worse than PS2 and Xbox 360 game, that it has a bad car list and that a game with 1/5 the size of it has a better car list even though it basically almost has every car available in other game.

Sure there was valid points littered in between the rubish, but just because it’s opinion doesn’t mean it can’t be factually incorrect. In that case, it should be called on, especially if it’s going to keep being brought up by the individual.

 

[CSLACR]

It’s an opinion based with very little reasoning and substantive to back up anything that has been said, going so far to damn it for one thing but praise another with similar or worse in that regard. Things like it’s like Minecraft in 4K, it looks worse than PS2 and Xbox 360 game, that it has a bad car list and that a game with 1/5 the size of it has a better car list even though it basically almost has every car available in other game.

Sure there was valid points littered in between the rubish, but just because it’s opinion doesn’t mean it can’t be factually incorrect. In that case, it should be called on, especially if it’s going to keep being brought up by the individual.

Like I said, some kind of ask for it.

However, that isn't the only poster I was referring to. (I'm not saying another one didn't sort of ask for it also)

I'm just saying buried in the rubble stand some good points, particularly the fact MS doesn't seem too concerned to keep these games working well on older systems like they promised.

 

[ImaRobot]

GTS was definitely a complete product at launch. The Human Race trailer literally says that the series had become "about car collecting" and they wanted to "burn it to the ground".

That's the problem though. What made that complete, and this incomplete? It doesn't make sense in any form.

Broken multiplayer in The Crew 2?Nope. My game has crashed or glitched much more playing online in FH4. I haven't played that game once without it glitching or crashing.

Broken multiplayer? No. It was just non-existent for a good chunk of time after the game was released. Yet this is where it gets weird, because going off how you talk about other games, wouldn't that make it not a complete game like you're saying Forza is? Still, that game looks to have it's fair share of crashing issues too.

Funny you say I don't own FH4, because a quick look on my game list reveals a little-known racing game called Forza Horizon 4. I've owned it since it launched. So yes, I can say it is buggy and crashes: because that's exactly what it does. Every time. Every. Bloody. Time. I paid £80 for it and it crashes more than Train Simulator (that's a lot).

A quick look at your post also shows that you actually didn't own the game since launch, and that you only dabbled with it slightly before damning it with some absurd opinions, and then saying because of that, you're not renewing your game-pass anymore. You edited your post from October, back at the end of December, also saying in the same thread that you barely purchased the Ultimate Edition instead, way later.

It's unfortunate that your's crashes so often that you can't even play the game at all. I've yet to have a crash on the One X, and the crashes rarely happened on the base Xbox on any other Forza I've played.

I'm not trolling, I'm expressing a different opinion. Forza Horizon 4 in its current state is not the game people think it is.

That's the problem - How in the world are you going to tell people that what they like about the game is wrong? You don't decide that. You post your opinion about it, and talk about why you feel that way, you don't try to force your opinion.

The game is exactly what I think it is, how would it not be?

Yes, I'm obviously a Gran Turismo fan boy, which is strange, because there's a lot of racing games I like more than GT4, including Burnout Revenge, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, TDU2, and - oh, look - Forza Motorsport 4 and Horizon. Oh dear.

You don't come across as a fanboy, you just come across as someone wanting to say something with very little substance, flip flopping back and forth between opinions. Sometimes it seems like you forget what you said about certain games. It's terribly inconsistent how you "review" these things.

Like I said, some kind of ask for it.

However, that isn't the only poster I was referring to. (I'm not saying another one didn't sort of ask for it also)

I'm just saying buried in the rubble stand some good points, particularly the fact MS doesn't seem too concerned to keep these games working well on older systems like they promised.

That was something I was always worried about, with any dev, once they released the One X. Fortunately, I've been one that hasn't had an issue with either console so far.

 

[queleuleu]

The king of car games today. Unless Polyphony finds its magic again, FH will stay at the top.

 

[huiop2]

I just wish playground can find a solution for the audio freeze as soon as possible.

Strange, I've never experienced this issue. In fact I can't say I've encountered any glitches during my 60ish hours play. The game has crashed several times, however.

Also I hope they focus more on quality than quantity in the next FH. I'd rather have 300 cars, half of which have accurate sounds, than 600 cars and less than 1/6 of them have accurate sounds.

 

[ImaRobot]

Also I hope they focus more on quality than quantity in the next FH. I'd rather have 300 cars, half of which have accurate sounds, than 600 cars and less than 1/6 of them have accurate sounds.

I wouldn't. I would be upset if they held back so many cars just because they sounds aren't 1:1 replicated. I can live with a bigger car list at the expense of some sounds.

 

[huiop2]

I wouldn't. I would be upset if they held back so many cars just because they sounds aren't 1:1 replicated. I can live with a bigger car list at the expense of some sounds.

To each their own I suppose

 

[CarGuru]

Strange, I've never experienced this issue. In fact I can't say I've encountered any glitches during my 60ish hours play. The game has crashed several times, however.

Also I hope they focus more on quality than quantity in the next FH. I'd rather have 300 cars, half of which have accurate sounds, than 600 cars and less than 1/6 of them have accurate sounds.

More accurate and loud sounds for their cars would be great, just like they did with the R8.

 

[CSLACR]

That was something I was always worried about, with any dev, once they released the One X. Fortunately, I've been one that hasn't had an issue with either console so far.

If the days of the PS3 being "pushed to it's limits" by GT5 and 6 taught me what I think it did, my One S has some trouble keeping up with the game.

For instance, if I leave the festival and head Southeast at full speed in any fast S1 or higher class car at full speed, about half a mile past Cotswolds speed trap, the Earth disappears, and often my car grinds to a screeching halt in 5-10 feet.(from 200+ mph)

I cannot drive the Collosus course without a visual slowdown and sound lag as I enter Edinburgh. (At least at any speed over 140mph)

Generally, half the time I go into "my cars" the screen freezes up, and I have to push the home button and bring the Xbox menu up. After doing so, my cars show up on screen.
Also in my cars, if I scroll too fast the cars images get mixed up, and again, pressing the home button and back brings up the images.

In either situation, if I don't press the home button, it stays frozen. (I actually left the room a few times to see if it would load and it doesn't)

 

[ImaRobot]

If the days of the PS3 being "pushed to it's limits" by GT5 and 6 taught me what I think it did, my One S has some trouble keeping up with the game.

For instance, if I leave the festival and head Southeast at full speed in any fast S1 or higher class car at full speed, about half a mile past Cotswolds speed trap, the Earth disappears, and often my car grinds to a screeching halt in 5-10 feet.(from 200+ mph)

I cannot drive the Collosus course without a visual slowdown and sound lag as I enter Edinburgh. (At least at any speed over 140mph)

By the time FH4 came around, I was already on the one X, so I haven't been able to experience it yet with the base console. That's unfortunate either way. The only bug that I've really got that was annoying was the sound bug, but it's a rare occurrence on my end.

Generally, half the time I go into "my cars" the screen freezes up, and I have to push the home button and bring the Xbox menu up. After doing so, my cars show up on screen.
Also in my cars, if I scroll too fast the cars images get mixed up, and again, pressing the home button and back brings up the images.

In either situation, if I don't press the home button, it stays frozen. (I actually left the room a few times to see if it would load and it doesn't)

I also do get the car images hanging onto the wrong car, but they sort themselves out within a couple of seconds usually. That usually causes it to slow down a bit, until it eventually fixes itself.

I got burnt out by the typical fanboy talk from both forza and gt. That quite frankly is just amusing seeing people fight over a video game. Put that effort and get yourself a badass car in real life.

You say that as if you weren't one of those people

 

[Gamrac]

this means people want nice sceneries and landscapes

 

[UltimateYosh]

this means people want nice sceneries and landscapes

If they just wanted nice sceneries and landscapes, they would buy GT Sport. That game has a whole mode for that!

 

[ImaRobot]

If they just wanted nice sceneries and landscapes, they would buy GT Sport. That game has a whole mode for that!

Sure if your only goal is to take pictures of superimposed images with a car pasted on it, instead of driving around, I guess?

I love the scapes but I’m not even sure how that’s even remotely the same.

 

[ShakesMcQueen]

I'm just saying buried in the rubble stand some good points, particularly the fact MS doesn't seem too concerned to keep these games working well on older systems like they promised.

I doubt it's due to a lack of concern, considering the standard Xbox One/Xbox One S probably make up at least 90% of their installed base.

 

[McLaren]

I wonder how many of those 7 million are from the game pass? I couldn't find any solid numbers other than "millions" but it would be interesting to see how much of a draw Forza is for the service.

Anyways, hopefully Microsoft sticks to their word and gives them some more time to develop the next game. As good as FH4 is, I would love to see what PG can do with more than the 2 year window they are currently allotted.

Hopefully, T10 is using the extra time to deliver something on par, as well. I have not bought FH4 still, but based on what I read and watch, they've set a high bar for the Forza franchise altogether.

 

[ShakesMcQueen]

Hopefully, T10 is using the extra time to deliver something on par, as well. I have not bought FH4 still, but based on what I read and watch, they've set a high bar for the Forza franchise altogether.

Horizon has pretty much usurped Motorsport as the Forza "flagship" game - at least in the eyes of the mass market. It sells more, and reviews better.

That's not even really a knock on Motorsport. A more focused, real racing-oriented game is harder to make appeal to people who don't already care about racing, which includes reviewers. An open world with more forgiving physics and a more lively aesthetic has a built-in advantage.

I think Forza 8 SHOULD be the best Forza yet, because with how detailed their car models and scans are, they shouldn't need to start from scratch like they did with FM5 - I'd imagine they can just carry all of those cars over to the next gen without much work. Likewise, all of the stuff they are adding, like race regulations, should be able to come over too - stuff the series has needed online for a long while.

Combined with the enhancements a new console allows (graphically and otherwise), Forza 8 at launch should be at LEAST as good as FM7 is now. I hope.

 

[CSLACR]

Horizon has pretty much usurped Motorsport as the Forza "flagship" game - at least in the eyes of the mass market. It sells more, and reviews better.

That's not even really a knock on Motorsport. A more focused, real racing-oriented game is harder to make appeal to people who don't already care about racing, which includes reviewers. An open world with more forgiving physics and a more lively aesthetic has a built-in advantage.

I think Forza 8 SHOULD be the best Forza yet, because with how detailed their car models and scans are, they shouldn't need to start from scratch like they did with FM5 - I'd imagine they can just carry all of those cars over to the next gen without much work. Likewise, all of the stuff they are adding, like race regulations, should be able to come over too - stuff the series has needed online for a long while.

Combined with the enhancements a new console allows (graphically and otherwise), Forza 8 at launch should be at LEAST as good as FM7 is now. I hope.

It sounds true, but that argument has been made for quite a few games and consoles now, amd hasn't actually happened, well, ever.
But I hope you are correct.

I doubt it's due to a lack of concern, considering the standard Xbox One/Xbox One S probably make up at least 90% of their installed base.

Well I sure hope it isn't a best effort from QC.

It seems to be a trend, when games reach a very high popularity, they take a nose dive in QC.
I can only guess game makers get to a point of ego where they just think their product is so awesome nobody will care if it's half-assed.

FH4 is great in a lot of ways, but it's also an atrocity in a few others. It seems to depend on very random factors, affecting random individuals randomly.
It really gives the impression they don't have a grip on this multi-console idea.

 

[Techlet]

So long as T10 is still in control of the franchise, Horizon will never be seen as the flagship game.

 

[ShakesMcQueen]

So long as T10 is still in control of the franchise, Horizon will never be seen as the flagship game.

Internally, yes. Right now, Turn 10 still handles all the work on cars, and the underlying engine tech powering the games.

But in the eyes of actual consumers, I think Horizon has usurped Motorsport.

 

[mustafur]

Going back to FH3, Horizon 4 is a pretty big upgrade, comparing both on the Xbox.

The Graphics are alot cleaner, the traffic isn't as overpopulated as it was in FH3, I forgot how hard it was to do the full length of the highway in FH3 without hitting a car they where bloody everywhere.

 

[JoshMead]

I wouldn't. I would be upset if they held back so many cars just because they sounds aren't 1:1 replicated. I can live with a bigger car list at the expense of some sounds.

I second that notion. Especially since I know It'd be my favourite cars that get the boot. One of the biggest strengths of Forza is that it has a significant amount of cars that you can't find anywhere else on the gaming market this Gen. Why change that? People who've been with Forza for a while don't realize it, but the list in of itself is a very big selling point for new players; no other game even comes close (without mods).

If quality needs to surpass quantity, why remove anything? Just improve what's there. Have 600 cars with good sound and plenty more customization options, rather than 900 with the same level of quality in FH4 (mind you I personally would prefer the latter).

 

[Deadheadbill]

I'm playing it because it was on Gamespass and wouldn't have bothered with it otherwise and I'm sure a lot of those numbers are the same. However, that's not a knock I'm glad it was on Gamespass as I am enjoying my time with it.

Going back to FH3, Horizon 4 is a pretty big upgrade, comparing both on the Xbox.

The Graphics are alot cleaner, the traffic isn't as overpopulated as it was in FH3, I forgot how hard it was to do the full length of the highway in FH3 without hitting a car they where bloody everywhere.

If you are talking texture etc alone then I say yeah it was a good upgrade. I think fewer cars on the road is a result of that, diverting resources from those cars to the graphics themselves.

Overall though, I would say it was a minor upgrade from FH3 everywhere else. I even sometimes think I'm still driving down the road in Australia lol.

 

[-Fred-]

I even sometimes think I'm still driving down the road in Australia lol.

The whole part of the map near the beach where Bamburgh Castle definitely has an Australian vibe.