Forza Motorsport 7 is IGN's Racing Game of The Year

[GTPVenomZombie]

Out of the 3 big racing games released this year, I would say that FM7 is the weakest as a simulator but the strongest as a game, which is probably why it's been picked. GTS and PC2 have better competitive online racing, that's pretty much objective fact when FM7 leagues and hoppers are in the state that they are right now, but FM7 has the car list, the offline career mode, the customisation, etc. that GTS and PC2 lack.

Could FM7 be better? Absolutely, it's missing so many things ranging from simple quality-of-life features to huge oversights that can really sour the experience a lot, but overall it's still fun as a game. I'd even go so far as to say you can't even really compare FM7 and GTS at this point because of how different their approach to the genre is.

So in terms of FM7 offline playability and content, would you say (in your opinion) that it is the strongest out of the three?

 

[Brend]

This brings up a good, altogether different topic; when selecting a GOTY, how awkward is it if it's inferior to its predecessor?

The Big Three (GTS, FM7, and PCARS2) all improve on certain aspects of their previous iterations, but also take steps back. GT burned up all it's "future-proof" Premium content and went on the hunt for iRacing (until the GT League about-face). PCARS2 made sure to keep the lead in terms of bugs. FM7's physics improved, it added weather, and it truly is a car encyclopedia now — but it too had some bugs around launch, and Homologation is a step back (or, at best, sideways).

If there were a Most Improved Award, I imagine F1 2017 would clinch it. Arguably WRC 7 is even more deserving — ask @Brend!

WRC 7 would be an almighty shout for that award. I'm so excited to see how 8 turns out based on this year's entry.

Regarding the usual comments about IGN not being a reputable source. They hire a fantastic journo called Luke Reilly. When it comes to racing games, he's very knowledgeable and comes across as someone with a genuine passion for the genre. So, whilst this is a mainstream award, Mr.Reilly being on the board gives it a bit more credence than other outlets in my book.

One of his nice video essays on the genre (and my favourite).

 

[The Chosen One]

If there’s anything I can gripe about Forza 7 as a game it’s the car list’s accessibility.

Sure it would be unfair to let everyone go silly with getting cars, but what about arbitrarily locking out nearly a third of the car list months into the game’s release, repeating specialty dealer cars, and locking cars behind those damn loot crates? (Yes people don’t need to pay for them, but they will be shoehorned in more and more until they crack.)

 

[ImaRobot]

and locking cars behind those damn loot crates?

Not a thing.

 

[The Chosen One]

Not a thing.

You got me.

But the remaining 200 or so locked cars probably won’t be available for a really long time at the rate new cars are being cycled into the specialty dealer (they just repeated week 1), special rivals (1 - 2 cars) challenges, and Forzathons.

Alternatively, in the future, one could just open their wallet instead of waiting for an arbitrary wait cycle.

 

[SestoScudo]

So sad to see forza 7 winning this while pc2 and gts in my opinion are much better than forza 7.

 

[UKMikey]

So sad to see forza 7 winning this while pc2 and gts in my opinion are much better than forza 7.

So sad that PD gutted the single player part of their game while SMS's QC was even worse than T10's this time around. Pass the salt.

 

[The Chosen One]

So sad that PD gutted the single player part of their game while SMS's QC was even worse than T10's this time around. Pass the salt.

The single player which is not only returning, but also wasn’t even the main focus of the game in the first place?

 

[UKMikey]

The single player which is not only returning, but also wasn’t even the main focus of the game in the first place?

When it returns perhaps we can have a revote. Right now we can only judge the games on what is.

 

[ImaRobot]

The single player which is not only returning, but also wasn’t even the main focus of the game in the first place?

That's the thing, it still isn't. It didn't require gutting the single player to make this game. It's seems like they made a wrong choice with it initially.

 

[notsofast]

I dont really take IGN seriously when it comes to racing games so this a laugh to me.

Im quite enjoying Forza 7-most enjoyable racing game this year? No that (shock horror) belongs to NFS Payback.

Disclaimer: I havent played F1 2017 or ProjectCars 2 yet. And Im still waiting on PGR5 to release

 

[RazorSharkz]

lol

Took them 4 years to release what they did, what the hell makes you think THEY can release enough content to make it anything but the biggest let down of the generation ? must be PDs history of timely releases and promises fullfilled.

12 cars are dropping tomorrow. An entire single player expansion is dropping tomorrow. 50 cars promised by March. They haven't pushed back a release since the one from 2016 to 2017 for the release date. They have a history of being unreliable but they always deliver, eventually.

 

[The Chosen One]

That's the thing, it still isn't. It didn't require gutting the single player to make this game. It's seems like they made a wrong choice with it initially.

That’s not anything I have the power to change, unfortunately.

 

[Aaron Lean]

Mmmm.. I'm assuming you're here to just troll. If you believe that statement then there is no hope for you. Saying that Forza 7 isn't better than GT Sport. It annihilates GT Sport.

FM7 is a joke compared to GT and PC2, it's not even the best Forza game.

 

[PJTierney]

It’s not my racing game of the year (that’s Gran Turismo Sport) but I’m not blind to the fact that Forza Motorsport 7 has the most content, the largest Single Player campaign and the most accessible physics model out there for gamers of all skill levels.

Sure, us die-hards can find plenty of minor and major issues with the game but overall there’s more than enough for the mass-market consumer to enjoy here. If somebody was only going to buy one racing game to last them an entire year Forza Motorsport 7 is the best choice (assuming they don’t already have Forza Horizon 3 ).

For posterity, here is where the 4 racing games I have played this year rank up:

1. Gran Turismo Sport
2. Forza Motorsport 7
3. F1 2017
4. DiRT 4

 

[Snorevette]

So in terms of FM7 offline playability and content, would you say (in your opinion) that it is the strongest out of the three?

I would. In terms of content it wins outright, just as a result of not just the size but the diversity of the car list. I can't say for certain in terms of playability having only seen videos of GTS and having only played the first PCars, but the Forza Drivers Cup serves to enhance the diversity of the car list by getting you into cars you might otherwise overlook, and Freeplay gives players the opportunity to put together some pretty interesting races (for example, a multi-class endurance race separated by cylinder count). To my knowledge neither GTS or PC2 come close when it comes to offline playability, despite FM7's broken AI.

 

[Northstar]

It annihilates GT Sport.

I don’t think any of the three big ones are annihilating anything.

Forza 7 has tons of content, but some questionable design choices that severely impact the game.

GT Sport has seemingly done a fairly good job of taming online races which is amazing, but the lack of tracks is a killer for me (the car selection is fine for the most part).

PC2 has done a great job attempting to become a spiritual successor to the TOCA series, but still needs polishing even after several large patches.

 

[EddyHawk]

For me PC2 is the winner, has the best physics, best cars models, 60+ tracks, all the vehicles are true racing cars, has the best AI, a serious penalty system, livetrack 3.0 is just awesome and is already fixed of bugs, carrer mode give you many hours of gameplay and custom races give you endless combinations and hours of gameplay.

 

[Dresden]

Ian bell is always quoting Metacritic scores to prove that his game is the 'best of everything at everything.' Bet your bottom dollar that this result from mainstream sites like IGN hurts, regardless of how the award is achieved.

SMS need to realize that it is not good enough to test a game on PC and then release it in a very buggy, untested state on console. The console market is huge and would generate great profits if they bothered to care about the console market. Plugging in a pad on the PC version is not 'quality testing the console version,' Ian....

IMO most the games have stepped backwards this year (which is really strange after we were promised a great 2017 by the publishers). I still rate FM6 and FH3 as miles better than FM7, which won the award.

 

[SestoScudo]

I dont really take IGN seriously when it comes to racing games so this a laugh to me.

Im quite enjoying Forza 7-most enjoyable racing game this year? No that (shock horror) belongs to NFS Payback.

Disclaimer: I havent played F1 2017 or ProjectCars 2 yet. And Im still waiting on PGR5 to release

Pgr series is dead it got killed off to make way for forza horizon.

 

[MLRSparco]

IMO PC2 should've won.
Better car list
Better track list
Better single player
Better online
The only problem I have with Pcars is that it still has a few bugs,but then again so does FM7.

 

[CSLACR]

IMO PC2 should've won.
Better car list
Better track list
Better single player
Better online
The only problem I have with Pcars is that it still has a few bugs,but then again so does FM7.

Better car list?
You almost had me there.

I'm very surprised. The online racing in this is abysmal and the single player is virtually matched by project cars 2. That combined with the shameful loootbox system make it far from a racing GOTY contender.

How many of you lootbox-lie spreading people are there?
You guys just pop outta nowhere, almost as fast as untrue things pop outta your mouth.

FM7 is a joke compared to GT and PC2, it's not even the best Forza game.

You do realize more than one FM game can be better than both of them, right?
Meaning FM7 can be worse than FM6, and yet still better than another game. It's crazy.

Something tells me someone gave them $$$ to give the game the award.....

Oh look, guy named GTfan accuses people that don't vote for GT as "paid off".
That's like 7 jokes wrapped into a burrito, bro. Like a Brorrito.
You're a 7 layer Brorrito.

The only awards that aren't bought, are those won by Gran Turismo. Everybody knows that.

It's IGN.
What do we really expect?

I always see the remarks about how this award, or that award don't count.

Please provide a list of the ones that do count, so that next time, you don't appear to be stamping your feet just because it's not the result you wanted.

This brings up a good, altogether different topic; when selecting a GOTY, how awkward is it if it's inferior to its predecessor?

The Big Three (GTS, FM7, and PCARS2) all improve on certain aspects of their previous iterations, but also take steps back. GT burned up all it's "future-proof" Premium content and went on the hunt for iRacing (until the GT League about-face). PCARS2 made sure to keep the lead in terms of bugs. FM7's physics improved, it added weather, and it truly is a car encyclopedia now — but it too had some bugs around launch, and Homologation is a step back (or, at best, sideways).

If there were a Most Improved Award, I imagine F1 2017 would clinch it. Arguably WRC 7 is even more deserving — ask @Brend!

Homologation regulates cars into more groups than ANY GT or FM game ever made.
Homologation in GT was never really possible, in any manner, so it's possible my futile efforts to homologate in GT are what make me so grateful for what FM7 has done.
It might not be perfect, it's definitely flawed, but it's way better than racing a Ford F-150 against an Audi R8 just because of a stupid "points" type system, that's for sure.

If there’s anything I can gripe about Forza 7 as a game it’s the car list’s accessibility.

Sure it would be unfair to let everyone go silly with getting cars, but what about arbitrarily locking out nearly a third of the car list months into the game’s release, repeating specialty dealer cars, and locking cars behind those damn loot crates? (Yes people don’t need to pay for them, but they will be shoehorned in more and more until they crack.)

Oh, another one.
Lootcrates, whatever you do, don't find out what they actually are or how they work, just post rampantly on the internet complaining about what you thought they might be....

You got me.

But the remaining 200 or so locked cars probably won’t be available for a really long time at the rate new cars are being cycled into the specialty dealer (they just repeated week 1), special rivals (1 - 2 cars) challenges, and Forzathons.

Alternatively, in the future, one could just open their wallet instead of waiting for an arbitrary wait cycle.

Interestingly, I actually agree with the general point, but you keep exaggerating the amount of locked cars. I have to assume either ignorance, or willfull deception.

There are around 150ish locked in total, but that isn't counting all the ones that unlock during gameplay in the drivers cups.

I dont really take IGN seriously when it comes to racing games so this a laugh to me.

Im quite enjoying Forza 7-most enjoyable racing game this year? No that (shock horror) belongs to NFS Payback.

Disclaimer: I havent played F1 2017 or ProjectCars 2 yet. And Im still waiting on PGR5 to release

Tell us which sites you do take seriously, so next time we know you're not just mad about what won.
You guys think jumping in and saying "oh those guys don't count" after an award is meaningful? It's not.
You at least have to specificy which count, before they hand awards out.

Because it just makes everything think you're just picking whoever likes your favorite game at the time as credible. (Which is actually a joke)

You're the only person to even mention NFS, do you think giving even a tiny reason why you like it could help?

Anything is better than "that sites a joke, I like game x, and this award doesn't count", or whatever else springs to mind.

 

[The Chosen One]

Because it just makes everything think you're just picking whoever likes your favorite game at the time as credible. (Which is actually a joke)

Ironically, Forza 7 happens to be my current favorite racing game above GTS and PC2.

 

[VXR]

Eh, for what it does and what it does differently, GT Sport is a more interesting formula than FM7's mild iteration of the previous six titles. With their licensing, T10 could have really gone for PCars' audience whilst still keeping the more mainstream buyers interested.

If Homologation was removed, I'd jump all over 7 in the sales. I just can't get excited for it.

 

[McLaren]

The single player which is not only returning, but also wasn’t even the main focus of the game in the first place?

Then what was? The online that would “only make up 15% of the game” according to Kaz?

 

[GTsimms]

I haven't played GTS. When, it comes down to simulation with a wheel Project CARS 2 has nailed the experience for me compared to real life driving. It has even beat the other well known PC Sims. FORZA might be good for the game pad user and a console. But using wheel, it can be just down right frustrating at times and having the ai just drive into you like you are not even on track.

 

[CSLACR]

Ironically, Forza 7 happens to be my current favorite racing game above GTS and PC2.

Then how do didn't you not know how lootboxes work?

 

[notsofast]

Tell us which sites you do take seriously, so next time we know you're not just mad about what won.
You guys think jumping in and saying "oh those guys don't count" after an award is meaningful? It's not.
You at least have to specificy which count, before they hand awards out.

Because it just makes everything think you're just picking whoever likes your favorite game at the time as credible. (Which is actually a joke)

Not mad about anything. Going from the tone of your post the only person mad is you...

Do you work for IGN? Serious question. It would explain the tone you've taken.

I've never taken IGN seriously when it comes to racing games as years of experience with their site has shown that they dont have the credibility with reviewing racing games as opposed to say your latest shooter like Call of Duty.

It wouldn't have mattered what IGN had've picked for Racing Game of The Year. Thats irrelevant in my eyes. They have their choice, I have made mine-its all good but I would take much more seriously a Racing Game of The Year award from this site as the GTPlanet staff in my eyes have more credibility then the good folk at IGN.

So if you dont work for IGN then why do you care what I write?

Maybe you're a big fan of Forza or GT

I dont care for Forza v GT and its associated fanboyism as both series are much loved by myself. They both have their pros and cons but they compliment each other in my eyes. Both series have taken many of hours of my time.

You're the only person to even mention NFS, do you think giving even a tiny reason why you like it could help?

Anything is better than "that sites a joke, I like game x, and this award doesn't count", or whatever else springs to mind.

I mentioned NFS as my choice purely from personal perspective. It was quite a surprise as the reviews really panned the game for most part and yet when I started playing the game I found it to be the reverse of most reviews albet quite enjoyable with a few flaws. The ingame world is beautiful to drive through, the gameplay is fun and the vehicle customisation is fantastic. It does have its downsides such as the length of the story but I appreciate the patches the developers have put in to the game since it was released.

I have enjoyed Forza 7 but I've found myself putting more hours into NFS and thus getting more fun out of it tipped the scales in favour of Payback.

I did mention that I had not played the likes of PCars2, F1 2017 and GT Sport so I can only comment on what I've played.

 

[CSLACR]

Not mad about anything. Going from the tone of your post the only person mad is you...

Do you work for IGN? Serious question. It would explain the tone you've taken.

I've never taken IGN seriously when it comes to racing games as years of experience with their site has shown that they dont have the credibility with reviewing racing games as opposed to say your latest shooter like Call of Duty.

It wouldn't have mattered what IGN had've picked for Racing Game of The Year. Thats irrelevant in my eyes. They have their choice, I have made mine-its all good but I would take much more seriously a Racing Game of The Year award from this site as the GTPlanet staff in my eyes have more credibility then the good folk at IGN.

So if you dont work for IGN then why do you care what I write?

Maybe you're a big fan of Forza or GT

I dont care for Forza v GT and its associated fanboyism as both series are much loved by myself. They both have their pros and cons but they compliment each other in my eyes. Both series have taken many of hours of my time.



I mentioned NFS as my choice purely from personal perspective. It was quite a surprise as the reviews really panned the game for most part and yet when I started playing the game I found it to be the reverse of most reviews albet quite enjoyable with a few flaws. The ingame world is beautiful to drive through, the gameplay is fun and the vehicle customisation is fantastic. It does have its downsides such as the length of the story but I appreciate the patches the developers have put in to the game since it was released.

I have enjoyed Forza 7 but I've found myself putting more hours into NFS and thus getting more fun out of it tipped the scales in favour of Payback.

I did mention that I had not played the likes of PCars2, F1 2017 and GT Sport so I can only comment on what I've played.

Ok, so now I work for IGN.


So many conspiracy's, how will you survive them all?

 

[NCR3]

It's the best.