My FM3 Review (So far)

[SuperShouden]

Progress: Year 2
Level 8

Alright, so far, it feels...well it feels different than FM2, that's for sure. But, I don't know. The cars all feel the same to me. And what's worse, is they all feel like tanks. Even when they get loose they still feel heavy. And I've only really gotten them loose when I've turned the aids off. It's definitely NOT GT5, either. And you CAN tell the difference between the car you're racing and the car your photographing if you're car has decals.

There's all this tout of FM3 being the "most realistic racing simulator" and...after playing FM3...I think that GT5 feels a bit more realistic. There's just too much grip in FM3. Even with TCS on, in GT5, you can still throw cars into corners and get them sideways, in FM3, the TCS makes it impossible to get the car sideways, hell, without it on it's nearly impossible to get the car sideways, if you're driving one of the lower end cars at least. The DB5 felt glued to the road down the mountain and I doubt the actual car would stick that well to the road.

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the game, is just that...the people who say that FM3 has such awesome physics obviously have been playing too much NFS. I was using the racing Lotus, and being a race car, I figured it should get loose on every corner, and it didn't. Same thing with the Spyker. The Spyker kinda got loose, but I really had to throw it at the corners. But...it does make the game more accessible.

Another negative, I have about the game is the when the AI messes up...WTF...it doesn't "mess up" as in "you took that corner a little too fast, got loose and now you're all turned around." They just forget where the break pedal is and jam the gas pedal to the floor instead and pile drive themselves into the wall at 180mph. Seriously? What kind of idiot does that? It's like that one cheat on one racing game for "idiot AI" and that's all it did was make the AI just not break. It was funny to watch when that's the intent of a cheat, but, in real racing...you do something like that and you could be dead. So, why put it in a Forza game? I mean, I know it's on easy, but...Don't kill the poor AI guys, holy crap.

The paint controls are a little funky. Why they changed them from FM1 and 2 I will never understand, but they need to nail down a format for the paintshop and not change it again.

Other than that, it's a pretty solid game. Good job Turn 10. A 4/5

 

[t.o.]

Progress: Year 2
Level 8

Alright, so far, it feels...well it feels different than FM2, that's for sure. But, I don't know. The cars all feel the same to me. And what's worse, is they all feel like tanks. Even when they get loose they still feel heavy. And I've only really gotten them loose when I've turned the aids off. It's definitely NOT GT5, either. And you CAN tell the difference between the car you're racing and the car your photographing if you're car has decals.

There's all this tout of FM3 being the "most realistic racing simulator" and...after playing FM3...I think that GT5 feels a bit more realistic. There's just too much grip in FM3. Even with TCS on, in GT5, you can still throw cars into corners and get them sideways, in FM3, the TCS makes it impossible to get the car sideways, hell, without it on it's nearly impossible to get the car sideways, if you're driving one of the lower end cars at least. The DB5 felt glued to the road down the mountain and I doubt the actual car would stick that well to the road.

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the game, is just that...the people who say that FM3 has such awesome physics obviously have been playing too much NFS. I was using the racing Lotus, and being a race car, I figured it should get loose on every corner, and it didn't. Same thing with the Spyker. The Spyker kinda got loose, but I really had to throw it at the corners. But...it does make the game more accessible.

Another negative, I have about the game is the when the AI messes up...WTF...it doesn't "mess up" as in "you took that corner a little too fast, got loose and now you're all turned around." They just forget where the break pedal is and jam the gas pedal to the floor instead and pile drive themselves into the wall at 180mph. Seriously? What kind of idiot does that? It's like that one cheat on one racing game for "idiot AI" and that's all it did was make the AI just not break. It was funny to watch when that's the intent of a cheat, but, in real racing...you do something like that and you could be dead. So, why put it in a Forza game? I mean, I know it's on easy, but...Don't kill the poor AI guys, holy crap.

The paint controls are a little funky. Why they changed them from FM1 and 2 I will never understand, but they need to nail down a format for the paintshop and not change it again.

Other than that, it's a pretty solid game. Good job Turn 10. A 4/5

Are you using a wheel?

 

[SuperShouden]

Nope. Controller.

 

[t.o.]

Nope. Controller.

Review DENIED!

Seriously though, dude it's a different game with a wheel. There's but so much "sim" you gonna get with a controller since you pretty much kill the "sim" right there when using an input device that isn't "sim" to begin with.

I play strictly with the wheel, but just last night a friend and I were going through games online and got around to Forza. I didn't feel like setting up my racing rig so I just used the controller. Indeed the game is "friendlier" for controller users by far. No doubting that, but if I'm using a controller I'm only going to expect so much since I've NEVER in my life used one to drive an actual car.

Any and all games will NOT be sim when using a controller. If we hooked up a controller to a car in real life and went around a track at game speeds we'd all be dead.

As far as weight I don't know what you're talking about. Cars seem to have the right weights to me. R3's and up are very nimble and tricky cars. Cars that the average man can afford are not nimble , superfast, quick lightning machines. They pretty much are "heavy" in their feel next to the racing cars.

If you have the AI on easy man give up on that argument. Seriously, it doesn't matter what they do on easy as long as they give up and let you win since that's the whole purpose of easy. EASY: Lacking any effort to complete.

All cars feeling the same? Again, hogwash. I just finished doing a casual race night with the fellas where we pick a class and you pick whatever you got and race with it. Each car I had felt different from the other. We did a Dodge Challenger Challenge and before we could get our feel of the car we were all over the place in the 09' Challenger dude. Oddly enough that's one car that felt the same in FM3 as it did in GT5 on the Ring GP track.

"the people who say that FM3 has such awesome physics obviously have been playing too much NFS" no more like they HAVEN'T been playing it like NFS, with a joystick.

 

[SuperShouden]

I just started the game today, and the review I gave was my opinion so far. And, like I said, just because it's on easy, doesn't mean the AI drivers have to turn into one of those stupid criminals from one of them police chase shows.

 

[t.o.]

I just started the game today, and the review I gave was my opinion so far. And, like I said, just because it's on easy, doesn't mean the AI drivers have to turn into one of those stupid criminals from one of them police chase shows.

That's EXACTLY what they have to turn into so that way the even "stupider" new driver can feel like Hamilton. I never put AI on easy in ANY game. But I'm glad for other people that there is an EASY for them. People should be able to enjoy the game no matter how much they suck. Some people will NEVER get the hang of really racing/driving in these games and will only casually play due to time/life/interest. And some people just don't "get it" and never will. Some people brains just arent built a certain way. But that should be no reason why there isn't some mechanism in the game to make them feel like winners.

 

[II-zOoLoGy-II]

I quit reading about half way through. Right after you mentioned you made it to level 8, easy difficulty, assists on, then compared it to GT5.

Thanks for the "review" though.

Community features are where this game excels.

 

[the_greeze]

I'm a bit confused as to why we need a review of a game that's been out since 2009? If anyone here has even a passing interest in FM3, they would have found any pertinent information a long time ago.

Perhaps you're an aspiring games journalist?

 

[Spagetti69]

Um not to be offensive Shouden as all people have and are entitled to different views.

When you told me you like the handling on TDU 2 I felt our feelings and ideas were on different paths regarding what makes for a good game.

I do find it odd that you have mentioned Forza a lot in the past but this seems to be your first time trying it. ?

Anyway thanks for your time.

 

[t.o.]

I quit reading about half way through. Right after you mentioned you made it to level 8, easy difficulty, assists on, then compared it to GT5.

Thanks for the "review" though.

Community features are where this game excels.

You know I pretty much ignored alot of that. I just assumed the guy had been playing it hardcore except the part where he says it was on easy. I didn't even realize he had it on "special needs" the whole time. And I actually wasted time trying to .... forget it.

 

[Sele1981]

You know I pretty much ignored alot of that. I just assumed the guy had been playing it hardcore except the part where he says it was on easy. I didn't even realize he had it on "special needs" the whole time. And I actually wasted time trying to .... forget it.

Haha I also thought he is an hardcore sim fan as I was reading it, till the "easy" part and all driving aids on...

I will get my GT2 wheel tomorrow and then I will start FM3 from zero to give it another chance, even though I hate the completely wrong track designs in FM3... I think for fun with the AI, FM is the choice... For driving, GT... But I'll see it tomorrow...

 

[t.o.]

Haha I also thought he is an hardcore sim fan as I was reading it, till the "easy" part and all driving aids on...

I will get my GT2 wheel tomorrow and then I will start FM3 from zero to give it another chance, even though I hate the completely wrong track designs in FM3... I think for fun with the AI, FM is the choice... For driving, GT... But I'll see it tomorrow...

The only track that's "wrong" is the Ring. And it's only "wrong" because it's been scaled up 10 percent by design choice. If you want to really treat yourself download the Ring GP track. I think that's the best experience on a track between both games. Don't know why but that's my favorite track on all games I've raced so far. The FM3 version has more undulations in it.

 

[cuco33]

Let me get this straight... SuperShouden makes a review for FM3, and essentially chastizes the game's physics, the AI, the difficulty, etc etc all while racing on easy all with assists on....Where do I begin? Or do I even begin??

 

[t.o.]

Let me get this straight... SuperShouden makes a review for FM3, and essentially chastizes the game's physics, the AI, the difficulty, etc etc all while racing on easy all with assists on....Where do I begin? Or do I even begin??

Don't even bother. Simply make a mental "credibility" chart and edit it appropriately.

 

[prymet1me]

Lol is this a joke topic?

 

[infamousDee]

Let me get this straight... SuperShouden makes a review for FM3, and essentially chastizes the game's physics, the AI, the difficulty, etc etc all while racing on easy all with assists on....Where do I begin? Or do I even begin??

The ironic thing here is that neither of the issues the OP mentioned (the unrefined handling and erratic AI, namely) change unduly when racing with no assists against hard AI, yet you still felt the need to conjure up some explanation as to why they might be wrong, because everyone knows that FM3's gameplay is absolutely without flaw, don't they?

 

[SuperShouden]

Um not to be offensive Shouden as all people have and are entitled to different views.

When you told me you like the handling on TDU 2 I felt our feelings and ideas were on different paths regarding what makes for a good game.

I do find it odd that you have mentioned Forza a lot in the past but this seems to be your first time trying it. ?

Anyway thanks for your time.

I've played the first two Forzas and just haven't bothered getting a 360. And even know the one I'm using to play Forza isn't my system.

I quit reading about half way through. Right after you mentioned you made it to level 8, easy difficulty, assists on, then compared it to GT5.

Thanks for the "review" though.

Community features are where this game excels.

Haha I also thought he is an hardcore sim fan as I was reading it, till the "easy" part and all driving aids on...

I will get my GT2 wheel tomorrow and then I will start FM3 from zero to give it another chance, even though I hate the completely wrong track designs in FM3... I think for fun with the AI, FM is the choice... For driving, GT... But I'll see it tomorrow...

I don't have all assists on. the only assists I have on are ABS and TCS. Actaully, TCS is off at the moment. And I think going up to Normal difficulty is called for as well. But, I was looking more for getting the achievements than anything else.

And for the rest of you all...if you don't like my review, don't read it, but also, don't comment on it. Seriously, I don't want to have one of the mods close another thread 'cause everyone's bashing me. If you can't say anything nice, shut up.

 

[Luminis]

And for the rest of you all...if you don't like my review, don't read it, but also, don't comment on it. Seriously, I don't want to have one of the mods close another thread 'cause everyone's bashing me. If you can't say anything nice, shut up.

You know, you're in the Forza section and start a thread that's about a "review" of FM3, which, halfway through, turns into a "GT > FM" rant. Did you expect everyone to agree with that?

You're not reviewing at all, you could've posted this very same post you started the thread with in the FM vs. GT thread and it would've been 100% appropriate. Disguising it as a "review" doesn't change a thing in that regard. I mean, you managed a whole six sentences before mentioning GT5

 

[cuco33]

The ironic thing here is that neither of the issues the OP mentioned (the unrefined handling and erratic AI, namely) change unduly when racing with no assists against hard AI, yet you still felt the need to conjure up some explanation as to why they might be wrong, because everyone knows that FM3's gameplay is absolutely without flaw, don't they?

I don't know about you but when you play a racing game with assists on like autobrake, traction control, stability management, ABS, etc etc.. or adjust the AI difficulty to the easiest, especially if you race with overpowered cars where the AI has no chance... you shouldn't be preaching physics comparisons nor issues with erratic AI. And I'll agree with him that there is more grip than there should, but that's about the extent of agreement here..

What I was going to ask is what cars is he driving, what events, is damage on/off, and if he's using a controller or a wheel. If he wants to see how tough the game can be then he needs to play without any assists, AI at it's hardest, damage fully on... and try not to have 300hp more than the AI cars as well cuz I don't recall playing with a Spyker level car in my 1st 2 seasons in the career

The ONLY assist I use is clutch, all assists turned off, AI is at it's highest (I do this with most racers especially GT5) and full damage on. He'll see when he gets to year 5/6 with the R series cars when the competition is more level how well the AI shines and how good the cars drive. Besides, the harder you make the game, the more prize money you get in return so why go easier?

The last question I never asked was who is touting FM3 to be the most realistic racing sim? Cuz I never saw that here, nor fm.net nor on forzacentral.com. And it goes along with my 1st post after he claimed people praising FM3's physics must be used to NFS games. I don't believe he's played prior Forzas either. The livery editor is very much improved from past versions, as in major step forward not back.

Stick with the GT side of things dee, that's where GT5 is normally being discussed. At least he's giving it a go unlike most who post anything about Forza...
I smell a troll, but at least he's giving the game a shot, unlike most who post on here

 

[infamousDee]

The ONLY assist I use is clutch, all assists turned off, AI is at it's highest (I do this with most racers especially GT5) and full damage on. He'll see when he gets to year 5/6 with the R series cars when the competition is more level how well the AI shines and how good the cars drive. Besides, the harder you make the game, the more prize money you get in return so why go easier?

His criticism wasn't about the difficulty of the AI; he was complaining about how they're either spot on with their braking distances, or simply spear off the track without so much as touching the brake pedal.

The last question I never asked was who is touting FM3 to be the most realistic racing sim? Cuz I never saw that here, nor fm.net nor on forzacentral.com. And it goes along with my 1st post after he claimed people praising FM3's physics must be used to NFS games. I don't believe he's played prior Forzas either. The livery editor is very much improved from past versions, as in major step forward not back.

We’ve got the best physics.

http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/forza_motorsport_3/preview-1779.html

Stick with the GT side of things dee, that's where GT5 is normally being discussed. At least he's giving it a go unlike most who post anything about Forza...
I smell a troll, but at least he's giving the game a shot, unlike most who post on here

Actually, I'll have to correct you there. I own both FM3 and FM2, and am planning on purchasing FM4, so long as their hype about having overhauled the physics holds up to be the truth.

 

[Scaff]

Well this lasted no time at all before heading downhill.


LOCKED.


Scaff