Customer Reviews

Forza Motorsport 3

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(55)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

First, let's get this clear...I am not a die hard racing gamer. I don't have that much time. I wish I did but I don't. I have long said that the ideal game experience provided for two kinds of gamers. The game should provide that hard-earned sense of accomplishment for those fortunate to have the skills and time to earn their way to the top. More power to them. But hang on. I still spent $60 for this game and I should have a way to get access to all it offers too (or at least most of it). I want a game provides for both.

Sure, there needs to be a way to tell whether someone earned it or just switched it on. But don't force me to spend hour-after-hour trying to earn level after level. I don't have that much time to devote to a game. I know that some would say that if I don't have the time, I shouldn't buy the game. But I think there are many people like me so it should be a win-win.

This is why I like this game so much. It lets me enjoy the fun of just jumping in some really cool cars and taking laps around really cool tracks. It has assists that allow me to enjoy the limited time I have with the game to the max.

And for those that might not consider this, it puts this game in the reach of my son, who is developmentally disadvantaged. It allows us to enjoy it together.

Let's see - great car selection, great track, great flexibility in how to configure it to play - all add up to a great game.

It's often said the the third time's the charm, and in the case of Forza Motorsport 3, that couldn't be more true. FM3 manages to improve upon it's predecessors in almost every imaginable way. If you've played Forza Motorsport 2, you're probably aware that the game wasn't designed with casual gamers in mind. FM3 changes this, and finally brings the franchise to a level that it has appeal not only as an uber-realistic racing simulator, but also as an entertaining racing game that just about anyone can pick up and enjoy. The addition of autobraking and rewind undoubtedly make things easier on newcomers, while the tweaked physics engine and ramped-up AI will give even the most die-hard Forza fanatics a run for their money. With over 400+ cars and 100+ tracks, one would be hard-pressed to get bored with this game.

Without a doubt, the two most significant improvements are the graphics and the new "Storefront". Forza Motorsport 3 displays in a native 720p (upscaled to 1080p by the console) running at 60 fps. This translates to a rich, detailed, and smooth-flowing picture that makes you feel like you're actually racing in Le Mans. To further immerse gamers, Turn 10 added a true in-cockpit view that was rendered to be a perfect likeness of the real life car. The environment and tracks weren't spared from this graphic overhaul either, and I often found myself going on free rides just to scope out the scenery and enjoy the ride.

Glossy graphics aside, the "meat" of the game is still incredibly satisfying. Those who were avid players of FM2 can testify to the integral part that online activities played. Don't worry, as Turn 10 was obviously aware this and made sure to spice things up just for you. Painting cars, applying vinyls and decals, and selling customized cars in FM3 couldn't be easier. In fact, this practice is encouraged with the addition of the new "Storefront". Players now have the ability to sell not only liveries for cars, but also tuning configurations. Making a name for yourself as an artist in Forza Motorsport 3 is a definite goal for some, but even those who lack the finesse required to create liveries can benefit from the changes.

Overall, this game not only meets all expectations set forth by hardcore FM2, but exceeds them. Those of you who are looking for a fun and relaxed racing game won't be disappointed though, as Forza Motorsport 3 was also designed with you in mind. I would, without a doubt, recommend the purchase of this game. The only downside is that the game comes with two disks (and a total of 1.9 GB of data) and necessitates the use of a hard drive if you plan on adding the bonus content (100+ cars and 3 environments).

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(UPDATE - November 4, 2009) - Numerous reviews have been posted addressing the shortcomings concerning the online multiplayer mode. They are correct. Turn 10 absolutely perfected the single player aspect of this game with "Season Mode" but, upon playing a few hours in the online multiplayer mode (which, due to all the waiting, is only two or three races) a glaring flaw reveals itself- Turn 10's "reset" of the new matchmaking system sucks. A lot. Gone are the days of creating your own custom party. Gone are the days of racing sub-A class cars. Gone are the glory days of online multiplayer.

While this may not be a huge deal to me (I mostly play single-player anyways), it's definitely a problem that NEEDS to be addressed. I've also noticed some problems in single player mode..

* Some in-car views aren't interactive, or don't render correctly.

* While the sound of cars has been vastly improved, there are still some problems. It seems that the exhaust note is based solely on displacement of the engine. A Camaro shouldn't sound like a Murcielago.

* Uploading the "Movies" doesn't work unless they're shot in low-res. 720p videos just don't upload.

* The "Performance Index" is broken. A Dodge Ram with a PI of 700 should, logically, perform on par with a Lamborghini Reventon with a PI of 700, right? Well, that's not how it works. I don't know how the PI is calculated, but it's not right.

* The resolution of Photomode leaves alot to be desired. While it's understandable that there needs to be a limit on file size to relieve strain on Turn 10's servers, I feel that the quality of the pictures doesn't do the game justice.

* Everything sold in the Storefront has a price cap of 10,000 credits. While this is just temporary, it's a huge disincentive at to spend hours upon hours perfecting a quality livery to be sold.

* The AI occasionally does stupid things. Though it's rare, I've seen opponents slam on their brakes for no reason when they're in the lead, slam into walls, or just stop driving. I don't know if these are just glitches, or the AI trying to be "more human". Whatever the cause, it's not right.

MY ratings so far-

[*****] - Single Player Mode
[****_] - Soundtrack
[*****] - Visuals
[****_] - Multiplayer (Split-screen)
[*____] - Multiplayer (Xbox Live)
[***__] - Fit and finish (Ready to be released?)

I'll start by saying that I have never played this or Forza 2 online. My online experience is limited to Call of Duty. If you're looking for a review of the controversial multiplayer mode, there are plenty of good ones from other gamers.

That said, in single player mode this game is amazing. Not perfect, but very, very good. I absolutely loved Forza 2, so I was concerned that Turn 10 might alter the new game in ways that would be frustrating. Well, they did...but they made up for it (mostly) with lots of great new features. I am a hard-core driving simulator enthusiast; except on the most frustrating factory stock races, I play everything with the AI difficulty on "hard," stability control off, and manual transmission mode. Despite this, Turn 10 has provided options to make the game EVEN HARDER or considerably easier. In fact, this is one of the biggest new feature sets, which allows a player with just about any level of experience to set the game up to their liking. While I won't use things like "autobraking" or the recommended racing line, I don't have to.

Of course, Forza is all about cars, and Forza 3 delivers tons of them. Counting the DLC, which keeps coming out, there are well over 400. Chances are, unless you are a huge fan of Japanese "kei" cars or obscure pre-war European roadsters from long-disbanded manufacturers, you will find your favorite automobile in this game. (Gran Turismo should cover you in the cases I mentioned).

Forza 3 also improves upon Forza 2 with its selection of tracks. The classics are still here (including my favorite Maple Valley) and with lots of new details thanks to the improved graphics, but new tracks debut as well, including the beautiful and extensive Amalfi Coast and the fictional series of Spanish tracks billed as "Camino Viejo de Montserrat." Additionally, the gorgeous Fujimi Kaido from Forza 1 makes a reappearance.

Forza 2 had tons of customization, and Forza 3 has even more. While everything is just about the same, there are a few new things you can do such as adding oil coolers. On the other hand, it has also been simplified a bit; you can't choose what brand of tires you install, for example.

Gameplay is just as good as before, with an improved physics engine that allows rollovers. The graphics are phenomenal, each car is exquisitely detailed, and there is a full cockpit view from which you can drive. If you are an extreme hard-core racer, you can even choose to drive with a button for the clutch. This is beyond me because in real life I use feet to operate the gas, brake, and clutch while my hands can concentrate on steering and shifting. Doing it all with my hands is too confusing.

Now, the negatives. No game is perfect, and Forza 3 has its share of flaws. The first thing that annoyed me was the "race announcer." He won't shut up. His bass-rich, nostalgic easy-listening voice can be heard any time you try to enter a car into a race for which it doesn't qualify (which I often do in order to quickly see which ones I own that DO qualify).

Another big problem is the acquisition of cars. In Forza 2, you got cars for leveling up via XP, and you received a car for each race series you won. In Forza 3, you do get cars for leveling up, but you stop leveling up about 1/4 of the way through the game; meanwhile, winning race series only gives you money...not enough money. I decided that I wanted to own all the cars in the game, since I did pay real money for this opportunity to virtually drive them, and so with 3/4 of the races completed, I tallied up the cars remaining and found I still needed $110,000,000 to buy them all. Considering that a typical, mid-length race at my advanced level of difficulty only nets about $18,000, that was going to take a while. Part of this is due to a single vintage Ferrari priced at $20,000,000. The cars are just too expensive. It's my own fault for wanting them all, but hey, I should be able to do that.

In their attempt to make the game appeal to a wider range of players, Turn 10 also added some unnecessary drama. There is an entirely repetitive animation at the beginning of each race depicting your car rolling up to the line and revving its engine. While they do stick to realism here (old cars with soft suspension will bounce when they stop at the line), the revving is tacky, and more critically, it removes your opportunity to bring your RPMs to the correct level for a good launch. A successful launch off the line is often the key to getting ahead of rivals who may be hard to pass elsewhere. Forza 3 made this impossible, which is extremely ridiculous considering that an all-new race type is drag racing. The launch is the MOST critical part of a drag race!!

The rewind feature has drawn some criticism from die-hard gamers, but I think it's good. You really don't have to use it, but I certainly have. It's easier than restarting a race (which takes a long while) and in long, tedious races it can save you a ton of headaches. However, it doesn't always work. Seriously. Sometimes, when you need it most, it just isn't an option. The most notable time for me was in the third-to-last lap of an endurance race. At the end of the long straight, I got incredibly distracted by something else (perhaps my own thoughts) and failed to brake. Instead of immediately braking and swerving when I realized this, I moved my hand so that I could hit the rewind button. It did nothing, and by the time I figured that out and got back to the brakes, my car had covered the sand beyond the track and smacked the wall, wrecking its front. Fortunately, the engine was OK, and I still won the race, but it's good to know you can't always rely on the rewind button.

The addition of lousy in-game music is simply a waste of disc space (which is an issue, since you have to install almost 2GB of data on your hard drive in order to play all of the game).

Overall, Forza 3 makes some great improvements (rollovers, more cars, awesome graphics, new tracks) over its predecessor, but it is not perfect. However, it does allow novice and experienced racers alike to jump in and play, and completing the game will take hundreds of hours, making it just as much of a total immersive long-haul experience as its prior installments.

This is by far the most technically accurate driving simulator I've played. I bought it primarily for the chance to drive the Circuit de la Sarthe and drive the Audi R10 TDI and although I've not yet gotten the R10 yet, the Circuit de la Sarthe is pure virtual bliss! The single player experience is one of the best I've played of any racing game and the seasons and tracks and available cars make for hours of fun.

The variety of vehicles is varied enough to keep anyone engaged and the ability to nearly infinitely customize not only the mechanics of the cars but the actual set ups as well in terms of suspension tuning, spoilers, tires, etc. In addition, the in-depth ability to customize the looks of the cars is awesome!

But, it's not all fun and games on the Circuit de la Sarthe... I am EXTREMELY annoyed with the lack of ability to create one car design/paint scheme and apply it to multiple cars. This is disastrous! Why spend all the time to create a great design for a car and only be able to apply it to that specific car???? Ideally, you could create a great paint/graphics scheme and apply to any car... it might need to be tweaked for that car but at least the basics would be there. The second disappointment is the multiplayer experience... you cannot play this with a friend on your own xbox... the only multiplayer is via xbox live which, in my opinion, is great for Halo, GRAW, etc., but mediocre at best for racing games...

If not for the disappointing multiplayer and the car design limitations I would absolutely have rated this a 5.

Can't wait to get my R10 TDI!!!

After a short 2 year development Forza returns with some impressive changes: a new physics system, about double the tracks, 100 more cars, improved graphics and additions to the difficulty and the storefront. Note that this is a review of only the single player part of the game.

Short Review
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Gameplay 8/10 - New physics engine adds life to the races, tires play a larger role, weight is much more noticeable and the game is generally more realistic

Graphics 8/10 - astonishing detail, interior view, beautiful new tracks set in the mountains, mirroring and reflections are a step up; but maybe not as good as GT5

Features 8/10 - a few new difficulty settings (autobrake, manual w/clutch) more car classes, racing season added, auto upgrade feature, loads of new camera angles for replay; ability to buy tuning setups and create art for the vinyl

Races and Tracks 7/10 - new, real tracks add to the simulation and much more variation between tracks, but somewhat redundant racing in the event list, far too many "repeat races" and low level races

Cars 9/10 - realism trumps any racing game I've played if not any video game I've played, the look, the feel and the tuning of these cars makes this a true simulator

Sound 9/10 - engine sounds are very accurate from the four cylinders to the V-12 engines, each has a distinctive note, superchargers and turbos can be heard as well as crashes and tires gripping, very believable

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Gameplay 8 of 10
Let me begin by saying that the racing in Forza 3 is not so much revolutionary as it is evolutionary; as you might expect with two games on the same console. The physics worked well for Forza 2 and they've added realism here as opposed to reinventing the wheel, no pun intended. You do essentially the same thing as you would have done in Forza 2. The racing hasn't changed. The cars and tracks have.

There are a few essential things that have been changed which directly effect gameplay in Forza 3. Not the least of which is the rewind button (or whatever it is being called). It is exactly what you think - you can rewind the race many times throughout the race in five second intervals. It's very handy if you happen to be racing an endurance race and you accidentally forget to make a turn on the last lap. The second major piece of the change in gameplay is the physics system. As you might guess, it's improved. Cars now have the ability to flip over completely (multiple times even), driving is much more dependent on weight, tires can lose grip while the car shifts from side to side or on sharp turns and racing seems to be based much more on the tuning of the suspension.

I've heard complaints about cars being able to flip on the game. First, if you don't believe a car will flip at even low speeds go on your favorite video website and search for car accidents. Secondly, the driving elements in determining if a car will flip are: mass (really rotational inertia) and velocity. Put those together and you get momentum. There are many other forces in play for sure, but can be considered negligible. In other words, a heavy thing going fast gives high momentum and energy and the energy HAS to go somewhere. If it happens to run into another relatively heavy thing going fast, the cars could flip. And if flipping is possible, everything else is just not as difficult to believe.

The physics system is amazing, but it was already really good for Forza 2. It's been said that with all the assists off, even the slow cars are fun to drive because you really notice the difference between them. This is true to a certain extent, but I'd have to disagree with the idea that the slow cars are fun. I found much of the early races in the Event List to be repetitive and more like driving on a highway.

The AI is pretty impressive. I honestly can't say just how good they are because I normally am far ahead of the pack by the end of the first lap. But, they certainly do react to you. If you try to take the inside corner, sometimes they'll cut you off or sometimes they won't if it could cause an accident. If you try to hit them or make them spin out, the AI will fight back and adjust to stay straight. They're pretty good at it. And when you play on hard, they'll manage to complete perfect laps while avoiding you. If you own the game and aren't getting enough of a challenge, turn off just the ABS, use manual shifting and put the opponent difficulty on hard. You won't believe how much skill it takes to manage braking while at high speeds without an anti-lock brake system.

Graphics: 8 of 10
Visuals are considerably improved in pretty much every aspect. I will admit however, you really do need to own an HDTV to notice a substantial difference. Instead of describing the cars, I'll explain the differences between the two games. In Forza 2 the cars were all dimensionally correct; details down to the brake calipers and slotted rotors were shown; cars had a reflective quality where you could see the sky in the paint. But generally they looked too "CGI-ish." In Forza 3 Turn 10 went to mind-boggling levels of clarity and detail. Now there is a new view inside the car where the interior can be seen in great detail; the headlight show clear 3-D aspects.

The headlights, in fact reflect light differently than the metal which is just like a real car. In fact if you're really observant you can see the design on the tire sidewall. Paint looks like real car paint as the sheen changes depending on where you see it from. Chrome just looks amazing, it's hard to even describe how close to reality they came on this. This is the first game I've ever played that I think even I could confuse with reality if just taking a glance at it. The new tracks are gorgeous, especially "Camino Viejo De Montserratt," which is a track set on the side of a mountain overlooking a serene lake. The artists even took the time to put in small outcroppings of grass sticking up from the ground. One of the most unbelievable parts about the visuals is that the game runs at 60 frames per second which gives an ultra smooth animation to the action.

To the dissenters of the graphics, I won't discredit your opinion because it's all subjective. However, if you don't see a noticeable change, I'd recommend playing it on a proper HDTV with an HD connection. I'm doubtful the game will strike you as impressive if you're running it with anything less than component cables. And if that doesn't work, you might need glasses.

Features: 7 of 10
The number of features has gone up to a certain extent. Something new on the difficulty setting called an autobrake allows even the most casual or driving challenged people to be competitive. Another really interesting part of the difficulty is the manual with clutch shifting arrangement, which is on the advanced racer end of the spectrum. Just like in a real car you need to let off the gas, press in the clutch and then get the revs to match the next gear. Sounds difficult on a game controller doesn't it? It is. Unfortunately it's almost useless without a racing wheel that has a clutch because you can easily ruin your powertrain by not shifting properly. It doesn't get much more realistic than this.

The player's storefront is a really nice aspect of the game. Gamers can take photos of their car, videos of races and even create art to sell for credits. Advanced racers can help out others by selling their tuning setups for certain cars. All of the features from Forza 2 are here with quite a few new ones. What impresses me most is that the game caters to essentially all types of racers. If you're more of an arcade racer, turn on autobrake and the full racing line and just gas it. If you're a super serious simulator, turn off all the assists and you really get to feel the essence of the car, the weight, the acceleration.

Another of the less looked upon parts is the presentation. It is a lot cleaner looking and is somewhat easier to use. The appearance and even the sounds resemble Gran Turismo 4's interface. Another feature for the more casual racing enthusiast allows a class upgrade or downgrade. Here's how it works: let's say you want to enter a class B race and your car is an class E; you can have the automated Forza 3 tuner to pick out all your parts and bring it up to the class you need so that it is competitive (which of course costs money) or you can have it downgrade your car so you can race in one of the more restrictive races. It is a pretty ingenious idea. Instead of spending 5-10 minutes picking out parts and then maybe another hour tuning your car, you can just race right away. This is another one of those things that I don't use myself, but would be great for many.

Races and Tracks 7 of 10
Unfortunately this is the Achilles' heel of the game and was with Forza 2. Turn 10 did a wonderful job trying to integrate as many types of cars as possible in so that you not only get a feel for the slower cars first, but so that the vast majority of the cars in the game are used. The setup is very similar to Forza 2, however the hitch is the restrictions put on the races. Many of the lower class races have restrictions such as "only stock" or car must be F class or less than 200 hp for example.

One of the earlier races is a Yaris race. For those who don't know what a Yaris is; it's a very small Japanese economy car. I don't know about anybody else, but I don't consider this a race car or even a sports car. In fact there are at least 10-15 cars I think shouldn't be in the game. And if you want to totally finish the game, you or your hired driver will have to race at least six races in this car. Another problem is there is just flat out too many low class and "repeat" races. There must be 15 events (sets of races) which include F class cars or F class Euro cars. This makes the beginning of the game incredibly boring. And if you're a little OCD like me, you'll want to finish the earlier parts of the game first. I don't care how you spin it. F class cars are boring to drive.

New tracks and track setups have really added more intrigue to the game. Now there are about 20 track locations and each location has multiple track maps making for around 100 different tracks. They've also added Ľ, ˝ and 1 mile drag strips and a ton of new speed rings. Most of the old tracks are back with a few new ones - Motegi, Sedona, Rally Di Positano, Amalfi Coast. There is still no Monaco Gran Prix, which is the one I was hoping for. And as I had feared, they removed even more of the imaginary tracks that were really fun to drive. Overall, I think the tracks have improved but with the downside of losing some of the fun-to-drive fake locations.

Cars 9 of 10
The cars in Forza 3 are by far the most realistic entity I've yet seen in a game; from the graphics to the tiny little details these are a marvel of computer programming and dedication to accuracy. Each car is so close to the actual car in so many ways. Light cars brake more easily. Rear wheel drive cars spin out. But each spins out in a different way. A muscle car loses complete control, whereas a Maza Miata ® will spin out usually at a really high speed. No two cars are alike - literally.

You might notice when your car rolls up to the start line at the beginning of the race that the front end dips just a tad because of the forward momentum. Every minute detail of a car was enlisted into the game. A lot of these things many will never notice, but the people at Turn 10 took the time to bring a level of authenticity I've not seen before in a game.

My only issue with the cars is: I'm pretty sure there was some "quid pro quo" going on with the car manufacturers. In other words, after talking with the car manufacturers there was most likely some conversations that went like this "we'll let you use car X if you agree to also put in car Y." Because of this, in the game there are boring economy cars which don't even belong in a racing simulator much less be given the honor of having their own race.

Sound 9 of 10
Considering this games focuses on ultra-realism, sounds definitely need to be accurate and they really are spot on with this game. Most of the cars sound very similar to their real life counterpart. They managed to get a true V8 sound and not just one version. Anybody who knows anything about V8s is that no two sound alike. A BMW V8 from their E92 M3 will not sound like a 426 Hemi on a Challenger. Six cylinder engines sound very good from what I can surmise. Even the four cylinders have a different tone for each car. This just harkens back to the idea of no two cars being the same, even from the same manufacturer. Tire squeals, crashes, blow off valves, superchargers and even shifting noises are all present in Forza 3. If you listen really carefully, you can hear the click of the gear lever changing gears, which shows an incredible attention to detail. The sounds from the game are realistic, seem accurate and take you one step closer to being on the track.

In conclusion, this game is the best racing simulator out right now and is possibly the most realistic game I've ever played. Unfortunately, that means it isn't necessarily the most fun I've had in a game. But if you're a car enthusiast or a racing fan, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Forza doesn't just do cars well; it does just about everything well which is why I'd rate it a 9 out of 10 overall.

I put in at least 50 hours of racing before I started over from scratch. Why? First of all, this is a great game, but this being the first time I've ever owned a racing game (no Gran Turismo or anything else), combined with a very slim "manual" for Forza 3, I didn't understand everything that was going on at the time. I started out with Season Play (as is natural) but ran into some problems about 15% into my career. There are several difficulty settings that you can use to make the game more challenging. The problem is that one of the most important difficulty settings: Opponent - Easy, Medium, Hard - varies greatly between settings. So...you can put the opponent on Easy, and everything else on difficult, and still completely blow away the other 7 opponent cars. Or you can put the setting on Hard, everything else on easy, and never finish first in a race. Because of this, they should have 5-10 different Opponent settings, not just 3 settings. Combined with this Opponent Difficulty problem is that later in the game, the actual racing events (R3, R2, R1) are super-fast, and you can't keep up with the competition without some complicated tweaking of both your cars and the difficulty settings. Finally, you are not "done" with an event until you win EVERY race within the event (there will be a light yellow circle above a track you have completed in an event; if you didn't finish first, there will be a circle with the bottom 2/3 as dark yellow instead of all light yellow---this is important). There are 3-12 races within each event, and 220 total events. In season play, you can only choose from 3 events at one time, so if you don't always finish first and complete events, this is like a carosel of events that never ends.

The solution to this is to NOT play the Season, but play the Event List only. This way, you get to really know what cars you have, their strengths and weaknesses, etc. For example, let's say that you have a Ford Shelby Cobra GT500. That's a big car that can go fast in a straight line, but is terrible in the corners. So, when you choose an event like "Mustang Track Days", you see that there are four races, two of the tracks are closer to being ovals, and two are very twisty. You race the Cobra in the two oval-like tracks until you finish first, and then save the other 2 tracks for a lighter car that can handle better. So, unlike the Season Play, you can finish parts of an event first with a car you have now, then save up credits for a new car or more mods to finish off the harder parts of the event.

When you first start, you can put the Opponent Difficulty on Easy. I've gotten to the point of being able to finish first about 90% of the time with the Opponent setting on Medium, and no traction control. Traction control becomes more and more important as you go from smaller, lighter 4-6 cylinder cars to the heavier, rear-drive 8-12 cylinder cars. The AWD and mid-engine cars are not affected as much by the traction control off as the RWD cars; you can really do some donuts with those! And why take off traction control in the first place? Because, as mentioned above, you blow away your opponents if you have the difficulty levels on too easy. You start out with light, tossable cars that are easy to steer to victory. Later in the game, things get much faster, and you simply can't keep up with the normal settings on. That's when it's time to start tuning your car for things like gearing lower (raising the drive ratios), so that you can accelerate faster. Cars in the B class like the Ferrari California and Lexus IS-F have 7 speeds, so they would be good examples of the type of car to upgrade into the racing events, so that you can lower the gears and still have a decent top speed in 7th gear. One last thing: Class F is up to 200 in the performance index, E is up to 275, D is 350, C is 425, B is 500, A is 600, S (supercar) is 700, F3 is 800, F2 is 900, F1 is 1000. Be sure to upgrade each car you intend to drive to it's class limit, and ONLY after you have driven it several times should you upgrade it into the next level(s).

Cars I was most impressed with: Ferrari FXX, Dodge Viper, Porsche GT2, Alfa Romeo Brera Italia Independent, Ford GT (only 5 speeds though), Ferrari California, Lexus IS-F.

Cars I was most disappointed in: Porsche Cayman, BMW M3 GTR, Masarati GT, Ford Shelby Cobra, Nissan 300ZX Turbo.

Forza was a great game. Forza 2 was a good one that should have been great. It had amazing graphics and physics, no arguing against that. But it made the same mistake Ferrari F355 Challenge on the Dreamcast did. It was too dang hard. The thing about simulations is that while they are interesting for exploring the possibilities in the real world without real-world consequences (wrecking cars that cost millions isn't something you can do any day of the week for real), they also tend to be a bit low on the fun factor once the novelty of the realism wears off (unless you are just an incurable realism fanatic). Thankfully, the creators of Forza learned their lesson and made this more than just a great sim, but a great game.

If there is one thing Microsoft does well, it is stealing. Added to the already formidable Gran Turismo-ish simulation physics and real-world feel and the in-cockpit views borrowed from Project Gotham, we now have the rewind ability from the amazing GRID. When you take the variable difficulty of Forza, correct the ridiculous braking of Forza 2 (with brakes turned to 200% I still regularly slammed into walls), and add in some brightly colored graphics and brief exciting tracks (maybe a suggestion from GRID and need for Speed Shift) to replace the drab boring tracks from Forza 2. The rewinds go a loooong way to ease the irritation of crashing at the end of the final lap I experienced so many, many times in Forza 2.

I can't say anything about the online features of the game, as I don't have an Internet connection at home. The garage and upgrade features are largely unchanged, but I am deeply grateful for the automatic upgrade/downgrade option so that I don't have to tweak a car endlessly to qualify for a race. As in the second Forza it's nice to be able to hire a driver to do the races you don't like, and the experience system for cars and drivers goes a long way to keep you playing. The new Touge events and other new styles are nice, but once again it feels like Forza is just playing catch-up to GRID (I saw the EXACT same Touge track in that game, though it is nice to see it in a more real-world light).

In yet another move to copy GRID (and a very welcome one), the A.I. cars no longer race in perfect lines, but actually overshoot corners and spin-out and wreck from time-to-time. It goes a long way to making the game feel more like a race event and less like a cold calculating simulation.

The presentation side of the game is a trade-off. While the menu interface is lovely, bright, and colorful, it also takes longer for menus, races, and events to load than any other racing game I have ever seen. I kid you not, there is actually a "Menu Loading" screen that you will see every couple of minutes. While the graphics are truly outstanding, the extensive loading is the price that you pay, and especially when you are racing a lot of short events, they can start to seem a bit much.

The game requires a very large install, so make sure you have room on your hard drive (it even comes with a second DVD full of content you need to load the first time you play). And if, like me, you don't have Internet....you are going to be irritated to find that there are track and car packs included that are download only. That right. In a move doubtless designed to highly discourage buying the game used, instead of coming with a disc loaded with extra cars and tracks, the game comes with download codes for the content.

This is a beautiful game. And you can tell by the demo that it has a much more colorful and generally fun atmosphere than the last Forza. If you like your realism, but don't like it to be punishing you will probably enjoy this game. If you enjoyed Forza and Forza 2 it's a must-buy. It is in my opinion, the best racing simulation in the world today...until Gran Turismo 5 comes out at least.

I got this game on the recommendation of others as a gift and it is indeed impressive. Works well on my son's XBox 360. I would give it 5 stars, but it does't work with the Madcatz MC2 racing wheel I was also given as a gift! And that's the dilemma - here is a certified XBox 360 controller and the game doesn't work with it... And can Madcatz or Forza give me an answer as to how to fix it? Good luck waiting for that (submitted support requests weeks ago). Several other people have reported that same issue on the forums. I moved to XBox gaming to avoid these issues gaming with PC's. Ha! Very disappointing. Do I have to buy the Microsoft racing wheel to have it work?...

I owned Forza Motorsport 2 but played it only occasionally, mostly due to the fact that the single player campaign was incredibly difficult to grasp. I bought Forza Motorsport 3 knowing that it was all going to be fixed, and it was!
I'm having a blast with the single player campaign. There are about 6 years and I'm just entering the 3rd year, after 2 weeks of playing. Although, I have been switching between online multiplier and single player. The game has longevity.
The simulation is mind blowing. The difference between cars is noticeable right away. Whether comparing a classic muscle car or a high speed Lamborghini, the difference will be immense and realistic.
I've been hearing complaints about the multiplayer and they are right about being frustrated. It can be kind of hard to find the right game you want to play but it's no big deal for me.
I recommend this game to any racing fan.

First, the background. I played Forza Motorsport 1 and Forza Motorsport 2 (FM1 and FM2) on Xbox 360 using the multi-screen capability. I have 3 Xbox 360's linked on my LAN and connected to 3 HDTVs to provide a three screen wide view of the road and car. Yup, very cool, but I tell you this so you can see where I am coming from, not to be showy.

Here is what I like about FM 3.

1. The added tracks make for more variety in this game and may make it appeal for longer

2. The graphics are slightly improved and all views have a rear view mirror (or two or three)

3. The car behaviors seems to be just a little more realistic and certainly less skittish than FM2

4. The penalty system works. Lap times are either clean or dirty, and clean times always list before dirty times. What makes a lap "dirty"? If you hit anything, go off the track, draft another car or are drafted by another car, or didn't have a clean last segment of the previous lap. There is no time penalty, you just get your dirty time listed WAY down the list behind all the clean times no matter how slow they were. No more wall-riding, no more pushing Minis across the line, no more drafting a Mini behind a monster car etc.

5. I like the in-cockpit view, but only when driving using the 3-screen setup. On a single screen, you lose too much space to see the track very well. It is possible to get a wider view on a single screen, which is like sitting further back from the steering wheel by setting the screen as the center of a multi-screen setup with a large defined angle (you do not need more than one Xbox to do this). But the result is still not good. I have set each of my screens to show 52 degrees with a 3 degree gap between each adjacent pair, giving me a 162 degree-wide view, so I can see out the side windows when in in-cockpit view. This is very nice.

6. The sound is improved.

Here is where I believe FM3 falls short

1. Every so often the much vaunted 60 fps frame-rate drops WAY off, and since this typically happens when cornering, this glitch often leads to driver error. Usually restarting the race will cure it for a while.

2. Multiplayer on Xbox Live - I suggest you read the other reviews here in Amazon. They cover its shortcomings very well. It's bad news.

3. Multiplayer on System Link (LAN)- no longer exists! With FM2, I would sometimes dismantle the 3-screen setup and have 2 or three players racing in a private group over the LAN. No lag, no internet-dependency, no dependence on Xbox Live. It was a beautiful thing. But it's gone from FM3. You have to buy multiple Xbox Live subscriptions.

4. No local scoreboards. FM2 would keep track of a list of results from prior races for all gamertags that used the Xbox 360. This has gone from FM3. The only record of your your performance on a specific track/class combo is simply your best time, so you have lost the ability to compare your results in a variety of cars. Even this is only available if you are connected to Xbox Live

5. Some career races switch the 3-screen setup to a single screen, disabling the left and right screens. Suddenly it's like racing in a tunnel, because in 3-screen mode you typically have a narrower field of view on each screen than in single screen mode. The same tracks in hot lap mode work fine.

6. At the start of all single player events, time is wasted by having the car drive onto the grid and then sit there revving its engine and vibrating before the countdown starts. Every darned time. Gets VERY tiresome, VERY quickly.

7. FM3 still doesn't use all screens of a multi-screen setup for replays. I was in contact with the Turn 10 team just after FM2 came out on this issue. There is a bug in FM2 that enables unsaved replays to use all screens, and this same bug exists in FM3. (Start the replay and go into photo mode, then come back into replay mode - choose the right camera and, bingo, you have all three screens in synchronization. But this doesn't work for saved replays, only for the replay immediately after a race. Since Turn 10 was aware of this bug and identified it as such via email, wouldn't you have thought that they'd exploit it for a better multi-screen experience?)

8. A lot of effort has been put into the car graphics, but quite frankly, I'm not studying car details while I'm racing. I'd prefer that the effort be put into track detail. The FM2 cars were quite good enough for me.

9. For owners of multiple Xbox 360s, you have to be careful with the Digital Rights Management issues. Microsoft expects Xbox 360 owners to only have one of them and that all software will be licensed to just the one Xbox. I'm now in the position that my car and track DLC are licensed to my center Xbox and the FM3 Premium Theme is licensed to the right hand one. The reasons are just too complex to explain here, and the cause is due to Microsoft's DRM myopia.

10. A detail point - the "split" time has been moved from low in the driver's view to the top of the screen. This means that to read it requires moving the eyes a long way from the focus of attention, and choosing a time when the background doesn't obscure the text. The FM2 location used the track as a background, so it was both easy to find and read.

Summary: So long as you don't need System Link, and don't mind the odd frame rate drop, you'll probably enjoy this game. It's not what it could have been and it's sad that some of the good things about FM2 were dropped, but it's the best driving experience available on Xbox 360 and the only one (apart from FM1 and FM2) that provides a multi-screen experience.

EDIT December 6th, 2009 - some new observations

I REALLY like the ability to load a tune setup and have the option to automatically buy (or reinstall) the upgrades needed to suit the tune. Saves a lot of time compared to the FM2 hit and miss method.

Others have mentioned this, but I have been slow to get into multiplayer, so this is a late observation. There is NO ability to tune in the lobby. This is very annoying. My friend and I moved to a track with long straights, and he found that he needed to tweak his final drive ratio to avoid over-revving in top gear. The only way is to leave the multiplayer session, make the changes and be invited back in.

The frame rate issues occur more often than I had earlier experienced. It's as though the video engine gets "stuck" for maybe a fifth of a second, and at the wrong time, this can mean the difference between a beautifully executed corner or going off the track. Or it means a collision. In single player mode it's inconvenient, in multiplayer, it's embarrassing.