| Forza Horizon 2 | |
|---|---|
 Standard cover art featuring theLamborghini Huracán | |
| Developer | Playground Games[a] |
| Publisher | Microsoft Studios |
| Director | Ralph Fulton |
| Producer | Adam Askew |
| Designers |
|
| Programmer | Alan Roberts |
| Artist | Benjamin Penrose |
| Series | Forza |
| Platforms | |
| Release | |
| Genre | Racing |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Forza Horizon 2 is a 2014racing video game developed forMicrosoft'sXbox One andXbox 360 consoles. It is the sequel to 2012'sForza Horizon, the seventh instalment in theForza series, and the series' first multi-console instalment. The Xbox One version of the game was developed byPlayground Games, the team behind the originalForza Horizon, whileSumo Digital developed the version for Xbox 360, withForza series developerTurn 10 Studios supporting both builds. The Xbox 360 version is also the finalForza game released for the platform. The game received positive reviews from critics and a sequel,Forza Horizon 3, was released on 27 September 2016.
The game was delisted from sale on 1 October 2018, following the expiration of its car branding licenses. The game's online servers, along with those forForza Horizon, were shut down on 22 August 2023.
Forza Horizon 2 is aracing video game, featuring anopen world environment.[2] The player participates in the Horizon Festival, a fictional racing competition set withinSouthern France andNorthern Italy.[3] The game has approximately three times more drivable area than that of its predecessorForza Horizon, with events set inProvence,Liguria andCôte d'Azur (Nice) along with scaled down towns ofSisteron andSaint-Martin-du-Var. There is a small part of the map that includes parts of theAmalfi Coast and a fictional town calledCastelletto which consists of features from the town ofAmalfi. There is also some small features in the map like the golf course, the docks (which are only accessible in theXbox One version of the game except if theFast & Furious expansion is owned for theXbox 360 version) and aerodrome. Players can explore the expansive map, taking part in races and special events in order to advance through the game. Events can take place at day or night, and a dynamic weather system was added for the first time in aForza-series game.[4]
Among new features in the game are "Bucket Lists", three groups of timed challenges for the player to complete, similar to the 1000 Club inForza Horizon. They can be completed in solo or co-op mode (when a player goes to the online version of the map, they can be completed with a random person or invited friend). These challenges are continuously updated to provide new challenges throughout the map.Car Meets are an online mode where players can meet up online and compare their cars, similar to "Forzavista" mode inForza Motorsport 5. Players are also able to interact with each other in Car Meets, including sharing tuning setups and liveries. In the online version of the game, races such as circuits, sprints, and cross country are playable against other players, along with other game types such as Infected and King.[5]
The standalone expansion of the game based onThe Fast and the Furious franchise,Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, addednitrous oxide boosts to theForza series. Unlike other racing games however, nitrous can only be used during most of the game's events, and only replenishes at the very start of said events. On the Xbox 360, it's only used in drag races.
Forza Horizon 2 is the second game in the series to be developed principally by a studio other thanForza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios. Playground Games, the lead developer forForza Horizon, focused on the Xbox One version, using the graphics engine fromForza Motorsport 5 as their starting point.[5] While the engine is capable of displaying content 1080p and 60 frames-per-second, the game was locked at 1080p and 30 frames-per-second, which was deemed necessary because of the game's open-world nature.[5][6] According to creative director Ralph Fulton, "one of the big technical challenges that we had to face was making sure that we could stream in a world that is next-gen beautiful, but fast enough to keep up with the fastest car."[6]
Sumo Digital took the lead for the Xbox 360 version, starting from the originalForza Horizon graphics engine.[4] As with the original game, Turn 10 Studios provided support to the primary developers.[4] The Xbox 360 version does not include the weather system such as rain or "drivatar"A.I. found in the more-powerful Xbox One version, and also omits tuning and the free-roam open-world (as very few barriers can be broken through and crossed), with Playground Games calling the two versions "different games".[7]
On 22 July 2014,Turn 10 Studios revealed the first 100 of over 200 cars to be featured in the open world game, from exotics, rally cars, trucks, hot hatches, among others. Many cars from theForza series return, including many cars from the originalHorizon game. The list includes the 2014Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 andVeneno, theMcLaren P1, theLaFerrari, theAgera, and theBugatti Veyron Super Sport.[8] Another new car that they had released was theFord Capri RS3100 which is a barn find. All ten barn finds can be found off-road, usually in hidden places.
When choosing the locale forForza Horizon 2, the developers investigated over 30 locations around the world, includingCalifornia andAustralia, ultimately choosing Southern Europe.[5] Creative director Ralph Fulton cited Europe's "fantastic driving roads, amazing environmental diversity, and just stunning vistas that you really want to explore" as some of the major points in selecting it forHorizon 2.[5] Fulton also noted that most of the recent open-world driving games were set in North America and that Southern Europe "just felt fresh, it felt different, it felt new, and it was a gimme for us".[5]
The Playground Games audio team recorded exhaust, intake, supercharger, and turbocharger sounds on real cars, and each sound is independent and modelled separately. To create loops through the rev range, they paired the sounds to each rotation of the engine. The mix of intake or exhaust notes depends on the camera position inside or outside the car. The team used the increased power of the Xbox One to playback assets of higher quality and loop length. They recorded environmental sounds like raindrops hitting the car, skidding on wet and dry surfaces, and debris kick-up.[9]
On 27 August 2014, Microsoft announced that a demo version of the game would be made available on Xbox One on 16 September 2014.[10] On the day of the demo release, Microsoft confirmed that the game had been declaredgold, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release.[11] The standard "10th Anniversary Edition" of the Xbox One version (consisting of the base game and the 10th Anniversary Car Pack) was given to Xbox Live Gold members for free throughout August 2018 as part of Microsoft'sGames with Gold program.[12]Forza Horizon 2 and its downloadable content were delisted on 1 October 2018. Those who already own it can still download and play the game and its DLC.[13] On 23 June 2023, it was announced by Turn 10 Studios that they would be shutting down the online servers forForza Horizon and all versions ofForza Horizon 2 (including theFast & Furious standalone expansion) on 22 August 2023, thereby removing access to game features including leaderboards, matchmaking, and access to user-generated content, with support for offline play still being available past that date.[14]
On 16 December 2014, Microsoft launchedStorm Island, an expansion pack for the Xbox One edition of the game.[15] Storm Island adds, along with the new setting and associated tracks, five new event types, an expansion of the game engine's weather system, five new vehicles and an additional barn-find car.[15] On 25 February 2015, Microsoft announcedForza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, astandalone expansion to promote the release ofFurious 7. It was released on 27 March 2015 for free until 10 April 2015.[16] The expansion added music fromFurious 7, composed byBrian Tyler, exclusively for the Showcase events. ActorChris "Ludacris" Bridges who played Tej in theFast & Furious series was also featured in the game with his voiceover. In June 2015, Microsoft announced a newPorsche expansion pack for the game that was released on 9 June 2015.[17] The expansion, which was authorized byElectronic Arts, the then-license-holder for Porsche vehicles in video games, adds ten vehicles, such as the944,911 GT3 RS, theMacan Turbo and theCayman GTS.[17] The expansion also adds new Bucket List items, new Rivals events and 15 newachievements based around the Porsche models.[17] All the DLCs contents are only exclusive to the Xbox One edition of the game.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 86.25%[18] |
| Metacritic | 86/100[19] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer and Video Games | 9/10[21] |
| Destructoid | 9.5/10[20] |
| Eurogamer | 9/10[22] |
| GamesRadar+ |   [2] |
| IGN | 9/10[23] |
| Joystiq | [24] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 8/10[25] |
| Polygon | 7/10[26] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4.5/5[28] |
| Pure Xbox | 9/10[27] |
The Xbox One version ofForza Horizon 2 received highly positive reviews. It received an aggregated score of 86.25% onGameRankings based on 53 reviews[18] and 86/100 onMetacritic based on 82 reviews.[19] Writing for IGN, Luke Reilly said that the game had "comprehensively updated" the standards for open-world racing games and that it was "Test Drive Unlimited,PGR,Smuggler’s Run, andForza Motorsport all crammed into a T-shirt cannon and fired into your face".[23] Conversely, Polygon's Arthur Gies, while giving the game a positive review, said that the track design inForza Horizon 2 "can't compete" with the licensed tracks used inForza Motorsport 5.[26] Jonathan Leack of CraveOnline called the game "racing paradise" and "a highly enjoyable destination for anyone willing to buckle up behind a wheel".[29] Leack also compared the two separate versions of the game and discovered a number of differences.[30] As an example, when players are given the option to choose their first car at the start of the game, the Xbox 360 version uses a graphic interface, while the Xbox One version lets the players choose the cars in-world.[30] Calling the Xbox One version a "system-seller" and "a good time to invest in next-gen", Leack said that Sumo Digital "has done a fantastic job" with the Xbox 360 version and that it was "one of the best-looking racing games on the platform".[30]
During the18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominatedForza Horizon 2 for "Racing Game of the Year".[31]
| Video games |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Related | |||||
| Motorsport |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon | ||
| Spin-offs | ||
| Companies | ||
| Films |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Television series |
| ||||
| Short films | |||||
| Inspired media |
| ||||
| Characters | |||||
| Music |
| ||||
| Related |
| ||||
