The first Forza Horizon 5 gameplay was revealed during the Xbox Gamescom 2021 stream.
Photo credit: Xbox
Forza Horizon 5 was announced by Microsoft back in June at E3. Now, this time at Gamescom 2021, some major details about the upcoming open world racer have been revealed. Along with the two flagship cars that will be included in Forza Horizon 5 from the very beginning, the game’s cover art and the first eight minutes of gameplay have also been put on display during the Xbox Gamescom stream on Tuesday. Additionally, it was announced that the game is already available for pre-order now!
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The Cars
If you take a look at the cover art for Forza Horizon 5, you will see three cars driving across the Mexican landscape. Front and centre is the Mercedes-AMG One, the first road car to implement hybrid power technology to an almost Formula 1 level, and a gorgeous car to look at. In the background, you will see two more cars, both of which are Ford Bronco Bandlands, a 2021 model designed for extreme off-roading.
Both the Bronco Badlands and the Mercedes-AMG One will evidently have a large role to play in the marketing of Forza Horizon 5. In the teaser trailer shown during the livestream, the Mercedes was driving along an asphalt road, while the Ford was racing through the undergrowth parallel to the road itself.
This neatly highlights not only the different performance focus of the two cars, but also the different sorts of conditions players will experience in Forza Horizon 5.
The Gameplay
Immediately as the gameplay footage begins, the player is thrust into a cinematic scene involving a Ford Bronco Badlands being airdropped onto the top of a volcano. Not only is this ludicrous and fun, it also shows off one of the centrepieces of the open world right off the bat. As the car hits the ground, the player takes control and begins driving it towards the Baja circuit.
After descending the mountain via a blind jump over the edge of the pinnacle, the player finds themselves in the living desert biome, with cactuses and small shrubs all around. There isn’t long to take in the new surroundings before yet another blind jump leads the player directly into the Baja circuit, where a race is already taking place.
Straight after that, the game switches focus. Now, there is a new car, a C8 Corvette Stingray, being parachuted down into the Mexican farmland. As it lands, the player takes control, and is instructed to drive towards a dust storm which can be seen on the horizon.
After that, there is a new car and a new biome to be explored in the form of a dense jungle, and then finally the Mercedes-AMG One is dropped onto the finest roads in the game, to drive to the Horizon Festival itself.
These first eight minutes of gameplay immediately show the player what Forza Horizon 5 is all about. Stunning backdrops, detailed and varied biomes, insane stunts and massive weather events. All in all, it gives a good impression of what to expect when the game fully releases.
What did you think of the Forza Horizon segment of the Xbox Gamescom stream? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
