Finally, Forza Horizon 5 fans know the theme of the game’s second expansion pack. The Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure expansion pack has been revealed and is to release on 29 March.
Image Credit: Playground Games
Ever since Forza Horizon 5‘s launch, fans have eagerly anticipated the reveal and launch of the game’s two expansion packs. The first one, the Hot Wheels expansion released in the summer of last year. Now, it’s the second and final major addition to the game, the Horizon Rally Adventure.
Tracing its roots 10 years back to the original Horizon game, the Rally Adventure expansion is sure to get fans excited. Including a new map, new content and features, this expansion is certainly catered to the rally fans of the racing game world.
New Cars Coming to Horizon Rally
Headlining the long list of additions included in the Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure expansion are three main cars. Each model of the three highlights a different aspect of the expansion. From infamous rally cars for motorsport fans to gawk over to the crazier models expected from Forza Horizon titles.
Taking the form of a rally update, it would be a crime to not feature a Ford Focus in one way or another. One of the three new cars joining the game is the 2001 Ford Focus Group A of Colin McCrae. This fire-breathing brute will certainly please many a rally fan.
Emerging from the Hoonigan workshop in 2017 was a highly modified VW Beetle. This bizarre creation represents the second main discipline of the expansion, Baja. It is called the Scumbug and started out life as a dirt cheap Beetle meaning it fits in perfectly with the Vocho storyline found in the main game.
The final cover car for the new update is the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning. This large, heavy pickup truck represents a more traditional Horizon racing style; take a standard road car and throw it on a track, hoping it will do well.
Seven additional cars will come as part of the expansion, all of which heavily focus on driving off the beaten track.
Rally-Inspired Modifications for all Horizon Cars
New cars in Horizon 5 wouldn’t be of interest without the chance to modify them to unrecognisable levels. Plenty of new rally-inspired vehicle upgrades and modifications will come with the Rally Adventure expansion.
The reveal stream on Twitch showed off two infamous pieces of rally tech. Turbocharged vehicles will now have an Anti-Lag System option. This enables a turbo to keep spinning even when off-throttle widening the power band and reducing turbo lag. Secondly, all cars will now include a Launch Control feature that ties in to the assists menu. Hold the handbrake and throttle and the game will offer you a near-perfect launch.
Finally, many visual modifications are set to join the game. Brief footage shows various bull bar designs and light pods allowing players to live out their wildest rally conversion dreams.
It’s worth noting that these upgrades will be available to cars both within and outside of the new pack. So, those that always dreamt of a rally-raid Lotus Evija can now see their dreams come to life.
New Features in Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure
Dotted across the new map are a total of 27 new races. Players can take part in these in two different racing modes. The traditional Forza Horizon race mode is joined by a new Rally mode. In this setting, rather than battling wheel to wheel with your opponents, you will drive the track as a time trial. Split gates throughout the course will give you an idea of your time compared to the AI meaning you won’t always know your position or relative pace.
While taking part in these events, a helicopter will follow your car along the route. Sat inside is your co-driver who will call out pace notes informing you of the road ahead. New HUD elements will also pop-up showing you what the co-driver is saying. This visual cue along with the mini-map are included in the difficulty settings. Remove the mini-map showing you where to go and you’ll earn more.
Finally, the races will reportedly feature deformable terrain in places. Expect this to resemble a simplified version of the mud and sand physics seen in Spintires games. If you find yourself behind many AI cars, you may find yourself struggling on a rutted surface.
A new Storyline for FH5’s Final Expansion
With many new races, a totally new game mode and plenty of additional features, the Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure expansion also gets its own storyline. In it, three teams specialising in the three new disciplines welcome the player into their ranks.
The player will compete in races to climb the ladder within each team, and challenge other members. In the later stages of the career, they will contend to become the new team leader in the hopes of getting an entry into Goliath, the first mixed-surface race of its kind. Win that, and your name will become legend.
This progressive storyline is, yet again, a great throwback to earlier iterations of the Horizon series. However, the development team has said it will not restrict the player on what car they use for each race. It seems one won’t have the challenge of purchasing new cars and building them up to specification for each race akin to previous games.
Sierra Nueva Expanding the Mexican Map
As one would expect, the new expansion features its own map, which the Forza team is calling Sierra Nueva, meaning ‘New Mountains’. Wth its accentuated crests and elevation designed to portray the overall look of many real-life rally stages, ‘mountain’ is an apt name. The map includes several biomes from small villages to a vast desert and even a quarry. The full map will be previewed in detail come the Series 18 update next week.
The rally racing disciplines are all centred around a new outpost, Horizon Badlands. Here, players can purchase new cars and upgrade their existing models, all while watching the night-time drone display.
Forza Horizon fans anxious to explore the new Sierra Nueva map are in luck. The Rally Adventure expansion releases on 29 March and will be available to any owner of the FH5 Premium Edition. While the rest of us that own the Standard Edition will surely be able to pick the expansion up for around €20, a comparative price to the previous Hot Wheels expansion.
Will you be picking up the Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure expansion on 29 March? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
