Forza Motorsport 4
Preview
Can motion controls make a masterpiece?
by Liam Edwards
previewed on X360
A New Formula (cntd)
The controller and Kinect option seems a bit more responsive and allows players full control of the car. With the controller, players can steer, brake, drift and manipulate all of the normal functions of a car just like other racing titles. But what really makes the Forza Motorsport 4 experience complete and “innovative” is the new head-tracking system. The Kinect allows for the player to use their head to allow their virtual driver to look around through the different windows and angles of a car. If for example you turn a corner at speed, the car you are driving will most likely drift around that corner, when in this motion drivers tend to look through their side windows to see where their car is going. But so far in video games when a player drifts you can still only see out of the front window, meaning you are most likely to lose control or crash. This sort of realism has been seldom shown in other racing titles. But with the head-tracking features Turn 10 has wanted to show players the realism of seeing the side of your car drift effortlessly around a corner at 100 mph. More hardcore players and all-round good drivers should be able to use these small changes to get the best out of the game and push for more realistic driving styles and experiences. Those players wishing to use a steering wheel setup will also be able to experience the full change and innovations that Forza Motorsport 4 has to offer. It could quite possibly be the closest anyone will get to driving for real without actually doing so.
A Strange Formula
The Kinect option also offers players to control the car in bizarre ways too, such as audio commands and interaction with different parts of the car. By pointing at different parts and systems, players can find out bits of information about those parts and check on systems such as fuel, radiator temperature and other important systems.
But this is where the Kinect integration in Forza Motorsport 4 seems to fall flat on its face. This sort of interaction with a car seems to create futuristic driving and not realistic present day driving. There has yet to be modern day cars which people can bark commands such as “GO-FASTER” at and also being able to point and read virtual in-car screens about the different parts and systems within the car, also seems a tad unrealistic too. But we have yet to find out if this “innovative” addition will prove to be a winner. I mean shouting while driving seems to be a fun idea, yet in your bedroom while already steering a car with an invisible steering wheel, most people would think you were mad, and nothing close to having an “innovative” driving experience. But if it gets the most of the Kinect (which should not be hard, as the bar has yet to be set high enough), it could be an enjoyable experience and one that racing fans and Kinect owners alike will want to partake in.
An Unchanged Formula
With Forza Motorsport 4 promising to live up to the expectations set by its predecessor, while also having its own “innovative” features its predecessors didn't, it seems a task to imagine how such a title could fail. With a loyal fan-base and being the Xbox 360's racing exclusive it does have a large weight on its shoulders. But by having so much variety and controls schemes to suit every player; from the casual Kinect user to the hardcore fan with his beaten up steering wheel, it has an experience for everyone. It also features many small overlooked features that make it a stand-out title. Additions such as imported saves from Forza Motorsport 3, a career mode that adapts to the players progression and skill level as well as the small inclusion of Top Gear content, it is promising to be a fan favourite already.
Turn 10 have attempted to create a title that uses an age-old formula and make it anew once again with (what seems to be the buzzword of the year) “innovation”, it seems they are on the right track. Not by just using the Kinect, but by creating a racing game that caters to everyone. Shouting at your television screen while flailing your arms wildly back and forth is not everyone's cup of tea. But come October even the doubters could quite possibly be shouting, “THIS IS INNOVATION” at my television.
