Forza Motorsport 4
Preview
Can motion controls make a masterpiece?
by Liam Edwards
previewed on X360
An Unbroken Formula
Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing game as many will already know. Like many racing games before, it will feature cars and tracks. Indeed. So how does this same old formula still promise to grant Forza Motorsport 4 to most likely reach record sales, enter the Xbox exclusive hall of fame along with Halo and Gears of War and pry most racing game fans from their PS3’s and Gran Turismo, to pick up Forza Motorsport 4?
Well Turn 10 Studios reckons that “innovation” is the key to Forza Motorsport 4's success. But is it possible to innovate serious racing titles such as Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, without having to add power-ups, weapons and other gimmicks from games like Blur and the Need for Speed series? Turn 10 is out to prove that it is indeed possible.
A New Formula
“Innovation” is certainly a word thrown around a lot these days within the video game industry. With motion gaming being the innovative strategies for the big three, Turn 10 hopes to use this already cramped bandwagon to reach more people for the next installment in the highly successful series. And what better way to try “innovation” than attempt to use the Kinect. Right? With Microsoft's Kinect having nowhere near the support Microsoft had promised, it was disappointment that met the announcement of Forza Motorsport 4's inclusion of Kinect controls. Gimmicks have been what has made the Kinect the lacking peripheral it is, and with Forza Motorsport 4 being a racing game, it is hard to see how it is promised to be one of the must own games for Kinect.
But small innovations are what could potentially make or break this title. With the use of the Kinect's motion and audio control, Forza Motorsport 4 is said to break the barrier between players and racing titles. Turn 10 are claiming that it will be the closest players will get to actually feeling like they are driving the most expensive cars around the best racing tracks in the world. These small changes and additions to players’ individual choices and style are what head up the list of changes since the third addition. With players now being able to uniquely use the Kinect and a controller to steer and control the cars they drive. Players can choose the all-out Kinect control choice, which features players using their hands and body to manipulate the virtual car, while the game uses a feature called “auto-brake” to determine when the players should brake for corners and so forth. Although this is a nice thought and a homage to arcade style racing, there is much doubt this this be the main playstyle for the hardcore fans of the series and certainly won't convince them in to purchasing a Kinect.
