Playground Games has made a lot of great video games in the last 16 years, but nothing as astonishingly pretty as Forza Horizon 6. The studio is presenting a vast and vertical playground, an open-world racing game that's working to capitalize on the stunning landscapes unlocked by shifting the Horizon Festival to Japan for the very first time. Design director Torben Ellert tells me that Playground has "created its largest, most diverse and seasonal map yet" – and after getting a first look at Forza Horizon 6 in action, I believe him.
"It's also the map with the most verticality, reflecting Japan's unique geography," he continues. "Drivability is key for a Forza Horizon game, so we focussed our map design on the driving experience – from iconic Touges, to city streets, and sweeping sea-side asphalt roads. We've also looked at how to facilitate traversal across-country, ensuring that more vegetation is smashable, and providing cut-throughs and shortcuts."
