Forza Horizon 4 Review Roundup

Forza Horizon 4 is the latest in the racing spin-off from Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games. As distinguished from the main Forza Motorsport series, Horizon has always taken the racing action off the track and into detailed open-world environments. Horizon 4 is set in the United Kingdom and features a new season-changing mechanic.

Forza Motorsport and Horizon have established themselves as some of the most reliable franchises around, and this one is no exception. GameSpot's Forza Horizon 4 review noted that everything you do feels valuable and the package as a whole adds up to celebrate the joy of driving. The critical consensus seems to agree that this one is another winner and a system showpiece for the Xbox One. Read on for a glance at impressions from around the industry, or go to GameSpot's sister site Metacritic for a wider view.

• Game: Forza Horizon 4
• Developer / Publisher: Turn 10 Studios, Playground Games / Microsoft Studios
• Platforms: Xbox One
• Release date: October 2
• Price: US $60 / £49 / AU $78

GameSpot -- 9/10

"Everything you do in Horizon feels valuable, no matter how big or small--from the basic thrills of speeding a fast car down a gorgeous mountain highway to spending time tinkering with your favorite ride to manage seasonal road conditions to just hanging out with friends and strangers online and goofing off in friendly games. The charm of the Horizon series is as palpable as ever, a winning, all-inclusive recipe that celebrates the joy of driving above all else." -- Edmond Tran [Full review]

IGN -- 9.6/10

"I'll always have a massive soft spot for the down under delights of Forza Horizon 3, but open-world racing has never looked as good as it does in Forza Horizon 4. It combines a beautiful world that's really four hugely distinct maps in one with a constantly rewarding and self-renewing racing experience and I really can’t tear myself away from it. Playground Games hasn't just upped the ante once again; it's blown the bloody doors off." -- Luke Reilly [Full Review]

USGamer -- 4.5/5

"You can debate the merits of some of this version's additions, but the same strong core that has pushed Forza Horizon to the top of the driving sim heap remains firmly in place here. It's an incredibly impressive graphical production that puts even its beautiful predecessor to shame, and it's a true pleasure when out on the road. Forza Horizon 4 is one of a handful of showcase games that truly ought to sell you on an Xbox One X and a 4K TV." -- Kat Bailey [Full Review]

Destructoid -- 9/10

"Forza Horizon 4 is another fantastically fun Forza Horizon game even if it's tough to pinpoint Playground's grandest ambition. If it was to reinvent the series with seasons, that falls a bit flat and underwhelming. But, if it was to simply remove the constraints and make everything as open and free as possible, then Playground hit its target in the most impressive way. Regardless, Forza Horizon is still the king of open-world arcade racers, and it really doesn't look like that'll change anytime soon." -- Brett Makedonski [Full Review]

GamesRadar -- 4/5

"Forza Horizon 4 isn't as bombastic as its predecessor, but still a challenging and all-encompassing online racer. And the more introverted moments of driving through autumnal or snow-dusted Britain are beautiful, especially as a showcase for Xbox One X." -- Justin Towell [Full Review]