We have four pillars in the Horizon series that we constantly refer back to when we are making a new game. Ralph Fulton: To frame how we got to where we are now you're going to need to look back at the history of Horizon. GameSpot: To kick it off, could you explain how the shared world is different from past Forza Horizon games? Be sure to read our Forza Horizon 3 review and Forza Motorsport 7 review to see the past few games have fared. There will be cross-play between the two platforms and it'll also be available through Xbox Game Pass on launch day. Note that the following interview has been editorialized for clarity and readability.įorza Horizon 4 is the 11th entry in the long-running racing franchise, and the standard and deluxe editions launch on October 2nd while the ultimate edition lands on September 28 for Xbox One and PC. We spoke with the creative director Ralph Fulton and principal designer Mike Brown from developer Playground Studios to get a more detailed explanation of how Forza Horizon 4's shared world operates and how it mixes up the series formula. Now Playing: Forza Horizon 4 4K Xbox One Gameplay | E3 2018 Forza Horizon 4's campaign can be played entirely solo and will include drivatars to fill in the gaps.īy clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's This doesn't mean that you're required to be online to play the game, though. There's also hourly events called Forzathon Live where anyone can jump in for cooperative challenges to earn rewards. But the goal isn't just to fill the game with actual people going about their business, the shared world also functions to induce new multiplayer experiences.Įntering races alone or as a group (or Convoy, as the game calls it) is said to work seamlessly as you're temporarily put into a parallel server outside the shared world, and immediately put back in afterward. So long as you're online, real players will be cruising around the world at all times instead of drivatars (AI cars simulating real player behavior) seen in past entries. One of the biggest changes coming to the franchise with Forza Horizon 4 is that its open world will be populated with actual players, in hopes of making it feel more lived in-hence the ‘shared world’ designation.

The Forza Horizon series has always been about fusing realistic driving mechanics with the freedom and quirks of exploring open environments.

How do you use horizon for xbox