After visiting many other countries, the Horizon Festival has arrived at the home of drifting. Playground Games were right to hold off on Japan for so long, as what they have achieved with Forza Horizon 6 is simply stunning. The largest map yet, with so many varied areas to it. And a lot of terrain variation, too. All of which makes for a great world to experience.

Mei is excited the Horizon Festival is coming to her home country, so she invites her best friends to share in that excitement. I’m one of those friends, who arrived without a car. So Mei lets me take a choice to cruise into Tokyo City. The Initial Drive comes between those two parts, showing off some of the great areas to this world. Getting a feel for the handling. Which is very smooth. Horizon has always had the best handling vehicles, I’ve felt, so it’s good that only refinement has taken place.

In Tokyo, the Festival truly begins. First with a race to test a new track in the city, then with Mei surprising her friends by entering them all into the Festival. Three events – road, dirt, cross-country – then to the invitational. These first events are nice, seeing the three friends tackling them with the aim of them all getting into the festival. Even seeing their names above the cars they drive.

With the first wristband earned, more events become available. Progression is based on two journals. The Horizon Festival one includes the road, dirt, and street races, along with time attacks, the bonus boards, PR stunts, and other events. The Discover Japan one is all based on finding things. Scattered across the world are mascots to smash, areas to discover, street and togue races to find and take part in, and taking on the stories. Both journals also include photography.

My first actions were to buy a Mini and get exploring. With the initial money earned from those starting events, I could buy it and mod it to all-wheel drive to aid in the exploration. While in the upgrades menu, I also saw that drifting transmission is now a thing that can be bought. Which makes sense in the home of drifting. I’ve yet to take on any of the drift zones, waiting until I have them all unlocked until I convert this Mini into the drift machine I know it can be.

With the events, Forza Horizon 6 has returned to needing specific vehicle types and power classes. Though anything within the journal will provide the points to progress toward that next wristband or stamp. As it is, I raced through less than ten events and got to the pink wristband. And from what I can see, I likely don’t need to race through half of the events to get the seventh wristband. The gold one, which means I become a Legend.

To earn the next wristband, there’s more than just a points total to reach. There’s also the progression challenge. This is where the showcase events are found, now sharing the spotlight with Horizon Rush events. Where Showcases go for spectacle, such as racing against a giant mech, the Rush events are more technical. Proving grounds for skilful handling of a vehicle. Which makes trying to three-star them a great challenge.

As are togue races. The world of Horizon Japan features many winding mountain roads, perfect for this style of race. These are one-on-one races against Horizon Bass Arena radio host Scott Tyler down a route that has many tight corners to it as the road winds down the mountain. And while they can be fully completed without it, the best approach for winning them is with drifting.

Speaking of the radio hosts, they’re as lovely as ever. It’s fun to hear their updates, such as Pulse host Amy Simpson enjoying Japan with her mother. There are also more radio stations than ever, including a few with Japanese hosts. The music is another grand adventure in itself, with a lot of variety to be found with those stations. I’ve found myself tuning into all of them to delight in the new sounds.

Which is great for exploring. As well as the usual barn finds, there’s treasure cars to hunt down, using the clues provided. It’s also possible to find cars from the autoshow out in the world for sale at a discount. Always a surprise to find one when cruising around, especially if it’s something I want. Though if you don’t want to cruise, fast travel is an option, to any discovered road or event, completely free of charge from the start.

All of that, and there’s still more to explore. Online modes, such as the various racing options. Horizon Stunt Party – the new name for Horizon Arcade events that see players work together doing challenges. Garage customisation and the Estate, which offers a large amount of land to customise however a person sees fit. Including as a racetrack or stunt park. And the deliveries around Tokyo City.

There’s so much to see and do, it’s easy to see why Forza Horizon 6 is the best of the series. Great racing, with a nice progression system. Plenty to explore, with a world so varied. There’s no need to guess what I’m giving it, as this is the easiest recommendation I have ever awarded a game. I’m simply in love, and it is sure to keep me invested for many hours to come.

Images Taken From:
Forza Horizon 6 | Xbox Series S