|
|
Forza Motorsport 3
|
User Reviews
Send this to a friend
|
| Forza Motorsport 3 |
| |
 |
| Manufacturer: Microsoft |
| Customer Rating: |
|
| List Price: $59.99 |
| Sale Price: $49.99 |
| Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours |
 Free Shipping Available |
| Buy Now |
|
| |
Product Description |
Whether it's an exotic sports car like the new Audi R8 V10, a classic American muscle car like the Ford GT or a hot Asian import like the Nissan 370Z, everyone has a dream car. Now you can drive that dream with Turn 10's latest racing epic. Exclusively for Xbox 360, Forza Motorsport 3 unites the racing game genre, making it possible for everyone to experience the thrill of the world's most exotic and exquisite cars. 
400+ customizable cars.
View larger. | 
100+ international tracks.
View larger. | 
Amazing in-car detail.
View larger. | 
New game modes & events.
View larger. | Live the most realistic racing experience ever as you take the wheel of more than 400 of the most-beloved cars on over 100 renowned real-world tracks and exotic road courses from around the globe. With breathtaking high-definition graphics and the most advanced vehicle performance modeling in a video game, Forza Motorsport 3 includes a host of driving assists and adjustable skill levels to make the game a gripping pick-up-and-play experience for audiences of all ages and skill levels. Your escape into the world of car culture in Forza Motorsport 3 doesn't stop at the track. Turn 10 is a proven leader in user-generated content creation in games. Forza Motorsport 3 further fuels the imaginations of its already thriving community of painters, tuners and photographers with improved customization tools and brand-new ways to share creations with the world via Xbox LIVE.* Xbox LIVE makes your journey into the Forza Motorsport community and the world of user-generated content easy and fun. A love of cars lives in all of us. Forza Motorsport 3 is the automotive playground we've all been waiting for. Key Game Features - Where Dreams are Driven: The Cars and Tracks
Featuring the latest and greatest production offerings as well as the world’s fastest and most exotic street cars, Forza Motorsport 3 offers more than 400 fully customizable and tunable cars from over 50 of the world’s leading manufacturers. Whether your passion is classic American muscle cars, European roadsters, purpose-built race cars or high-tech Asian imports, Forza Motorsport 3 puts you in the cockpit of the cars you love. In addition to the return of world-famous tracks from previous Forza Motorsport games, including Suzuka, Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Sebring International Raceway, Forza Motorsport 3 invites you to conquer the corners on more than 100 tracks, including some of the most beautiful road courses in the world. New environments like the gorgeous mountainous Montserrat region in Spain, the rugged Amalfi Coast in Italy and the American Southwest are presented in such majestic detail that you might find yourself pulling over just to take it all in. - The Look and Feel of a Modern Racing Game
Forza Motorsport 3 is the definitive racing game. The appreciation of the automobile in Forza Motorsport 3 is due in large part to the team’s attention to detail. This is why automotive engineers from manufacturers like Audi and champion race teams like Peugeot as well as experienced computer graphics specialists from across Microsoft Corp. have all teamed up with Turn 10 to make Forza Motorsport 3 the most beautiful and realistic racing game ever made. All 400-plus cars in the game have been built with more than 10 times the amount of polygons as Forza Motorsport 2. This includes painstakingly researched cockpits and interiors for every vehicle. But realism isn’t just about pretty graphics. Turn 10 takes realism to new heights, leading the industry with the most advanced physics model, artificial intelligence and damage calculations. Whether it’s the differences in how each car handles through the corners, how the engines sound at top speed or how different tires and upgrades impact your car’s performance, you’ll find yourself leaning into your turns as if you were really behind the wheel of your favorite ride. - It’s Easy to Go for a Spin
Forza Motorsport 3 redefines the racing genre. Simulation games can be too hard for some players. Forza Motorsport 3 rises above the distinction between simulation and arcade games. Using a myriad of cutting-edge driving and gameplay assists such as auto-braking, gameplay rewind and auto-tuning, Forza Motorsport 3 delivers an experience where everyone can have fun behind the wheel, regardless of your skill and dexterity. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned racing game pro, Forza Motorsport 3 caters to how you drive and evolves with you over time as your skills increase. - Express Your Car Passion
User-generated content and Xbox LIVE. Painters and tuners will once again be able to showcase creativity through the celebrated Livery Editor, Auction House and deep tuning garage in Forza Motorsport 3. The car is literally the artistic canvas as some of the world’s most creative car painters and designers find new layers of depth and freedom to create shocking visual masterpieces before sharing them with others over Xbox LIVE.* Each car in Forza Motorsport 3 is fully upgradable, allowing gear heads to take on the challenge of turning a Honda Civic into a supercar killer. New Xbox LIVE Leaderboards celebrate not only the greatest racers but also the most prolific car tuners and painters in the community. - New Game Modes
Forza Motorsport 3 is an epic racing game featuring more content and more ways to play than any racing title today. An innovative single player season mode puts you through a completely personalized racing calendar that includes more than 200 different events, including Circuit, Oval, Drag, Drift and Timed Events. No two calendars are the same; they react to the cars you love and the races you enjoy most. In addition, the online multiplayer mode* gains an all-new game rules editor. This gives players a never-ending variety of ways to play with friends. Whether you’re a speedster, dragster, drifter, painter, tuner or just a lover of cars, Forza Motorsport 3 is the definitive racing game for you. * Xbox LIVE Gold account required for online multiplayer gameplay. | |
|
Product Details |
- New game modes such as single-player season mode which puts you through a completely personalized racing calendar includes 200+ different events, including Circuit, Oval, Drag, Drift and Timed Events.
- Something to match every car lover's dream including more than 400 fully customizable and tunable cars from over 50 of the world¿s leading manufacturers and 100+ international tracks.
- Look and feel of a modern racing game built from the ground up using with the most advanced physics models, artificial intelligence and damage calculations.
- Gameplay assists including auto-braking, gameplay rewind and auto-tuning that cater to how each individual drives and evolves with you over time as your skills increase.
- In-game elements such as Livery Editor, Auction House and Deep Tuning Garage that along with content via Xbox LIVE, allow players to express their car passion through user-generated content.
|
Video Reviews |
 No video reviews found for this product.
|
Customer Reviews |
 Perfection.. until you play in Multiplayer (Updated) |
| Review Date: October 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: L. Klop, Spring, TX |
It's often said the the third time's the charm, and in the case of Forza Motorsport 3, that couldn't be more true. FM3 manages to improve upon it's predecessors in almost every imaginable way. If you've played Forza Motorsport 2, you're probably aware that the game wasn't designed with casual gamers in mind. FM3 changes this, and finally brings the franchise to a level that it has appeal not only as an uber-realistic racing simulator, but also as an entertaining racing game that just about anyone can pick up and enjoy. The addition of autobraking and rewind undoubtedly make things easier on newcomers, while the tweaked physics engine and ramped-up AI will give even the most die-hard Forza fanatics a run for their money. With over 400+ cars and 100+ tracks, one would be hard-pressed to get bored with this game.
Without a doubt, the two most significant improvements are the graphics and the new "Storefront". Forza Motorsport 3 displays in a native 720p (upscaled to 1080p by the console) running at 60 fps. This translates to a rich, detailed, and smooth-flowing picture that makes you feel like you're actually racing in Le Mans. To further immerse gamers, Turn 10 added a true in-cockpit view that was rendered to be a perfect likeness of the real life car. The environment and tracks weren't spared from this graphic overhaul either, and I often found myself going on free rides just to scope out the scenery and enjoy the ride.
Glossy graphics aside, the "meat" of the game is still incredibly satisfying. Those who were avid players of FM2 can testify to the integral part that online activities played. Don't worry, as Turn 10 was obviously aware this and made sure to spice things up just for you. Painting cars, applying vinyls and decals, and selling customized cars in FM3 couldn't be easier. In fact, this practice is encouraged with the addition of the new "Storefront". Players now have the ability to sell not only liveries for cars, but also tuning configurations. Making a name for yourself as an artist in Forza Motorsport 3 is a definite goal for some, but even those who lack the finesse required to create liveries can benefit from the changes.
Overall, this game not only meets all expectations set forth by hardcore FM2, but exceeds them. Those of you who are looking for a fun and relaxed racing game won't be disappointed though, as Forza Motorsport 3 was also designed with you in mind. I would, without a doubt, recommend the purchase of this game. The only downside is that the game comes with two disks (and a total of 1.9 GB of data) and necessitates the use of a hard drive if you plan on adding the bonus content (100+ cars and 3 environments).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(UPDATE - November 4, 2009) - Numerous reviews have been posted addressing the shortcomings concerning the online multiplayer mode. They are correct. Turn 10 absolutely perfected the single player aspect of this game with "Season Mode" but, upon playing a few hours in the online multiplayer mode (which, due to all the waiting, is only two or three races) a glaring flaw reveals itself- Turn 10's "reset" of the new matchmaking system sucks. A lot. Gone are the days of creating your own custom party. Gone are the days of racing sub-A class cars. Gone are the glory days of online multiplayer.
While this may not be a huge deal to me (I mostly play single-player anyways), it's definitely a problem that NEEDS to be addressed. I've also noticed some problems in single player mode..
* Some in-car views aren't interactive, or don't render correctly.
* While the sound of cars has been vastly improved, there are still some problems. It seems that the exhaust note is based solely on displacement of the engine. A Camaro shouldn't sound like a Murcielago.
* Uploading the "Movies" doesn't work unless they're shot in low-res. 720p videos just don't upload.
* The "Performance Index" is broken. A Dodge Ram with a PI of 700 should, logically, perform on par with a Lamborghini Reventon with a PI of 700, right? Well, that's not how it works. I don't know how the PI is calculated, but it's not right.
* The resolution of Photomode leaves alot to be desired. While it's understandable that there needs to be a limit on file size to relieve strain on Turn 10's servers, I feel that the quality of the pictures doesn't do the game justice.
* Everything sold in the Storefront has a price cap of 10,000 credits. While this is just temporary, it's a huge disincentive at to spend hours upon hours perfecting a quality livery to be sold.
* The AI occasionally does stupid things. Though it's rare, I've seen opponents slam on their brakes for no reason when they're in the lead, slam into walls, or just stop driving. I don't know if these are just glitches, or the AI trying to be "more human". Whatever the cause, it's not right.
MY ratings so far-
[*****] - Single Player Mode
[****_] - Soundtrack
[*****] - Visuals
[****_] - Multiplayer (Split-screen)
[*____] - Multiplayer (Xbox Live)
[***__] - Fit and finish (Ready to be released?)
|
Great game that matches my gaming style
|
| Review Date: November 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: R. McGraw, Eagle, Idaho USA |
First, let's get this clear...I am not a die hard racing gamer. I don't have that much time. I wish I did but I don't. I have long said that the ideal game experience provided for two kinds of gamers. The game should provide that hard-earned sense of accomplishment for those fortunate to have the skills and time to earn their way to the top. More power to them. But hang on. I still spent $60 for this game and I should have a way to get access to all it offers too (or at least most of it). I want a game provides for both.
Sure, there needs to be a way to tell whether someone earned it or just switched it on. But don't force me to spend hour-after-hour trying to earn level after level. I don't have that much time to devote to a game. I know that some would say that if I don't have the time, I shouldn't buy the game. But I think there are many people like me so it should be a win-win.
This is why I like this game so much. It lets me enjoy the fun of just jumping in some really cool cars and taking laps around really cool tracks. It has assists that allow me to enjoy the limited time I have with the game to the max.
And for those that might not consider this, it puts this game in the reach of my son, who is developmentally disadvantaged. It allows us to enjoy it together.
Let's see - great car selection, great track, great flexibility in how to configure it to play - all add up to a great game. |
The Best Racing Game to Date
|
| Review Date: November 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jeremy McCrate, Tulsa, OK USA |
As the third iteration in the racing game series from developer Turn 10 Studios, Forza Motorsport 3 has been finely polished into the best driving simulator available. Much like the track-built autos in the game, Forza 3 has stripped out all the excess weight while at the same time adding more power and tightening up the control. A streamlined career mode makes progressing through the game fast and entertaining. A physics engine that updates 360 times a second gives incredible precision to the action. Revised control scheme helps driving with a controller feel more accurate.
On top of the improvements, Turn 10 added more vehicles, more tracks, more race types, and a long awaited cockpit view with detailed interiors for every car. A new vinyl creator makes it easy to create vinyl groups to apply to the cars or to sell on the new Storefront. All-in-all Forza 3 is not only the best Forza game but the best racing sim on any console including the PS3 (home of Gran Tursimo 5). |
Forza 3 delivers when other racing titles can't.
|
| Review Date: November 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Blain, Dallas, Tx. USA |
I was a big fan of Forza 2. I played that game up until the release of Forza 3. With Forza 3, they really did a good job of adding in the things that the community wanted. The new features are great. The Storefront is the biggest addition. The ability to buy desings and logos instead of buying an entire car is huge. I also like the ability to make movies from your replays.
The single player is great as usual. The calendar and season layout is awesome. It feels like you're actually racing through a career as a pro driver.
The MP is good but they removed the ability to tune your car from the race lobby. I can't figure out why they would do that. Now you must have a tune setup saved for your cars if you want to have a tuned car in a MP race.
Graphics are great. The only problem I have is with the tires. The tires are all too narrow on the wheels. You can see the lip of the wheels sticking out beyond the tires. I think they did this to enhance the sidewell flex that they added to the game but it just makes the tires/wheels look funny.
Despite these small gripes, it's the best next gen racing game to date. |
An Impressive Step Up in Racing Simulation
|
| Review Date: November 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Paul Mosier, |
After a short 2 year development Forza returns with some impressive changes: a new physics system, about double the tracks, 100 more cars, improved graphics and additions to the difficulty and the storefront. Note that this is a review of only the single player part of the game.
Short Review
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gameplay 8/10 - New physics engine adds life to the races, tires play a larger role, weight is much more noticeable and the game is generally more realistic
Graphics 8/10 - astonishing detail, interior view, beautiful new tracks set in the mountains, mirroring and reflections are a step up; but maybe not as good as GT5
Features 8/10 - a few new difficulty settings (autobrake, manual w/clutch) more car classes, racing season added, auto upgrade feature, loads of new camera angles for replay; ability to buy tuning setups and create art for the vinyl
Races and Tracks 7/10 - new, real tracks add to the simulation and much more variation between tracks, but somewhat redundant racing in the event list, far too many "repeat races" and low level races
Cars 9/10 - realism trumps any racing game I've played if not any video game I've played, the look, the feel and the tuning of these cars makes this a true simulator
Sound 9/10 - engine sounds are very accurate from the four cylinders to the V-12 engines, each has a distinctive note, superchargers and turbos can be heard as well as crashes and tires gripping, very believable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gameplay 8 of 10
Let me begin by saying that the racing in Forza 3 is not so much revolutionary as it is evolutionary; as you might expect with two games on the same console. The physics worked well for Forza 2 and they've added realism here as opposed to reinventing the wheel, no pun intended. You do essentially the same thing as you would have done in Forza 2. The racing hasn't changed. The cars and tracks have.
There are a few essential things that have been changed which directly effect gameplay in Forza 3. Not the least of which is the rewind button (or whatever it is being called). It is exactly what you think - you can rewind the race many times throughout the race in five second intervals. It's very handy if you happen to be racing an endurance race and you accidentally forget to make a turn on the last lap. The second major piece of the change in gameplay is the physics system. As you might guess, it's improved. Cars now have the ability to flip over completely (multiple times even), driving is much more dependent on weight, tires can lose grip while the car shifts from side to side or on sharp turns and racing seems to be based much more on the tuning of the suspension.
I've heard complaints about cars being able to flip on the game. First, if you don't believe a car will flip at even low speeds go on your favorite video website and search for car accidents. Secondly, the driving elements in determining if a car will flip are: mass (really rotational inertia) and velocity. Put those together and you get momentum. There are many other forces in play for sure, but can be considered negligible. In other words, a heavy thing going fast gives high momentum and energy and the energy HAS to go somewhere. If it happens to run into another relatively heavy thing going fast, the cars could flip. And if flipping is possible, everything else is just not as difficult to believe.
The physics system is amazing, but it was already really good for Forza 2. It's been said that with all the assists off, even the slow cars are fun to drive because you really notice the difference between them. This is true to a certain extent, but I'd have to disagree with the idea that the slow cars are fun. I found much of the early races in the Event List to be repetitive and more like driving on a highway.
The AI is pretty impressive. I honestly can't say just how good they are because I normally am far ahead of the pack by the end of the first lap. But, they certainly do react to you. If you try to take the inside corner, sometimes they'll cut you off or sometimes they won't if it could cause an accident. If you try to hit them or make them spin out, the AI will fight back and adjust to stay straight. They're pretty good at it. And when you play on hard, they'll manage to complete perfect laps while avoiding you. If you own the game and aren't getting enough of a challenge, turn off just the ABS, use manual shifting and put the opponent difficulty on hard. You won't believe how much skill it takes to manage braking while at high speeds without an anti-lock brake system.
Graphics: 8 of 10
Visuals are considerably improved in pretty much every aspect. I will admit however, you really do need to own an HDTV to notice a substantial difference. Instead of describing the cars, I'll explain the differences between the two games. In Forza 2 the cars were all dimensionally correct; details down to the brake calipers and slotted rotors were shown; cars had a reflective quality where you could see the sky in the paint. But generally they looked too "CGI-ish." In Forza 3 Turn 10 went to mind-boggling levels of clarity and detail. Now there is a new view inside the car where the interior can be seen in great detail; the headlight show clear 3-D aspects.
The headlights, in fact reflect light differently than the metal which is just like a real car. In fact if you're really observant you can see the design on the tire sidewall. Paint looks like real car paint as the sheen changes depending on where you see it from. Chrome just looks amazing, it's hard to even describe how close to reality they came on this. This is the first game I've ever played that I think even I could confuse with reality if just taking a glance at it. The new tracks are gorgeous, especially "Camino Viejo De Montserratt," which is a track set on the side of a mountain overlooking a serene lake. The artists even took the time to put in small outcroppings of grass sticking up from the ground. One of the most unbelievable parts about the visuals is that the game runs at 60 frames per second which gives an ultra smooth animation to the action.
To the dissenters of the graphics, I won't discredit your opinion because it's all subjective. However, if you don't see a noticeable change, I'd recommend playing it on a proper HDTV with an HD connection. I'm doubtful the game will strike you as impressive if you're running it with anything less than component cables. And if that doesn't work, you might need glasses.
Features: 7 of 10
The number of features has gone up to a certain extent. Something new on the difficulty setting called an autobrake allows even the most casual or driving challenged people to be competitive. Another really interesting part of the difficulty is the manual with clutch shifting arrangement, which is on the advanced racer end of the spectrum. Just like in a real car you need to let off the gas, press in the clutch and then get the revs to match the next gear. Sounds difficult on a game controller doesn't it? It is. Unfortunately it's almost useless without a racing wheel that has a clutch because you can easily ruin your powertrain by not shifting properly. It doesn't get much more realistic than this.
The player's storefront is a really nice aspect of the game. Gamers can take photos of their car, videos of races and even create art to sell for credits. Advanced racers can help out others by selling their tuning setups for certain cars. All of the features from Forza 2 are here with quite a few new ones. What impresses me most is that the game caters to essentially all types of racers. If you're more of an arcade racer, turn on autobrake and the full racing line and just gas it. If you're a super serious simulator, turn off all the assists and you really get to feel the essence of the car, the weight, the acceleration.
Another of the less looked upon parts is the presentation. It is a lot cleaner looking and is somewhat easier to use. The appearance and even the sounds resemble Gran Turismo 4's interface. Another feature for the more casual racing enthusiast allows a class upgrade or downgrade. Here's how it works: let's say you want to enter a class B race and your car is an class E; you can have the automated Forza 3 tuner to pick out all your parts and bring it up to the class you need so that it is competitive (which of course costs money) or you can have it downgrade your car so you can race in one of the more restrictive races. It is a pretty ingenious idea. Instead of spending 5-10 minutes picking out parts and then maybe another hour tuning your car, you can just race right away. This is another one of those things that I don't use myself, but would be great for many.
Races and Tracks 7 of 10
Unfortunately this is the Achilles' heel of the game and was with Forza 2. Turn 10 did a wonderful job trying to integrate as many types of cars as possible in so that you not only get a feel for the slower cars first, but so that the vast majority of the cars in the game are used. The setup is very similar to Forza 2, however the hitch is the restrictions put on the races. Many of the lower class races have restrictions such as "only stock" or car must be F class or less than 200 hp for example.
One of the earlier races is a Yaris race. For those who don't know what a Yaris is; it's a very small Japanese economy car. I don't know about anybody else, but I don't consider this a race car or even a sports car. In fact there are at least 10-15 cars I think shouldn't be in the game. And if you want to totally finish the game, you or your hired driver will have to race at least six races in this car. Another problem is there is just flat out too many low class and "repeat" races. There must be 15 events (sets of races) which include F class cars or F class Euro cars. This makes the beginning of the game incredibly boring. And if you're a little OCD like me, you'll want to finish the earlier parts of the game first. I don't care how you spin it. F class cars are boring to drive.
New tracks and track setups have really added more intrigue to the game. Now there are about 20 track locations and each location has multiple track maps making for around 100 different tracks. They've also added ¼, ½ and 1 mile drag strips and a ton of new speed rings. Most of the old tracks are back with a few new ones - Motegi, Sedona, Rally Di Positano, Amalfi Coast. There is still no Monaco Gran Prix, which is the one I was hoping for. And as I had feared, they removed even more of the imaginary tracks that were really fun to drive. Overall, I think the tracks have improved but with the downside of losing some of the fun-to-drive fake locations.
Cars 9 of 10
The cars in Forza 3 are by far the most realistic entity I've yet seen in a game; from the graphics to the tiny little details these are a marvel of computer programming and dedication to accuracy. Each car is so close to the actual car in so many ways. Light cars brake more easily. Rear wheel drive cars spin out. But each spins out in a different way. A muscle car loses complete control, whereas a Maza Miata ® will spin out usually at a really high speed. No two cars are alike - literally.
You might notice when your car rolls up to the start line at the beginning of the race that the front end dips just a tad because of the forward momentum. Every minute detail of a car was enlisted into the game. A lot of these things many will never notice, but the people at Turn 10 took the time to bring a level of authenticity I've not seen before in a game.
My only issue with the cars is: I'm pretty sure there was some "quid pro quo" going on with the car manufacturers. In other words, after talking with the car manufacturers there was most likely some conversations that went like this "we'll let you use car X if you agree to also put in car Y." Because of this, in the game there are boring economy cars which don't even belong in a racing simulator much less be given the honor of having their own race.
Sound 9 of 10
Considering this games focuses on ultra-realism, sounds definitely need to be accurate and they really are spot on with this game. Most of the cars sound very similar to their real life counterpart. They managed to get a true V8 sound and not just one version. Anybody who knows anything about V8s is that no two sound alike. A BMW V8 from their E92 M3 will not sound like a 426 Hemi on a Challenger. Six cylinder engines sound very good from what I can surmise. Even the four cylinders have a different tone for each car. This just harkens back to the idea of no two cars being the same, even from the same manufacturer. Tire squeals, crashes, blow off valves, superchargers and even shifting noises are all present in Forza 3. If you listen really carefully, you can hear the click of the gear lever changing gears, which shows an incredible attention to detail. The sounds from the game are realistic, seem accurate and take you one step closer to being on the track.
In conclusion, this game is the best racing simulator out right now and is possibly the most realistic game I've ever played. Unfortunately, that means it isn't necessarily the most fun I've had in a game. But if you're a car enthusiast or a racing fan, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Forza doesn't just do cars well; it does just about everything well which is why I'd rate it a 9 out of 10 overall.
|
|
|
|
