Forza 4 Has Superior Sound Compared To Forza 6
- Thread starter MaximusBellus
- 112 comments
- 13,967 views
- 4,381
- 4,089
- Utah
While it's true that Forza 6 has lost some of the rawness that FM4 and even FM3 had (only Forza games I've played and had), comparing them side to side, I have to say the sounds are much more detailed in FM6. While I loved FM4's sounds in particular, it was a bit odd having every car sounding like they had a race exhaust. In some cases a bit too exaggerated. This is what I think about Forza 6 sounds:
4 Cylinders: FM6 has much better 4 cylinder sounds for most cars. However, some others have gotten a bit bland and windy. Boxers are always fantastic and an example for GT to follow (even though GT gets the VW boxers better). Forza is still the only game that gets Hondas right but also mimics V-Tech (can't believe I mentioned this... ugh! Shame on me! But it's true). Making the most boring and common engine configuration (L4) sound right is a feat by itself and I have to say, most 4 bangers in FM6 are crisp and throaty, which I like! Some others disappointed me a bit like the Lancia Fulvia which is missing that characteristic boxer-ish sound from its unique V4 engine (more of a "VR4"). But others.. simply wow... My favorite has to be the Mercedes 190E Evo.
5 Cylinder: An engine that is pretty much straight forward. Or you get it right, or you must work for PD. T10 knows how 5 Cylinders should sound and they got them right. the sound is so characteristic that they could've copy-paste all of them, yet they were very careful not to make them all sound the same which is very appreciated. That Audi Quattro man... beautiful.
6 Cylinder: So far I haven't found a single 6 cylinder that I don't like. Maybe the Supra has changed a bit and it isn't as good as before. Also, the M4 isn't that great (just like in real life). The Fairlady Z33 and Z34 are a bit muffled as well, but they do have their characteristic Nissan V6 grunt. The GT-R is quite fantastic and as real as it gets; especially at low revs. The Fairlady Z32 is simply eargasmic. BMW L6's are beautifully done as it should. A very pleasant surprise was the pushrod V6 from the From the Ford Capri. That's how an old V6 should sound like!
8 Cylinder: a lot more variety when it comes to V8's. This is a very pleasing surprise as a V8 unless it's a flatplane or a BMW TT V8, the sound (as with 5 cylinders) is very straight forward. They could've easily copy-paste most of them as I mentioned before, but they didn't (except for those cars that have the same exact engine). I do agree, the Jaguar V8's are a bit lacking and it almost sounds (forgive me) as the best V8 Gran Turismo can do. Don't know what happened there. Muscle cars are different animal. I could go hours playing around on then at the test track. and oh boy... the Mercedes 300SLR!! That L8... bravo, Turn 10.
10 Cylinder: These are simply exquisite and there is a huge improvement in the Vipers for example (especially the old GTS). The new Viper and the last ACR are definitely improved. The LFA is indeed lacking a bit of its spark, but it's much better than in previous games. The R8 is probably the best, hands down. Followed close by the RS6 which it even has its very characteristic almost V8-ish grunt at mid-low revs just like in real life.
12 Cylinder: There are probably just a few that really manage to melt my ears in ecstasy like the Diablo, which didn't sound too good in previous games. The F50 was unbareable in previous Forza games due to the awful sound and they've toned down that annoying screaming sound. The Veneno is quite spot-on, although the Aventador is missing something. The Zonda Cinque was a bit of a disappointment; PCars gets it better. Huayra on the other hand is absolutely gorgeous; it's pretty silent, "windy" and almost boring, but that's how the car sounds in real life. Aston's are indeed lacking a bit as well, but they are still great sounding cars. All in all, at least they all sound like V12's.
16 Cylinder: Ah the Veyron... Not really my cup of tea. However, I can understand why they gave it a V8 sample, as this is the basis of any 16 cylinder song, but I feel like they made it too V8-ish just like in previous Forza's. I'll stay with the EB110. I was always a better car anyway.
Rotaries: Are just... bad. Sorry. No Forza game has made them enjoyable. While the sound is definitely of a Rotary engine and now they even got the "brap, brap, brap" at idle, the rest is just absolutely obnoxious! The 787 sounds beautiful but it's missing something that even GT got closer to the real thing. However, GT had awful bland, artificial sounds, so it didn't help the good sample.
At the end is just a matter of opinion. Personally, I prefer above all, for the samples to be correct and match the engine types. Second, that cars which a characteristic sound are given priority. Third, that they don't over-do street cars or sounds as a whole (a.k.a distorted or too loud). And last comes the details. Forza has that organic feel to their sounds, especially in this game that sets it apart. You can hear so many layers and variations in a single engine depending on revs and how hard you're hitting the throttle that to me it is the closest sound simulation in any game that's I've heard so far (and one of the top three aspects of why I have turned to Forza).
And no, it's not about the sound system (although it helps a bit), it's about the composition and execution of the sound itself. If the sound is done right, it will not matter if you're using headphones, tv speakers or a $10,000 sound system. PCars comes close, but there is something odd about driving a street car that sounds like it's completely stripped down, with a straight-gear tranny, and open pipes (then again, the purpose of Pcars is more about the racing).
And also... remember I'm an OCD car enthusiast and connoisseur that came to Forza after more than 15 years of being an angry and frustrated Gran Turismo fanboy, so... yeah XD
4 Cylinders: FM6 has much better 4 cylinder sounds for most cars. However, some others have gotten a bit bland and windy. Boxers are always fantastic and an example for GT to follow (even though GT gets the VW boxers better). Forza is still the only game that gets Hondas right but also mimics V-Tech (can't believe I mentioned this... ugh! Shame on me! But it's true). Making the most boring and common engine configuration (L4) sound right is a feat by itself and I have to say, most 4 bangers in FM6 are crisp and throaty, which I like! Some others disappointed me a bit like the Lancia Fulvia which is missing that characteristic boxer-ish sound from its unique V4 engine (more of a "VR4"). But others.. simply wow... My favorite has to be the Mercedes 190E Evo.
5 Cylinder: An engine that is pretty much straight forward. Or you get it right, or you must work for PD. T10 knows how 5 Cylinders should sound and they got them right. the sound is so characteristic that they could've copy-paste all of them, yet they were very careful not to make them all sound the same which is very appreciated. That Audi Quattro man... beautiful.
6 Cylinder: So far I haven't found a single 6 cylinder that I don't like. Maybe the Supra has changed a bit and it isn't as good as before. Also, the M4 isn't that great (just like in real life). The Fairlady Z33 and Z34 are a bit muffled as well, but they do have their characteristic Nissan V6 grunt. The GT-R is quite fantastic and as real as it gets; especially at low revs. The Fairlady Z32 is simply eargasmic. BMW L6's are beautifully done as it should. A very pleasant surprise was the pushrod V6 from the From the Ford Capri. That's how an old V6 should sound like!
8 Cylinder: a lot more variety when it comes to V8's. This is a very pleasing surprise as a V8 unless it's a flatplane or a BMW TT V8, the sound (as with 5 cylinders) is very straight forward. They could've easily copy-paste most of them as I mentioned before, but they didn't (except for those cars that have the same exact engine). I do agree, the Jaguar V8's are a bit lacking and it almost sounds (forgive me) as the best V8 Gran Turismo can do. Don't know what happened there. Muscle cars are different animal. I could go hours playing around on then at the test track. and oh boy... the Mercedes 300SLR!! That L8... bravo, Turn 10.
10 Cylinder: These are simply exquisite and there is a huge improvement in the Vipers for example (especially the old GTS). The new Viper and the last ACR are definitely improved. The LFA is indeed lacking a bit of its spark, but it's much better than in previous games. The R8 is probably the best, hands down. Followed close by the RS6 which it even has its very characteristic almost V8-ish grunt at mid-low revs just like in real life.
12 Cylinder: There are probably just a few that really manage to melt my ears in ecstasy like the Diablo, which didn't sound too good in previous games. The F50 was unbareable in previous Forza games due to the awful sound and they've toned down that annoying screaming sound. The Veneno is quite spot-on, although the Aventador is missing something. The Zonda Cinque was a bit of a disappointment; PCars gets it better. Huayra on the other hand is absolutely gorgeous; it's pretty silent, "windy" and almost boring, but that's how the car sounds in real life. Aston's are indeed lacking a bit as well, but they are still great sounding cars. All in all, at least they all sound like V12's.
16 Cylinder: Ah the Veyron... Not really my cup of tea. However, I can understand why they gave it a V8 sample, as this is the basis of any 16 cylinder song, but I feel like they made it too V8-ish just like in previous Forza's. I'll stay with the EB110. I was always a better car anyway.
Rotaries: Are just... bad. Sorry. No Forza game has made them enjoyable. While the sound is definitely of a Rotary engine and now they even got the "brap, brap, brap" at idle, the rest is just absolutely obnoxious! The 787 sounds beautiful but it's missing something that even GT got closer to the real thing. However, GT had awful bland, artificial sounds, so it didn't help the good sample.
At the end is just a matter of opinion. Personally, I prefer above all, for the samples to be correct and match the engine types. Second, that cars which a characteristic sound are given priority. Third, that they don't over-do street cars or sounds as a whole (a.k.a distorted or too loud). And last comes the details. Forza has that organic feel to their sounds, especially in this game that sets it apart. You can hear so many layers and variations in a single engine depending on revs and how hard you're hitting the throttle that to me it is the closest sound simulation in any game that's I've heard so far (and one of the top three aspects of why I have turned to Forza).
And no, it's not about the sound system (although it helps a bit), it's about the composition and execution of the sound itself. If the sound is done right, it will not matter if you're using headphones, tv speakers or a $10,000 sound system. PCars comes close, but there is something odd about driving a street car that sounds like it's completely stripped down, with a straight-gear tranny, and open pipes (then again, the purpose of Pcars is more about the racing).
And also... remember I'm an OCD car enthusiast and connoisseur that came to Forza after more than 15 years of being an angry and frustrated Gran Turismo fanboy, so... yeah XD
TonyJZX
(Banned)
- 3,945
- Australia
I feel that both of the games are going in different directions... of course the standard cars suck in every way but the premium cars in GT6, especially the japanese ones are remarkably good.
Like in a race I can clearly tell the NSX from the GTR from the HSV from the rotors.
Forza has gone the other way? 4 -> 5 was hard to tell due to the car list but I felt both set a high standard? But 6 with the 550+ cars has kind of stretched their ability to make sure every car it to a high standard?
Like in a race I can clearly tell the NSX from the GTR from the HSV from the rotors.
Forza has gone the other way? 4 -> 5 was hard to tell due to the car list but I felt both set a high standard? But 6 with the 550+ cars has kind of stretched their ability to make sure every car it to a high standard?
- 4,381
Interesting analogy. Mate, I urge you to compare the same sounds in FM5. You can get it very cheap and it is 100% worth it, just to listen to the beautifully recreated car audio.
FM6 has practically no change in audio character after upgrades on many cars.. that left me sour.
Are you playing the game through a high-end 7.1 system?
FM5 was the sweet spot. FM6 seems rushed.. but is the car list really to blame? They already knew the amount of cars they were going to make available. But if that is the cause, then I believe quality should never be overwritten my Quantity, something which Forza has been an advocate of .. right up until Forza 6.
- 4,381
I think it had more of an adverse affect than T10 had anticipated...
F5 not only had better track and car detail but can't believe I'm saying this again and again... the SOUND! That was the biggest hit they took in F6. While going back between the two games, I'm led to believe F5 has slightly better, more nuanced physics too.
5 just wreaks of so much polish and finishing touches despite its limited car and track count. On the other hand, I really appreciate the updates they've been rolling out in 6 to keep us pleased. Gotta give credit where its due. Maybe this is just a temporary thing - maybe they'll bring all the bells and whistles in full swing, come F7.
But losing key staff is something that affects everybody including customers. Wish they had retained Caveizel. Guy's a genius. I'm sure they will not hesitate to reel him in if another PGR game is on the cards.
Did FM5 have better engine sounds? If you define "better" as "more aurally pleasing" then maybe, yeah. But was it more realistic? Definitely not. There's a reason they changed the sounds from 5. FM6 cars sound closer to their real life counterparts. If you don't believe me, go on YouTube and compare the sounds of the real cars to the ones in FM5/6.
- 4,381
I'm sorry but, YouTube videos are the worst reference point when comparing sounds to actual cars. They are recorded by amateurs often by just a plain mic - even those car review and Top Gear videos you see, don't bother placing high-end mics the way T10 does inside/outside and around the car to record sounds.
I will flat out disagree when you say FM6 has cars sounding closer to their real-life counterparts. There is a layer of synthesized and artificial sound on top of many car sounds in the game including the LaFerrari, P1, F-type and SLS. Are you playing the game through TV speakers or a fairly basic stereo-speaker setup? If yes, you won't feel a thing.
FM5 has variations and depth in the pitch and tone of engine and exhaust notes you won't find in FM6. Granted, FM6 has some exceptionally good sounds, but that "real car" sound isn't there.. it's a recording that has been recreated to sound realistic in a game.
Quick test:
Take the P1, LaF, Reventon, Aventador, F40 and Shelby GT500.. drive them in both games stock and upgraded.
I picked these because they sound almost equally good in both games, however, far more detailed, visceral and realistic in 5.
There is SO much detail and variations in car sound character as you're pushing it to its limits or when you hear it pass you by at high speed, be it on public roads or a track - that beautiful detail has been faithfully recreated in F5. Though I would say FM6 has superb exhaust overrun/pop and crackling sounds and the tire screech effects add another layer of immersion. Sadly, the reverb is missing.
You need at least a decent digital sound system to hear and feel the difference - it doesn't even have to be 5.1. As long as it's capable of reproducing digital sound and has decent tweeters, deep midrange and a powerful woofer.
Once again, by better I do not mean aurally pleasing or heightened in any way like they do in the movies but recreated to represent the car faithfully. There were even changes to the notes after upgrades and shedding extra weight, which is nearly absent from F6, not to mention lack of wind noise.
On a final note Maxx2013, they changed the sounds for a good reason - to accommodate more cars with night and weather while keeping the frames locked at 60 fps. And it payed off, the game is stable as a rock.. none of those annoying micro-frame stutters from Fm5, owing to the memory leaks. But then again, go to F5 tracks, and see how gorgeously detailed the tracks and cars are. They striped that down too to keep the frames together just like they did going from F3 to 4, although 4 saw the sounds being vastly improved.
- 4,381
Alright, I'll do some tests. I have a high-end surround system so you might be right. If you are, I might end up buying Forza 5 DLC.
Oh you must, you MUST! It's a $20 Car Pass which unlocks every car in the game, except for those 4 or 5 VIP cars which are passable. Some of the best sounding cars can be driven after getting the Car Pass.
Ohhh that LaFerrari.
By the way, things to pay attention to, when doing those tests:
Start with the cockpit view, shift to bumper or hood then third person and see how the notes change. Pass the Bernese Alps tunnel in both views at high speeds. And also take a variety of cars through the Ring just to take in the visual beauty and detail, not to mention the reverb.
Repeat the same in F6. Did you also notice how the direction of the exhaust sound changes when you're drifting in 5? Remarkable! You pan your head left/right in cockpit view, and the sound gets louder, more intense. Anyyhoooo....
Fm6 did improve off-throttle sounds and exhaust overrun effects, but man... the way F5 brings your sounds system alive. It's not just the loudness but the sheer detail and depth all the way to the redline, including downshifting sounds.
Well, I'll leave you to it then.
The LaFerrari does indeed sound good in FM5 from what I've heard in YT videos. The one in FM6 doesn't really do it for me from the cockpit view. It's just difficult to tell which one sounds more realistic when all we have to compare it to are a few YT vids recorded with equipment of unknown quality. I agree that recording a car with a phone or something sounds nothing like in real life.
- 4,381
They absolutely nailed the sound in FM5.
It actually sounds pretty faithful in F6, only in the chase view unfortunately. It just sounds goofy from the first person views and I do not like the downshifting sounds at all from those views either. I even tried to use the "headphones" setting and it did improve the sound somewhat, making the notes slightly louder and more detailed, but that unconvincing sound from the first-person views was still there.
It was just perfect in 5; why'd they have to mess with that? It sounds fake and forced now. All they had to do was improve the exhaust overrun sounds, that's it. Everything else was nearly 1:1 compared to the real LaF.
Same goes for the P1 - the turbo sound and exhaust pops/crackles needed to be added, that's it.
I even asked my friend to pick up an X1, who's a complete car nut BTW, and took both games to his house, as at the time, he had only picked up H2.
Our jaws were glued to the floor when we fired up F5 on his Yamaha 7.1 amp. F6 was still pretty good, but I immediately compared the LaF sound... same goofy sound from the first-person views in F6. Sounds whiny and forced. The sample in F5 (from all views)... THAT is a LaF sound! It captures the soul of that car almost perfectly. You hear and feel that fierce and relentless growl.
Also compare the Reventon notes in both games, as well as the SLS, LFA, all Skylines, Supra (one of my all-time favs) and RX-7. [stock and max upgrades]
Last edited:
- 4,381
Yes, the notes in H2 are not as loud but the detail is there; in fact, many car sounds are done better than FM6. Unfortunately, they are not as well-balanced as FM5 or 6, as in those two games you can really hear the wail of the motor and feel the grunt of the exhaust in your chest... ! Though less in F6 due to the scaled back detail.
You'd be surprised how much high fidelity audio samples stress out the consoles muscle - there was a GOOD reason F5 churned out higher quality samples with just 16 cars, dumbed down particle effects and no rain or night. Even the rain and night effects in F6 are fairly basic, though they do fit into the environment nicely and make for an immersive race - especially impressive since the frame stays locked in at 60 fps. 👍👍
I doubt they will be taking major strides in terms of audio in the next Forza game, since the obsession with a LOT of cars seems to never frizzle out among gamers. F5 had far less cars, but almost all of them got the VIP treatment, amid a few misses.
F6 from a technical standpoint would be perfect if they copy/paste F5 car and reverb sounds while retaining the off-throttle, exhaust feedback and tire screech effects of F6. All in all Forza seems to be shaping up nicely, however, I would like to see them only making forward strides, and not take a few steps back when a new game is released.
Well looks like you were right, I tested out a few cars and decided to pick up the FM5 Car Pass. Tried the LaFerrari and its godlike sound on our Dali speakers kinda made my jaw drop. It also has a nice snarl to it which I didn't notice in FM6. Too bad it was late night or I would've cranked the sound up high but didn't want to wake up everyone.
I think even the graphics were better on some tracks, I just wish there was a way to turn down the wheel sensitivity, it's WAY too sensitive in FM5.
I think even the graphics were better on some tracks, I just wish there was a way to turn down the wheel sensitivity, it's WAY too sensitive in FM5.
- 4,381
Well looks like you were right, I tested out a few cars and decided to pick up the FM5 Car Pass. Tried the LaFerrari and its godlike sound on our Dali speakers kinda made my jaw drop. It also has a nice snarl to it which I didn't notice in FM6. Too bad it was late night or I would've cranked the sound up high but didn't want to wake up everyone.
I think even the graphics were better on some tracks, I just wish there was a way to turn down the wheel sensitivity, it's WAY too sensitive in FM5.
Cool cool...
And yeah, you really need to crank the volume way up in FM5.. it never hurts your ears either as the dynamic range and overall sound balance in the game is just so good.
That snarly visceral edge that fast cars have IRL when being really tested is what Forza 5 just captures so well, it leaves me breathless.
You are right about the visuals; I have mentioned that in a couple of past posts as well (other threads) that Forza 5's track detail is second to none - the F6 versions are somewhat dull and lifeless by comparison. It's a lot like what we had in FM3 where the tracks looked vibrant and full of life, and got scaled back in FM4 for obvious reasons.
If you just have a quick playthrough in FM3, you'll notice that a lot of tracks have vivid and scenic backgrounds that gives you a glipse of the surroundings, what kind of town or city it is etc... since FM4, they've either masked the background or made them low-detail and low-res, only exception being FM5 though which captures the "soul" of the track with those backgrounds (Bernese Alps, The Ring etc). Again, you drive those two tracks in FM6, and one by one, you'll start to see the kind of detail that ended up on the cutting floor, just to accommodate more cars + night and rain.
It makes sense to scale back the detail to keep the game locked at 60 fps but I really reallyyy miss F5 visuals and audio every time I fire up FM6 though the lighting and particle effects are better and I like the slightly cleaner, sharper look.
Unluckily, to keep the frames at 60 fps, the car detail got scaled back as well - cars in F5 look smoother, sleeker and much closer in dimensions to their real life versions, especially in terms of ride height and track width, owing to the higher poly count. The hood reflections in first-person are also higher resolution. Run a quick experiment driving the same stock cars and track in both games, and it will hardly take you a few minutes to tell em' apart. Meehhh....
When you say wheel sensitivity, are you referring to what you experience when using a gaming wheel? Cos' the steering model on sim steering, control, physics etc. feel just about right to me, better than FM6.. it's smooth, progressive and more dynamic. In fact, @RacerPaul and I very recently had a brief discussion on just that.
Ohh look at the time... it appears I must put an end to my rant.. for now.
Last edited:
Do you also play on a wheel? FM5 on a racing wheel is a lot more sensitive than 6 regardless if Normal or Sim steering is used. I barely have to turn the wheel to make the car do anything at 900 degrees. There don't seem to be any options for wheel sensitivity in the game or in Xbox settings...
- 4,381
- 4,381
That's a good wheel.
Check out this thread to better dial in the wheel for Forza:
http://forums.forzamotorsport.net/t...eels-and-You---A-Hopefully-Helpful-Guide.aspx
- 4,381
Similar threads
