My first review.
I bought this game about a week ago, the limited collector's edition, I played it quite often on my limited free time so I decided to review it. Like everyone here, I am a car nut/fanatic/autosexual. The only games I play are racing games and the only thing I talk about is cars, but don't expect me to like all car games, simulation or not, just because I am a car freak.
Presentation - 8/10
When I first saw the cover, I thought it looked quite nice. It's simple, and yet very professional. The menus, although a bit dull, are quite well-organized and easy to use, not to mention clean and bright which makes everything clear and easy to read. The intro is excellent, I love the grid lineup screen, and even the loading screen will shower you with tips, facts, and car history information. Other than the plain look, the presentation is spot-on.
Graphics - 8/10
The car meshes in the game are very well done and the tracks look absolutely gorgeous. The attention to detail is absolutely sublime, from the rims, to the headlights, and to the beautifully detailed interiors of each car. The downside is the shading, which seems to have been one of Forza 2's main drawback. The shading and reflections are a bit odd and unnatural. Also, I don't know why they couldn't work on the hand movements a bit more, like the shifting. When changing gear, both of the driver's hands remain on the steering wheel, as if the car were an automatic. All in all, though, incredible.
Sound - 9.5/10
This is probably one of Forza 3's best quality. Each car sounds very close to their real-life counterpart. The turbo and supercharger sounds are awesome, as are the engine sounds of each car. The music track list is very good. There are very few songs that I dislike in that list and, finally, you can listen to the soundtrack while racing. Tire screeches are great and the cheering crowd is a big bonus, and the crashing sounds are top notch aswell. Now, if only they'd get rid of that annoying guy explaining everything every time you try to do something. For example, if you go to apply decals and vinyls, you always have to wait for the guy to finish his sentence before starting, which gets on my nerves.
Physics - 9/10
Excellent. There's no other word. The physics of this game are almost too good. It's even better than Forza 2's old game physics, which were spectacularly good. The way a car behaves depending on engine location and drive type are very accurate. The tire physics are sublime and the way the car behaves upon wall impact is very realistic. I love the clutch feature and the fact that you have to blip the throttle yourself when driving on manual w/ clutch. My only complaint is that the cars are too easy to flip. I once flipped a 911 GT1 three times in the same corner on the Nurburgring. What are the chances that a car with such a low center of gravity flip thrice in a row... unless there's a ramp. Also, sometimes it seems like the tracks are too smooth, and it seems like the car is riding on a magic carpet. Other than that, the physics are top notch.
Gameplay and features - 10/10
Honestly, there are so many races and so many features in this game that I had no idea where to start. The amount of cars and tracks are more than enough to keep me occupied for a few months and the career is very well-presented and crammed full of events. The customization is complete and the vinyl/decal/paint feature is almost flawless.
Overall - 9.5/10
I highly recommend this game to all car nuts out there. Out of all racing games I've ever played, this is the best I've played so far, and that's coming from a Gran Turismo fanboy.
