Forza Horizon 5 PS5 Review

Forza Horizon 5 PS5 lands like a thunderclap for racing fans. It’s no longer confined to Xbox and PC. The best open world racer of the last decade has arrived on PlayStation, and it hasn’t lost any of its bite. Its sprawling map, sharp handling, and sheer sense of fun feel like a gift that PS5 owners have been denied for too long.

Forza Horizon 5 is built around a simple premise. Drop into a fictional Mexico, pick a car, and drive until the sun goes down. The map is huge, packed with sights and race spots. Mountains, beaches, jungle ruins, small villages, airstrips, every surface begs to be crossed. The game doesn’t just tolerate wandering, it welcomes it.

Mexico That Never Gets Old

Playground Games built a map that shines even years later. Its Mexico is bold and varied. The desert gives way to jungles. The long coastal highways twist into mountain passes. The volcano at the center of the map serves as both a landmark and an adrenaline-charged race down its slopes.

The map design itself is a quiet piece of genius. Every area has a reason to exist. PR stunts like jumps, speed zones, and drift sections aren’t just tacked on. They fit. They feel right where they’re placed. The world encourages you to explore it endlessly. Even four years later, it doesn’t get old.

Pure Joy of Driving

Forza Horizon 5 doesn’t bury itself in rules and stats. Its focus is the thrill of going fast. The handling doesn’t try too hard to mimic reality, nor does it slip too far into arcade-style. It finds that rare middle ground that lets anyone pick up a controller and race, yet still demands precision from those chasing perfection.

Each car feels like its own beast. An old Ford Focus RS grinds out tight corners with sharp precision, while a Ford Bronco bounces wildly across the desert. The physics work. The tire screech and suspension flex communicate through the DualSense like a second language. Even veteran Horizon players will notice the difference. The PS5 controller turns every bump, every shift in terrain, every downshift into a tactile experience.

Technical Brilliance of Forza Horizon 5

FH5 doesn’t just play well. It looks and sounds extraordinary. The lighting captures the glow of a tropical sunset. The sound design makes every engine a character. The sun beating down in Mexico feels warm, palpable. The sound of tires screeching across asphalt captures the tension between precision and loss of control.

The PS5 version shines in Performance Mode. The framerate locks at 60FPS. The controls remain sharp. The visuals still carry enough flair to impress, making it the ideal setting for long-haul races and tight sprints alike. There is also a Quality Mode that delivers higher visual fidelity, although it costs frames. The right choice depends on the player, but for those chasing lap times, Performance Mode delivers.

Pure Variety of Forza Horizon 5

More than its sights and sounds, Forza Horizon 5 shines in its sheer scope. Its map is packed with events. Drag races hum down long stretches of asphalt. Dirt courses twist through jungle ruins. Street races dominate the nights. PR stunts, speed traps, drift zones, and long jumps, mark every area.

Then come the set pieces. The showcase events feel like moments pulled from a blockbuster. A race between a car and a cargo plane. A point-to-point rally that climbs a volcanic slope. These moments have defined the franchise for years, and the trend continues with precision and flair.

The beauty of the game lies in how it always gives you more. Finish one race, and the map hums with new opportunities. Pick one spot and another appears. The sense of urgency that once felt overwhelming soon becomes addictive.

Social Layers

Forza Horizon 5 doesn’t forget that racing can be communal. Its online elements fit seamlessly. Weekly seasonal events, evolving challenges, and communal race lobbies make sure every session feels fresh. Even the PR stunts benefit from global leaderboards, letting friends and strangers compete for the best times.

For newcomers, the online features open a path to long-term obsession. Horizon Arcade’s collaborative events invite random players to work together. New PR challenges drop every season and fast cars rotate in as prizes. New ways to compete evolve every month.

The simplicity of its online approach sets it apart. Players can race together, drift together, or compete for dominance across every surface. This approach doesn’t segregate the multiplayer experience from the rest of the map. It blends it. Even if your friends aren’t online, ghost cars and global times give every race purpose.

New Features for PS5

The PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5 adds a fresh chapter for a wider audience. It’s not a watered-down version. It’s a faithful port with its own flair. The DualSense shines here, making the feedback more immediate. The controller hums with every shift of terrain, making tire slips and suspension strain palpable. It deepens the bond between player and car.

The technical performance shines too. The frame rate doesn’t buckle. The draw distance allows Mexico to stretch beyond the horizon. The sound design benefits from the console’s 3D audio capabilities, making every engine and tire screech more present.

Criticisms

Forza Horizon 5 can overwhelm newcomers. Its map is huge, and its progression doesn’t always respect subtlety. New events drop endlessly as well as new cars fill your garage too quickly. New perks unlock for every car, making the progression feel scattered.

Character dialogue and story elements remain a sore spot. The “characters” rarely evolve beyond shallow exposition, and the voice lines can grate quickly. The AI doesn’t always rise to the level the rest of the game demands. Sometimes, races feel too predictable, too easy. Sometimes, AI aggression appears artificially boosted, making certain events feel unfair.

These moments don’t ruin the experience. They only highlight the gap between the game’s obsession with quantity and its struggles with quality character writing. But for those chasing the best open world racing experience available, these gripes are easy to forget.

Arrival of Realms

Forza Horizon 5 adds another chapter with Realms. These special events evolve periodically, offering a new focus every time. They aren’t necessary, but they add a reason to return. New stunts. New courses with new spaces as well as new incentives for mastery.

Realms doesn’t redefine the experience. It gives dedicated players another reason to stick around. Its Stadium Circuit arrives as the twelfth area to explore and adds new ways for drifters and precision drivers to test their limits.

The Final Lap

Forza Horizon 5 PS5 is a lesson in open world design. Its map feels alive. Its driving feels sharp. The sound design and performance capture every tire screech, every shift of terrain. Its online connectivity delivers a seamless communal experience. Its cars? Pure therapy for those obsessed with asphalt.

Playground Games has built more than a racing title. It has created a space for adrenaline and escape. Its approach doesn’t just mimic Mexico, it captures its character. The game doesn’t tire, doesn’t age quickly, and doesn’t ask for more than a willing hand and an open mind.

For PS5 owners who have watched from the sidelines, the wait is over. This is the best open world racer available. It doesn’t just justify its spot in your library. It demands it.

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