Forza 3

The ugly duckling has finally become a swan. Well the duckling wasn't ever ugly to begin with, but she sure got more pretty since the last time I saw her. Forza 3 is the best simulation racing game I've ever played. I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not an expert in the field, but Forza 3 is special. Unlike a PlayStation 3 exclusive with a $60 million dollar budget that shall remain nameless Forza works with you for the most enjoyable experience. Gran Turismo is a series that forces you to adapt to it's way of life in order to get the most out of it. I've never played a Gran Turismo game for more than an hour before it got too boring for me to handle. Again I will say I am not an expert in the field of racing games.

Back to Forza.

I was introduced to this series with Forza 2 also for the Xbox 360 and was convinced that it was the only reason to buy a 360 back in 2007. Forza 2 felt like the training exercise I did to get ready for Forza 3. Forza 3 follows a linear story in the form of a calendar with race events. Every 2 to 3 weeks is a championship race which help increase your rank for both your car and your driver.

The courses are beautiful and the racing is fun. The rewind feature in this game is an interesting addition. I probably would never use it if my friends were around, but I found myself using it multiple times during races. It beats having to redo 7 laps because you didn't brake early enough to make a sharp turn. The thing I've always loved about the Forza series is it's pacing. The loading screens in between races kept me interested with random facts about the auto industry. Buying and painting a car is fast and fun.

My favorite new addition to the series would have to be the Quick Upgrade feature. Instead of adjusting individual parts of a car for the optimal performance, you hit quick upgrade before each race and your car is at peak performance. The music is a bit too rock oriented for myself. It felt like I was playing Burnout at times, but electro tracks are there as well. If you're not the biggest fan of racing games give this game a try. You might be surprised.