Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360)

Another fantasy game about going from zero to 60.
1/29/2008 12:00 AM | 1 Comments | Page 3 of 3

Online road trips

But when it comes to the actual driving, the multiplayer support is as thorough and sleek as you'd expect from a first-party Microsoft developer. It's easy enough to jump into ranked or friendly games. Since matches are set up and hosted by players, you'll mostly find races open to tricked-out top-tier cars, which requires a whole different type of skill than most of the racing you'll do during the career mode. You'll earn money online, but Forza's economy is a bit silly considering how easy it is to earn money (you can even hire AI drivers to race for you, effectively earning money without even playing). The real sense of gratification comes from leveling up, unlocking new cars, and finishing races.

Picking up where the Gran Turismo series went cold, the Forza games are warm and friendly, and Forza 2 sets a new bar not just for driving games, but for hardcore driving sims. Perhaps better than any other pure driving game, this one straddles the divide between simulation and game. When it comes to wild, wacky or stylized racing, there are plenty of far better games, such as Burnout and MotorStorm. But when you're ready to get serious behind the wheel, Forza Motorsports 2 is the definitive game.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.