Review: Xbox 360 - Forza Motorsport 2

Racing simulations have lost their luster for me over the years. The last one that had a grip on my attention was Gran Turismo 2 for the PSOne. The biggest reason was they featured a Taurus SHO, which was my favorite car at the time. After driving in way too many circles, and collecting licenses and trophies...it was hard to ever repeat the same old shtick. The lack of body damage was a huge detraction, because it felt more like bumper cars than the threat of real racing.

In comes Forza 2 to save the day.

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To start, it has less junky cars leaving for a more desirable collection. From there, the tuning options are solid and detailed enough to help gamers get the ride they want. On the track, the cars handle as they should. Even body damage affects how the cars handle. Thank the praise-deserving detailed physics engine for that. Overall, I'd say Forza 2 is the best-playing racing simulator I've ever played.

The big question is always "graphics?" I can honestly say that the PS3's GTHD demo has better graphics, and looks a lot cleaner. The tracks look better and they are more detailed. The fenders on the cars look a little bit more believable as well, probably due to Polyphony's experience with the genre.

To Forza's defense, GTHD has it's own set of problems. GTHD cars handle like a coagulated bowl of oatmeal. The lack of damage, which will continue into GT5, takes a huge chunk of fun and tension away from GT. The last full iteration of GT didn't do customization all that well either. And naturally, Forza's online mode is quite a desirable addition that GT has yet to bring to the table. The result is proof that "graphics aren't everything" although it may not be coming from the console you'd expect.

Shots of NOS:
-Realistic physics make for excellent play
-Challenging and intelligent AI
-Solid level of customization and online play

Lost Fenders:
-Graphics are a little disappointing
-Frame-rate seems a bit choppy at times
-This game still ends up being the old grind of racing

Resembles/Feels like:
Gran Turismo with more realistic play and customization

Rent or Buy:
A must-buy for racing fans, as this game will swallow a tremendous amount of hours of your time. A rental for anyone else.

Personal Appraisal: $49.99
MSRP: $59.99

Other opinions:
TeamXbox.com: 9.8/10
IGN: 9.5/10
TotalVideoGames: 8/10