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When it comes to choosing which of the best Forza games you want to play, it’s worth thinking about the kind of experience you’re after. The series is developed by two separate studios – Turn 10 and Playground Games – and is made up of the more realistic simulation racer Forza Motorsport, and the open-world arcade racer Forza Horizon. Both offer something worthwhile, with so many fantastic entries in the Forza series overall.
When it comes to this list of the best Forza games, we’ve tried to keep a good balance between the two to really celebrate everything the series has to offer. So, if you’re ready to hit the road and put the pedal to the metal, read on below as we take you through our pick of the very best Forza games you can race your way through.
10. Forza Motorsport 3
Release date: 2009
Platform(s): Xbox 360
With Xbox 360 a few years old in 2009, this is where the series really started to hit its stride. Much more sprawling and grown-up, Forza 3 went further with car damage on licensed models than even most games do today. While the visuals are rather blown-out with too-high contrast, there’s clearly a solid game engine here, and the driving is smooth and responsive. ‘Modern Forza’ began here, and its career mode and fetishizing of car bodywork in pre-race screens set the tone for the rest of the series. If only it had a little more personality, this would still be amazing. But as it is, it remains one of Xbox 360’s best games, so worth picking up if you see it cheap.
9. Forza Horizon
Release date: 2012
Platform(s): Xbox 360
The first Horizon in the series is still a really fun racer, blending realistic Forza handling with off-road driving. Unlike its sequels, there’s no smashing through fences to be done here, which makes for a much more curated experience as you race licensed vehicles in close-fought races. Despite this reigning in of your automotive freedom, there’s still a pretty expansive map to explore, and great music to listen to on the in-game radio. Playground Games developed it in tandem with Turn10, and the game was later ported to Xbox One allowing a new generation to enjoy it. Important considering it’s getting on for a decade old now. Wow.
8. Forza Motorsport 6
Release date: 2015
Platform(s): Xbox One
This one appears to have everything, but it’s not the most satisfying core game in the series – not by a long shot. What it does well, it does extremely well, with some of the best car models ever committed to 0s and 1s. There’s also a plethora of photorealistic racetracks, nuanced car handling and all the extras like photo mode and livery editing you could ask for. However, the racing is very inconsistent and not always fun (or fast), and the money system doesn’t seem to have much impact on the game. There’s also a strange mix of sim and arcade that just doesn’t sit right. Thankfully all this was fixed for its sequel, but there’s still plenty of merit here.
7. Forza Horizon 2
Release date: 2014
Platform(s): Xbox One
Revisiting Forza Horizon 2 now, what stands out isn’t the lack of boundaries for the racing action; rather it’s the sunshine atmosphere that makes the driving itself the reason you play the game. Hurtling along a coastal road in your dream car is still awesome and the ‘bucket list’ idea for making your own routes with a set car embraces this mentality. The ‘drive anywhere’ ethos is taken a little too far with the destructible walls and fences, and collisions with oncoming traffic are unrealistically lenient. But it’s still worth buying for the unforgettable scenery.
6. Forza Motorsport 2
Release date: 2007
Platform(s): Xbox 360
For those still rocking standard definition TVs that made Forza’s HD-Ready graphics look sterile compared to PS2’s Gran Turismo games, Forza 2 was a disappointment. But having played it again recently on an HDTV, this was actually way, way ahead of its time on release. What really makes it still worth playing today is its mix of modern simulation standards with the last flourishes of 1990s presentation and game design, mixing rock music and synth squelches with (whisper it) an actual Arcade Mode. Turn 10 worked wonders with this game, even squeezing in animated crowds. Beautiful in motion, and super-assured in its delivery, this is a forgotten masterpiece.
5. Forza Motorsport 4
Release date: 2011
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Forza 4 represents the pinnacle of Xbox 360 sim racing. With an utterly gigantic career mode, 17 real world tracks (plus 9 others) and the usual dedication to detail in the astonishing list of over 450 licensed cars, there’s enough game here to keep you going for years. Forza 4 even had its own licensed MadCatz force feedback wheel, which was a perfect way to enjoy this celebration of automotive awesomeness. It’s also worth noting just how great the new fictitious circuit in the Bernese Alps is. High speed with taxing technical sections and amazing views, it’s one of gaming’s best fictional raceways. Forza Motorsport 4 is one of the best games on Xbox 360, no question.
4. Forza Horizon 3
Release date: 2016
Platform(s): Xbox One
This is sheer class and really sets the benchmark for what an open world racing game can be, with the kind of detail and attention to detail usually reserved for enclosed, circuit-based racers. To maintain this level of quality over the full game is frankly amazing, and Forza Horizon 3 hasn’t aged much at all. Bright, colorful and with a festival atmosphere approaching Dirt 2’s levels of feelgood factor, this is a racer you can come back to again and again. While its successor below is better designed in terms of track layouts and technical prowess, England’s lanes can’t rival the sunshine setting of Australia. This is a beautiful place to visit on your Xbox.
3. Forza Motorsport 7
Release date: 2017
Platform(s): Xbox One, Xbox Series X
This is everything Forza 5 threatened to be, and everything Forza 6 should have been. Fixing the few areas where its predecessor fell short, Forza Motorsport 7 blends that lust for the romance of motorsport with true cut-and-thrust racing action. It’s faster, more consistently appealing and the simple structure allows you to see the end in sight as you progress up through the ranks. With progression feeling like real progress and car control that rewards skill without alienating newbies, this game excels in every area it attempts. Sublime presentation that was made even better with the power of Xbox One X is coupled with magnificent gameplay and exemplary content. It doesn’t get much better than this, even on the new-gen machines.
2. Forza Horizon 4
Release date: 2018
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
If you want a showcase for any of the three most powerful Xbox machines, then you’ve come to the right place. Forza Horizon 4’s recreation of an idealised England is absolutely breathtaking, and the idea of setting it all across the four seasons of the real world is a masterstroke. Tearing up country roads with golden leaves flying fades into delicate snowy scenes, then the British weather turns everything green and lush before baking it hard in summer. If the standard races look gorgeous, the showcases are simply spectacular. It may not hold your attention for as long as other games on this list, but as a surefire way to impress and feel impressed, there’s little as reliable as this beauty.
1. Forza Horizon 5
Release date: 2021
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Forza Horizon 5 is a racing revolution. Developer Playground Games may have optimized Horizon 4 for the launch of the Xbox Series X, but it was the 2021 sequel that truly showcased the power of the hardware. Set in a fictionalized representation of Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 draws you into a sprawling, visually-diverse open world and then hands you the keys to a massive selection of awesome to-control cars to explore it with. It’s easy to lose hours to Forza Horizon 5; as much fun as its core races are, there’s so much genuine delight to be had from jumping behind the wheel of your favorite vehicle and just going for a drive.
Why not check out our list of the best racing games you can play right now?
