Forza games usually secure the top spot in motorsport and racing games due to their legacy that has been carried out for almost two decades.
Forza was released as an Xbox-exclusive racing series holding the most successful and beloved franchise in gaming history. For the latest gen consoles, Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is growing a solid fan base by introducing off-road action set in Mexico.
The Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is currently the fan favorite, and it was among the most highly anticipated games of 2023. The Forza Horizon 4 seems the most well-optimized game for Xbox Series, offering better visuals, lesser load times, and higher frame rates.
Each new Forza game has many vehicles and extensive customization options. Every new addition to the Forza series symbolized success and improvement, introducing a range of tracks from various global locations. Besides solely releasing for Xbox, different Forza games are also available for PC. So, let’s dive in and start discussing every Forza game released by following the timeline from the beginning.
1. Forza Motorsport (2005)
Forza Motorsport is from where it all started back in 2005. The first Forza game was released for Xbox, which was later ported to PC and advanced to Xbox 360. In this simulation-style racing game, players were free to compete with racers worldwide, featuring real-life car brands and the actual locations of track courses.
Forza Motorsport also featured arcade and career modes with long-term gameplay competitions. Above all, you could customize the visuals and performance of your vehicle to stand out from others.
2. Forza Motorsport 2 (2007)
After the successful debut of the 2005 release, the second title of Forza Motorsport was released in 2007 for Xbox 360. Similar to the concept presented in the first release, Forza Motorsport 2 featured real-world cars and track locations. A new addition was that now players could choose from a selection of 349 vehicles which is more than the first Forza Motorsport. In addition, this sequel supported the split-screen co-op mode to play with your friends, and you can now buy or sell cars to other Xbox live players.
3. Forza Motorsport 3 (2009)
Forza Motorsport 3 came out for Xbox 360 in 2009 with an extensive range of 500 cars from 50 brands. In the third version, you can roam on 100 race tracks with up to eight racers to compete at a time. The game mechanics wholly transformed in this new game with assistive driving options for drifting and drag racing. In addition, you could customize paint for every car and upgrade to race class with any vehicle.
4. Forza Motorsport 4 (2011)
After success in the straight line, Forza Motorsport 4 was released for Xbox 360 in 2011, bringing the famous Kinect support for additional control options. This fourth installment to the Forza franchise introduced Autovista game mode, allowing players to fine-tune their cars to every inch in detail. The game also partnered with various racing magazines to compile 26 tracks and 500 vehicle options. Moreover, the game was relatively improved regarding vehicle physics, graphics, and audio effects.
5. Forza Horizon (2012)
Right after the fourth installment of the Motorsport series, the first edition of Forza Horizon was released for Xbox 360 in 2012. Horizon was focused on the street racing culture, making it a direct competitor of Need for Speed. Forza Horizon featured sites from the Colorado Horizon Festival, a well-known street racing event in the real world.
The game beautifully compiled stunt-based racing action in drifting and drag events. Pulling stunts like jumping at high speeds and doing a two-wheelie show earned points for increasing popularity and unlocking events. This new version significantly improved graphics, sound, and game mechanics.
6. Forza Motorsport 5 (2013)
Forza Motorsport 5 was released for Xbox One in 2013 as a part of the new-gen console release. However, it was similar to the fourth installment and brought purchasable cars with DLCs. The game also introduced Formula 1 and open-wheel vehicles with many professional customization options. An interesting factor about the game was the in-game commentary by Richard Hammond, James May, and Jeremy Clarkson, who are known as hosts of the famous motorsport show Top Gear and Grand Tour.
7. Forza Horizon 2 (2014)
The second Forza Horizon released for Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 featuring the Horizon Festival, Southern France, and Northern Italy locations. Compared to the first Forza Horizon, the second installment has a three times larger open world map with the ability to cycle between day and night. Racing events could take place at any time under any weather conditions. In addition, Forza Horizon 2 also brought an expansion of the Fast & Furious version that added nitrous in various racing events.
8. Forza Motorsport 6 (2015)
Forza Motorsport 6 was released for Xbox One in 2015, with a free-to-play version for Windows PC that came out in 2016. This addition was pretty interesting from the completion aspect as it has a 70 hours long story mode featuring night racing and rain. The single-player ability allowed the classification of vehicles for their brands, classes, racing era, disciplines, and more.
Forza Motorsport 6 also came with additional DLCs bringing extra cars and customization options. Among these expansions was a Fast and Furious-themed DLC, which introduced Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger.
9. Forza Horizon 3 (2016)
The third Forza Horizon is set in Australia with new environments and tracks. Players can now enjoy multiplayer with a 4-player co-op in the campaign. This addition enhanced almost every aspect of the game representing various locations of Australia accurately.
The driving mechanics became smoother in Forza Horizon 3 with a more realistic feel. As a player, we are the director of the Horizon Festival, where we have to expand the country’s competition by performing stunts and completing challenges.
10. Forza Motorsport 7 (2017)
The Forza Motorsport 7 was released for Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2017. The game crossed all the numbers and featured over 700 vehicles with over 800 unique upgrades in this new addition. As for the location, Motorsport 7 brings 32 racing locations, including a fictional track from Dubai. On top of all that, there is a dynamic weather system with the option to customize drivers.
11. Forza Horizon 4 (2018)
The fourth entry to the Horizon series was released for Xbox One and Windows PC in 2018 with a well-optimized version for Xbox Series X. This time, Forza Horizon took it to Great Britain with expanding scenarios from the DLCs and fresh content kept coming in new updates.
The gameplay in Forza Horizon 4 seemed the same as the titles before, but with new vehicles and a map synced with the online world. Therefore, you may find an actual competitor in this game rather than always racing with AI-generated drivers.
12. Forza Street (2019)
Forza Street essentially brought the racing experience for iOS and Android users in 2020. This mobile version of Forza features tap-racing gaming mechanics to accelerate, brake, and turbo-boost your car. Forza Street looked and felt pretty similar to the Asphalt games. Like the traditional racing game, you go through challenges and races by winning competitions. As a result, you unlock new cars and better customization options.
13. Forza Horizon 5 (2021)
The Forza Horizon 5 is the most popular and the latest entry to the Horizon series. The game will be released for Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One in 2021. The play set new records by becoming the most successful Xbox-exclusive game, securing over 10 million players during the first week of release. Even today, the game shows incredible stats for players on the Steam Charts.
The new Horizon 5 is set in Mexico, portraying a fictional presentation of the American country. This edition features the most extensive map compared to any other game in the series representing diverse locations, natural environments, cities, towns, and a wide range of places to explore.
The game’s weather system and jungle environment make it worthwhile to play. The new DLC Rally Adventure DLC was released on March 29, 2023. This expansion introduced a whole new off-roading experience, undoubtedly making Forza Horizon 5 the best Forza game you can play compared to the whole series.
14. Forza Motorsport 8 (2023)
A new Forza Motorsport will be released for Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S in 2023. The game is expected to offer exceptional load times and better hardware optimization with the Xbox hardware, making it one of the most well-optimized Forza game for consoles. The Turn 10 Studios is ready to launch the racing track action with over 500 car options and 800 customization options.
This new entry in Forza Motorsport will bring better driving mechanics, and 100 new cars will be added to the inventory of some of our favorites from the old games. Forza Motorsport 8 was announced to release in Spring 2023 during the game showcase. However, the exact release date has not been revealed yet.
Forza games have made a historic debut in racing video games, and it is still growing its fanbase every year by improvising more than before. With new cars and tracks to burn the asphalt, petrolheads are always ready to unleash their adrenaline with Forza Horizon and Motorsport.
