The "Car" in "Career"
By Danny Chihdo
Almost all sports sims feature some variation on the career mode, and Forza Motorsport™ is no exception. Microsoft® Game Studios has put together a brilliantly complex and deep example of the genre that will take you from no-name contender to world champion. You can even take your souped-up ride and driving skills onto the global online circuits of Xbox Live®.
All of the elements that make Forza so sharp come together flawlessly in the Driving Career mode, including excruciating authenticity that makes each and every car handle just like the real thing, fierce and competitive A.I. opponents, as much micro-management as you could ever want, and of course, amazing levels of customization that make your career truly your own.
I call this one "bright eyes."
When you begin your Driving Career, you first must choose a continent on which to begin. Your choice of continent is much more than just cosmetic, too. Depending on where you begin, you'll start with a different car, and throughout the game, you'll get better deals and more access to vehicles associated with that continent's premiere automakers.
I chose Asia, which meant I started off with a zippy little Celica, and in the course of participants in several races on the Asian continent, I won several other models, one of which I chose for my "main ride" in the early game. (I dubbed this particular Celica the "Flashmobile," for reasons that should be obvious.)
Level up and win new cars …
In general, my gaming proclivities tend more toward roleplaying games (RPGs), shooters, and arcade racers. Driving Career mode immediately won me over because, in many ways, it’s a racing roleplaying game. In roleplaying terms, the "credits" inForza serve as both experience points and gold pieces. Every credit earned counts toward your level, which dictates which races you can take part in, what car types you might have access to, and other factors.
You can then turn around and spend those credits on equipment, including hundreds of upgrades, tweaks, and modifications. As you accumulate more and more cars (either through purchase or winning races), you might be tempted to sell them, but think hard before you do. Many races only allow certain classes, and as you modify and upgrade your favorite ride, you'll find that the car's class changes (in RPG terms, that's called "multi-classing"), so it might not be able to partake in all the races you want. Your won cars, however, almost certainly can.
… and trick out your favorites.
To truly maximize the benefits in this career mode—and get the best possible experience to prepare you for online competitions—you'll want to tweak the difficulty settings to a level at which you're comfortable. Each difficulty adjustment affects not just how hard or easy the races might be, but also how many credits you can earn. (In case you haven't figured it out by now, credits are what it's all about.) Here's a handy chart for easy reference:
Difficulty Adjustments
Suggested Line: On/Off, +15%/0%
A.I. Difficulty: Easy/Medium/Hard, -25%/0%/+20%
Damage: Cosmetic/Limited/Simulation, -25%/0%/+15%
Fuel/Tire Wear: On/Off, 0%/-25%
Shifting: Automatic/Manual, 0%/+15%
Anti-lock Braking: ABS On/Off, 0%/+15%
Traction: TCS On/Off, 0%/+10%
Stability: STM On/Off, +10%
Some cars corner better than others.
As your Driving Career continues, you'll likely begin to find yourself obsessing the little details—or detailing, as the case may be. I decided early on that I wanted a way to track my wins, so I went with the time-honored practice of notching. In the case of the Flashmobile, the notched took the form of a tiny yellow lightning bolt detail that I added each time I took gold.
You'll discover other ways to make your cars utterly unique. Personally, I've killed hours just dealing with decals (and trying to make them look like superhero logos). How can you possibly get in all those races when there's detailing to be done? Easy. Train up a Drivatar …
Possibly the most innovative and remarkable feature in an already remarkable game, the Drivatar is an A.I.-controlled version of you—as in you, the player—that you "teach" how to drive by taking a series of tests. If you need a lunch break (or don't want to take chances on a tough, long race in which one misstep could mean yet another restart), you can assign your Drivatar to drive for you.
You can also go head to head with the Drivatar and watch in abject horror as you see how you actually drive from the outside. It's an amazing training tool that's infinitely better than a ghost car. It even lets you "sim" races while you observe and note where your skills need improvement.
Begin the countdown!
We've barely scratched the surface of the Driving Career mode here, and it's only one of the many innovative components of this very immersive, addictive, and even educational racing sim. The cleverly constructed career mode in Forza will help train you in its aggressively authentic racing world … and it's more than enough to severely hook even the most jaded racing gamers.
Comments about this article?
