Product reviewsXbox 360 : Forza Motorsport 3 VideoGames

Easily one of the top two racing sims of all time. Just not perfect.

Okay, i'll get to what most people ask, which is how this game compares to Gran Turismo. Gran Turismo is the only real competitor for the Forza series. However, Forza 3 itself has no real competition. It came out when there was no Gran Turismo on the PS3, and Gran Turismo 5 didn't come out until a few months ago, so it should be compared with the upcoming Forza 4, not Forza 3.

Forza has a few things nto in any other true racing sim. First, it has a nicely detailed level of customization to each vehicle, including the ability to swap out the actual engines of certain vehicles. You can paint your car, add vinyls, etc. There isn't a Need for Speed level of body modifications, but you don't really expect that with a racing sim as opposed to a more arcade racer like NFS. Second, there is a very nice selection of cars. Adding a real-life drivability to the Italian car line-up is easily one of the greatest draws of the game. The Ferrari's, the Lambos, the Porches... virtually every person who has ever driven a car has wanted to sit in one of these. Then the cherry on top comes with the Le Mans prototype cars; really sweet.

There are a lot of nice tracks. GT4 had Nurburgring and Le Mans too, but Forza is the first place i've seen to include such great tracks like Road America and Sedona.

Here's the rub I have... the economuy of the game is a little unbalanced. It takes a lot of money to finance a robust garage. With the level system attached to the cars, it is as if they encourage you to buy new cars once you max the level of one. The problem is that you barely get any money from winning races, so doing this is a quick way to find yoruself out of money when you need/want to buy a new car for a new race. Part of this is obviously personal matter of how you play the game, but overall it doesn't seem there are races that you can do to get a whole lot of money. Gran Turismo, especially as you got late in the game, had races that you could get a whole lot of money from. Doing a handful of races could get you millions of dollars. It's not quite that easy in Forza, which is both good and bad. It adds some challenge and forces you to play the game, but it really is a nuisance to not have a more convenient way to make money late in the game when you'll be spending millions on cars, or when really interesting cars like the are priced at over $10 million.

The recreation of the driving characteristics of most cars is very good. They don't seem spot on, but they have an acceptable level of accuracty to them. The same can be said about the various tracks. But the internal rendering of dashboards in a lot of the race cars and high-level cars is laughable, with some generic blue digital layout.

The mapping of the vinyls and paint can sometimes be a little off. I had a '95 Eclipse with an aftermarket front bumper, and then went and painted it. On the left side there is a big area of white just in front of the front wheel. Just a little quality check item that got overlooked, but seems to happen
routinely.

Finally, if you want all of the best features and best cars, you better be ready to shell out extra cash for dlc and for Xbox Live Gold. The Storefront in the game lets you buy and sell tuning setups, designs, and vinyl groups. The Auction house lets you buy and sell cars to other players. Neither can be used without the Gold membership. An in-game mode disabled for Gold seems wrong.

A Fun game, but it's not quite as good as GT, IMO.Read full review...

Good tracks, good cars, so so controls, too much DLC

I'm a fan of the Forza series, but I have to admit I'm a little disappointed in Turn 10 this time around. The new tracks are good, Amalfi is a huge challenge, and Fujimi Kaido will definitely appeal to all of the drifters. While I like the idea of now having a clutch, I hate that they have reversed the shift control on the thumbstick. Shifting up through the gears should naturally be an upward motion, but instead it's down and vice versa for down shifting. It's just counter-intuitive. Also, I'm not really a big fan of all of the DLC. Most packs are 400 MS points, save the VIP Car pack which is 800. And having to pay for the Nurburgring GP pack is really an insult. That's a track that should have been included from the get go, NOT something I should have to purchase. Still the mechanics are solid, and the handling of the cars is very realistic. On a bright note, they did give us the chance to finally race the Veyron, and WOW, what a ride. Hitting 215 220 on the back stretch at Leman, is a heckuva rush. I was able to top it out at 235 on the Benchmark test track before any upgrades. I'm a HUGE fan of this car. I also like what they've done by adding the concept of seasons. it really gets you into the idea that you are racing in a career more than just systematically going from race to another. The tracks do, as previously, tend to get a bit repetitive after a while, but the races are also a little longer, so you actually spend more time racing than just jumping in and out of an event. I like that the championship races are usually more than 10 miles in length, and in some cases, depending on the track and type of car you have, you will have to contend with lap traffic. If you choose the quick upgrade option the majority of the time, you can almost guarantee that you will start either in the back or the middle of the pack, which is nice because you now have to work at getting to the front rather than just starting there to begin with. For fans of racing games, this is a must have, but be ready to shell out another $30 in MS Points to get the full experience. I give Forza Motorsports 3 a 4 out of 5!Read full review...

Lots of play modes for a variety of player tastes/skills.

This is my first Forza game since the original came out for the old Xbox. As an adult, casual player who doesn't have time to go through the whole game, I really appreciate two features that Forza 3 offers. One, the game lets you go into an arcade mode if you like, so you can pick nearly any car or track you wish. This allows the casual player to access more of the game. Two the game is made more fun because of features such as auto braking and traction control that can be left on or switched off. Hard core players like to switch these aids off, but I prefer to play with them on. Some people prefer a more 'realistic' game mode, but I've found that the aids make the game more enjoyable, more like the arcade games from the old days. Making the game more 'realistic' with a driver's wheel/pedals and turning the driver aids off only frustrated me. Without real seat of the pants feeling of speed and g forces, you really can't tell what a car is doing, so the 'unrealistic' arcade mode is more fun. The only thing I don't like is the long load times, but this seems to be the case with a lot of Xbox 360 games.Read full review...

Almost as good as Gran Turismo

Realistic simulation racing here. Phenomenal graphics in the tracks, cars, etc. Physics engine still needs some tweaking. Finished the single player career mode in about 15 hours. Plenty of extra side races and achievemnets to extend gameplay to close to 30 hours.

One of the great features of this game is the rewind ability. It can be disabled if you choose, but it is actually quite nice. If you mess a turn up or lose control, you can rewind the game at about 2-3 second increments to try it again. This becomes very helpful on long or endurance races.

Overall probably the best racing game on XBOX 360. If you like the Gran Turismo series on Playstation, give this game a shot.Read full review...

Finally up to par to take on the Grand Turismo legacy

I have been a very big fan of Gran Turismo ever since 3. Forza 1 + 2 just did not cut the cake at all when it was compared to Gran Turismo. Gran Turismo had such more detail in every aspect of design, menu layout and car detail, such as moving parts (spoilers) and catless exhaust backfire. Though Forza 3 still does not have those two details, the physics and track detail ARE AMAZING. The physics feel spot on. The ability to do engine/drivetrain swaps are awesome and the graphics are to die for. Turn10 really stepped up their game and really went for the checkered flag on this one. They are now saying this is graphically better than Gran Turismo 5 which is releasing soon. As a long time Gran Turismo fan, I can sad gladly that you won't be disappointed by Forza 3.Read full review...

Near flawless racing, and some pretty paint.

Forza 3 is a fantastic game all around. Plenty of racing offline and online to keep you busy for hours, hours, and more hours. The level of realism visually and technically with the cars is as good as it gets, compared to other games right now. In no other game can you take a Datsun and drop a new engine in it, new brakes, suspension, driveline, rims, tires, air filter, body kit, and almost anything else you would normally upgrade a car with(and notice the effects on the track). It seems almost limitless when you top it all off with the ability to design your own paint jobs and decals.

This game contains an auction house where people can sell their car creations, and a 'storefront' where original designs and pictures are shared with the community. I think that's what really fills out the game. The community with Forza is so big and full of content, that without Xbox Live - you'd be missing 3/4 of the game. For example: I bought an old Firebird TransAm, and was able to locate someone's artistic replica of the old hood decal of the Firebird. Bought it and slapped it on the hood...just like that.

I have very little to complain about when it comes to Forza 3. I'm normally an arcade racer, so when it comes to tuning the car's brakes and tire pressure...I'm a little lost. Even though their aim was to appeal to all audiences, I still don't like the idea of a tune-savvy dude blowing my doors off because he knew how stiff to make the front suspension for that one specific track. It's a small complaint, considering there is so much more to involve myself with than getting 1st place.

If you're used to pulling off 1st place while trying to maintain 90mph on hairpin corners, this is not your game. If you can appreciate a true work of art in the racing genre, even if leans more towards simulation...you need to at least try it. It's a couple months after my purchase date, and I still haven't witnessed the full scope of what this game is capable of.Read full review...

Forza Motorsport 3 is great racing game. Very Fun.

I've been a PS2 & PS3 owner and fan of the Gran Turismo series. GT was the forefront of racing. However, GT 5 has taken an eternity to come out. GT4 came out in 2004! And GT5 Prologue was kind of insulting to us fans. I've heard alot about Forza 3 from coworkers and reading online ever since it came out in 2009. I gave in and got an XBOX 360, Forza 3, steering wheel and pedals in June. Saved a bunch of $$ by using ebay! I can't drive with the hand controller. So the wheel was a must for me. Review of the game: Forza 3 is very good. Great detail - visual & sound (for both cars & tracks). If you are a big fan of racing like the American Lemans Series, you can enjoy and appreciate the cars & tracks that are in the game. You get to experience most of what the pro drivers go through (minus the in car heat and the G forces). Work your way to the Difficult level and see if you can beat the other cars. Forza 3 gives you the opportunity to paint your cars and put on graphics. You can go the extra mile and make your own graphics (like a Budweiser logo) or you can search online for anything and see if others have made what your looking for. It's pretty cool. Also, there is the online racing community. It's fun. Trying to find good, honest racers sometimes is a challenge. Many folks love to do a crash fest which isn't fun to me. Lastly, there's the DLC - downloadable content - game add ons. So far these have come in the forms of 10 car packs and single race track pack. These are purchased online with micrsoft points. So you have to buy the MS points and then buy the add ons that interest you. (You get one DLC code if you buy Forza 3 new and un opened) It's a cool way to expand the game with more cars & tracks. Overall I give Forza 3 an A. I enjoy racing the cars and tracks within the game. The only thing I want more from the game would be more race cars and more tracks. The guys at Turn 10 have created a great racing game. So good it inspired me to buy an XBOX 360 system just to be able to play Forza 3!Read full review...

So much fun!

Fun tracks and cars. Handling was more on the realistic side and you feel more connected to the road. Drivatars drive well and make for challenging races with the first turn jams and not as much braking at the Alex like later games. Might be the best of the series.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: goodwillminnesota

Could've been a lot better.

It seems like Turn 10 was aiming towards pleasing a different (brand-new crowd) with this version of Forza, leaving the hard core fans (such as myself) with the same game glossed over with a few new "unwanted" features. But what really disappoints me, is the fact that the developers could have just packaged this whole game and its features into DLC (down-loadable content) like how Bethesda did with their Fallout 3 franchise. I guess turn 10 spoiled me with Forza 2 because when that game came out, it blew all the other franchises away by miles. But it is evident now, that not even the same developers from the very same game could topple their own previous masterpiece.

The Good
-Improved visuals (On cars and scenery).
-Replay (No more having to restart a race from the beginning).
-100+ track... variations.
-400+ cars... on two disks.

The Bad
-Way too many Driver Assists (Might as well just let the A.I. take over).
-Damage effects are still the same as Forza 2.
-Very dull cockpit view.
-Very few changes to the features in regards to car customization and detailing.
-Must install a 2nd disk if you want the the extra cars and tracks (Which is bad if you're limited in HD space).

The Ugly
-Multiplayer (No more private servers = Destruction Derby in every race)
*Which is why I find myself playing online more on Forza 2 rather than on this game (Forza 3) because I have the option to choose among friends, who knows the definition of "competing in a clean race".

Final thoughts
-If you're new to Forza, then this game would be a perfect match for you however, if you're already a seasoned veteran of the franchise such as myself, I suggest sticking to the previous installment (Forza 2) as you'll experience the same(if not, more) joy and fulfillment as you would playing Forza 3.

As for my copy of this game (Forza 3), I will be giving it to my little 6yr old nephew this Christmas. I figured since he is going to have to learn how to drive sooner or later anyways, what better place to start then XBOX Live.Read full review...

Best Forza Motorsports Yet!

I have been playing Forza since the first one was released in 2005. I have to say that this is a better version then the previous and you won't be disappointed. I am also happy to tell you that they have put back in some of the point to point races Like the Hill Climb. Drag racing has also come back though I have yet to see it in career racing as I am currently at level 16 driver at the time of this review. If you played the other Forza games you already know what to expect; a realistic racing simulator. But there is a new feature that is super nice. The rewind feature. So when you screw up a turn or crash you don't have to restart the whole race you can just rewind to before you crashed. You can use it as many times as you want. I would totally recommend this game to any true racing game fan as there is no other game that comes close to this one unless you count the previous Forzas which this is just an improved version of.Read full review...