Image credit: Microsoft/Turn 10 Studios
Forza Motorsport is coming this October, and the dropped number in the game's title is no coincidence: Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios want to reboot the franchise somewhat - including the game's centerpiece in the career mode. The new Builders Cup puts more emphasis on players growing tighter with their vehicles - a Career Mode Gameplay Demo shows what this will look like.
A new structure awaits players in career mode: Open practice sessions are introduced to each event, making it possible to familiarize yourself with your car, find out its characteristics and limits, and gain rewards for doing so due to the Car Mastery System.
New Car XP System
This mechanic makes each corner a mini objective, gauging how well you drive through it, how close you get to your car's limits, helping players in mastering the combination of car and corner. In essence, each corner works as a short sector of the track, making it possible to compare times through each corner lap after lap. Improving grants car XP, allowing the vehicle to level up.The other pre-race element of the Builders Cup is called Challenge the Grid, and it allows players to set their own goals for the race. This is demonstrated by being able to adjust your starting position, increasing or decreasing rewards for podium finishes depending on the grid spot - start up front, and you will receive less credits than if you have to make your way through more of the field. This also ties in with the race's rule set and overall difficulty level.
"Built, not bought"
After each race, players get the chance to upgrade their cars. "Cars in the new Forza Motorsport game are built, not bought", as Creative Director Chris Esaki highlights. Leveling up a car grants it car points, which are used to install upgrades and new parts instead of credits, so racing a car more often automatically makes it possible to install more upgrades.Unlike with a credits system, though, uninstalling parts regains the car points used for it, making it possible to try other builds without running out of points or money and allowing for more builds to try in a specific vehicle.
On track, a new tire model promises to deliver a much more refined handling before - more interestingly though from a single-player perspective is the new AI system: Computer-controlled competitors use machine-powered learning AI is supposedly as fast as the real drivers, as the AI grid is linked to random and friend's Drivatars - they are not artificially faster than the player anymore, but rather provide a realistic challenge.
