8 Things You Might Have Missed From The Forza Motorsport 6 Demo Release

The good news is the FM6 demo didn’t come with any major crashes. The new weather conditions, night racing and enhanced AI are just some of the features that will get you excited for the official release later this month.

1. 2017 Ford GT

What a beautiful car. Just feel all that power. It would be nice if we could, oh I don’t know, actually drive it.

Right away, we got the Ford GT to race on the streets of Rio, but we couldn’t take off the assists. We got all hyped up about tearing up the track in this monster, only to be slowed by force through the corners. Don’t fret: once you beat the demo, you can restart it in Rivals Mode and finally give the Ford GT a go in its full glory. If you play the demo and order the game now, you can still be rewarded with this car in your garage on release day.

While there are plenty of players complaining about the rain, we can appreciate it. Some say there’s no reason to get excited because lots of other racing games have rainy weather. Here is the difference: most games reduce grip and handling in the rain across the entire track or portions of the track, but FM6 has actually pinpointed those spots that are especially slick.

By studying photos and videos of the Sebring track during wet weather, Turn 10 was able to put accurate puddles where the water was most likely to accumulate. When you drive through these areas, there is a good chance of hydroplaning. Aside from making a slippery track, the rain made rather realistic prints on our car. The windscreen filled with mist from other drivers, and the rain on the side windows rolled to the rear as the car sped forward.

3. Beautiful Rio

The dynamic Rio course is absolutely stunning. It’s filled with hills, turns and bumps that really show off the detail of the track. The background isn’t lacking, but it’s not a big upgrade from the last couple of Forza games. As the view of the distant landscape comes into focus, it takes about the same time to render the details as it did in Forza Horizon 2. The background isn’t a big deal though - it’s all about the racing.

4. Damage

Turn 10 Studios has always maintained that the Forza games are not so physics conscious that they would accurately recreate damage from collisions. This newest game aims to give a bit more realism to the crash damage, while keeping the classic arcade feel for novice players.

Running into side bumpers or off the track will have a greater impact on tyres now, and visual damage is more exaggerated than before after crashes. Not going overboard on the damage will keep players in the game longer, and it gives us that rough racing we love so much while bumping and nudging our way to the front of the pack.

5. Drivatars

The other racers in the game can be ‘dumbed down’ to make for an easy race or made ‘intelligent’ for a challenge. What is amazing about the new AI is the human-like choices and mistakes they make. Cutting a turn too sharp or hitting the brakes too soon are common mistakes real players make. The way the other players correct these mistakes and fight to get back ahead is something we can appreciate. In other games, you can spend all day racing AI and never experience a real battle like the one you will face against live opponents. This gives us the advantage of quality practice among other cars before heading onto a multiplayer circuit.

With the inclusion of Showcase Events, FM6 adds variety to the usual tracks and cars. The IndyCar race may not have been the best Showcase Event to start with in the demo. Even without comparing it to other games with Indy races, the handling was noticeably bad. The same rules just didn’t seem to apply to IndyCars when it came to handling during braking and turning. The game’s standing start is something that was enacted in Indy racing for a couple of seasons, but it was abandoned last year. For whatever reason, FM6 kept the standing start for this series.

7. Night Time

Okay, cool, we get it. Flying around the track at night looks awesome….at first. Initially, we were excited about the streaks of light passing through the window and the shadows cast across the cockpit. After a while, though, it seems rather unpolished.

Inconsistencies in the glare off other cars’ bodies and glass made the night racing feel almost there but still lacking refinement. This is possibly something that will be fixed in a future update.

8. Forza Fuel

Nothing gets us stirred up like a competition. Xbox announced its Forza Fuel challenge. To enter, you can register here and download the demo. You must complete the hot lap challenge before 6th September to enter. You may race it as many times as you like, and your fastest time will be entered. Four winners from each country (the two players with the fastest times, one wild card pick and one randomly selected player) will receive a trip to Texas, USA’s Circuit of the Americas. There, the players will compete in a final FM6 challenge to determine the fastest Forza racer. Everyone who completes the hot lap and orders FM6 will receive an exclusive livery in mid October.

For those who are still sceptical or just don’t want to jump into the demo action yet, here is the new trailer that dropped this week.