It’s still a little surreal that Forza is coming to a PlayStation console. On 29 April (or 25 April if you get the Premium edition), Forza Horizon 5 will launch on PS5.
Had that statement been made back in the Xbox 360 and PS3 days, at the height of Forza Motorsport 4 going toe-to-toe with Gran Turismo 5, you would’ve been accused of making up stories on your chosen choice of internet forum.
But the reality is, with Microsoft rethinking what Xbox as a brand should be, is that its flagship racing game series is soon to arrive on a Sony console.
For those PlayStation devotees who have yet to step into a Horizon festival, you don’t need me to re-review FH5 to tell you it’s worth giving a go. Be that if you can stomach the initial asking price, or fancy waiting for a sale down the line.
What about those of us who had already been to Horizon Mexico and fancy a return trip? It turns out, it’s still a lot of fun.
Returning to Horizon Mexico
Forza Horizon 5 in-game screenshot
To say I’ve been there and done that with Forza Horizon 5 feels like a bit of an understatement. According to my Series X, I’ve racked up 12 days, seven hours and 56 minutes of playing FH5 since its November 2021 release. I don’t even want to consider what that count will be across the series as a whole.
It’s been a while since I’ve booted it up, though. So when the offer of a code for its PS5 release came through, my expectation was one of downloading it for the novelty of seeing Forza on a PlayStation, maybe a quick blast just for the sake of it and then leaving it to collect virtual dust.
But no, I’ve really sunk my teeth back into things.
Activity overload
Forza Horizon 5 in-game screenshot
It turns out, when you’re starting a fresh save on FH5 in 2025, there is a lot to do. When more events are added during the initial playthrough, they’re welcome but often not all that time-intensive.
Thrown in front of you as one big untouched ball, though? Honestly, there’s so much to do that it’s probably too much to do.
I don’t remember there being this many PR stunts, and then there’s the huge number of new races that have since been added, all bolstered with a mountain of community-made layouts.
It also doesn’t take very long to have a ton of cars. Linking my Microsoft account meant my loyalty bonuses from playing too much Forza in the past came across, then throw the fully-complete Car Pass into the mix and well, you’ve already got a stacked garage. Some I’d probably never touched in my first playthrough, but now are proving quite useful.
That’s not even considering the Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure expansions, which I’ve yet to retouch, but I’m quite looking forward to doing so.
Jumping into Horizon Realms
Forza Horizon 5, Realms in-game screenshot
Alongside the PS5 release, Horizon Realms comes to all platforms. This gives you the option to revisit previously limited-time variants of the map, themed for certain seasons of the year and pick up rewards you may have missed out on.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a game changer. Part of the reason I’d largely given up on FH5 previously was FOMO – having to keep up with limited-time events leads to burnout, and simply not wanting to play it. Knowing there are no time pressures makes it all the more appealing.
Sure, the Festival Playlist remains with some cars only available as limited-time rewards, but the reintroduction of Backstage Passes as a means of picking up some of those cars (with more continuously added) gives some welcome freedom.
Should you replay it?
Honestly, this will depend on a few things. Are you willing to spend £54.99 for the standard version of a game you’ve already played?
For my money, wait for it to inevitably go on sale later in the year. Pick it up for a lower price, though, and a return to Horizon Mexico might just turn out to be a glorious one. Especially with no Forza Horizon 6 in sight.
Read the full article here
