"Forza 3" Catch All

I'm seeing NFS: Shift as more of a GRID or PGR type title. Looking forward to giving it a spin, but I'm not expecting it to last me for very long. They're saying it'll have 65 cars and 18 tracks, plus some sort of "driver profile" system that lets you earn points for how you drive, which all sound in line with the PGR series.

LupusUmbrus wrote:

I'm seeing NFS: Shift as more of a GRID or PGR type title. Looking forward to giving it a spin, but I'm not expecting it to last me for very long. They're saying it'll have 65 cars and 18 tracks, plus some sort of "driver profile" system that lets you either earn points for how you drive, which all sound in line with the PGR series.

I'm much more interested in NFS: Shift than I am for Forza 3. But that's because I want a different kind of game, not that Forza is going to be anything other than an outstanding game. I haven't really enjoyed a NFS game since High Stakes on the PC. I PGRified version of NFS could be the exact game I am looking for. I'm not looking for a sim.

But I will admit that all of the Forza talk in here has me wanting to give Forza 2 another try. Not like I need another game to get into, but I thought I would give it another try. Maybe something about not being able to drive worth a damn will start to feel right.

After watching a few videos of Shift, I'm pretty sure I would take the realism of Forza over it any day. It looks really pretty but it seems like they spent much more time on visual effects than driving physics.

LupusUmbrus wrote:

I'm seeing NFS: Shift as more of a GRID....

That's what I'm thinking. From the videos it really looked like its main competition is going to be GRID.

From what I played of Shift, it was much closer to a Forza than a GRID or PGR. It's focused on realism and can be punishing for the uninitiated. I think the Gran Turismo GT Races are the best comparison with Shift. The driving model is not as "fun" as Forza 3's but Forza driving model seems slightly watered down from the previous game.

Jawhawker: Split/Second is definitely one to look out for. Of everything at E3 that game topped the fun charts and is as exciting to watch as it is to play. http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3...

Like Split/Second, Trials HD was no where on my radar but was so satisfying. It's an XBLA game with a simple goal; get to the end. The gameplay is simple but the controls are so good and the game has a built in track editor. http://ve3d.ign.com/videos/50455/Xbo...

d3p0 wrote:

From what I played of Shift, it was much closer to a Forza than a GRID or PGR. It's focused on realism and can be punishing for the uninitiated. I think the Gran Turismo GT Races are the best comparison with Shift. The driving model is not as "fun" as Forza 3's but Forza driving model seems slightly watered down from the previous game.

Interesting. It would be strange for them to water down a tried and true driving model. Did you check to see what assists were turned on?

Damnit...I've been playing some Forza 2 after the discussions of this game, and that prompted me to buy a used wireless wheel. Damn all of you, as I blame you for this.

firesloth wrote:

IMAGE(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/Poppinfresh2k5/damnyou.jpg)

EvilDead wrote:
d3p0 wrote:

From what I played of Shift, it was much closer to a Forza than a GRID or PGR. It's focused on realism and can be punishing for the uninitiated. I think the Gran Turismo GT Races are the best comparison with Shift. The driving model is not as "fun" as Forza 3's but Forza driving model seems slightly watered down from the previous game.

Interesting. It would be strange for them to water down a tried and true driving model. Did you check to see what assists were turned on?

Yes, I turned all the assists off before playing

I think Forza 2's driving model had room for improvement and I think Forza 3 has improved upon 2. But at the same time,it feels like Forza 3 is easier to access. Whether that is a bi-product of being closer to life or whether they made some other changes to make it more casual friendly is yet to be seen.

d3p0 wrote:
EvilDead wrote:
d3p0 wrote:

From what I played of Shift, it was much closer to a Forza than a GRID or PGR. It's focused on realism and can be punishing for the uninitiated. I think the Gran Turismo GT Races are the best comparison with Shift. The driving model is not as "fun" as Forza 3's but Forza driving model seems slightly watered down from the previous game.

Interesting. It would be strange for them to water down a tried and true driving model. Did you check to see what assists were turned on?

Yes, I turned all the assists off before playing

I think Forza 2's driving model had room for improvement and I think Forza 3 has improved upon 2. But at the same time,it feels like Forza 3 is easier to access. Whether that is a bi-product of being closer to life or whether they made some other changes to make it more casual friendly is yet to be seen.

Well you said it was "slightly watered down" so I made the assumption that you meant it was less sim like. However, I have found the driving model (in Forza 2) to feel more natural then the GT series because the additional physics models that are taken into account. With F3 they are also adding tire deformation which I imagine would change the driving model a little more.

I'm really looking forward to give it a go as it is the racing game that I am most excited about. Split / Second looks like it could be a fun arcade racer but it better have split-screen! (Pure didn't)

Watered down might not be the best description. It's easier to pick up and play now, which may point to it being either more or less sim-like.

Look like La Mans is confirmed for Forza 3. Woo!

IMAGE(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5490/fm3lemans7h.th.jpg)

IMAGE(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4980/fm3lemans5.th.jpg)

IMAGE(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/2524/fm3lemans10.th.jpg)

Ooh, and it's both track configurations too!

LupusUmbrus wrote:

Look like La Mans is confirmed for Forza 3. Woo!

IMAGE(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5490/fm3lemans7h.th.jpg)

IMAGE(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4980/fm3lemans5.th.jpg)

IMAGE(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/2524/fm3lemans10.th.jpg)

Someone needs to schedule a GWJ 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Nimcosi wrote:
LupusUmbrus wrote:

Look like La Mans is confirmed for Forza 3. Woo!

Someone needs to schedule a GWJ 24 Hours of Le Mans. ;)

Aww man, that's the best idea I've heard in ages!

You know, now that cars can roll and stuff, I wonder if we'll have to worry about stuff like this happening now...

One of the new screens Turn 10 has released showing the prettied-up version of Maple Valley:
IMAGE(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/LupusUmbrus/FM3_Jaguar_XKR-S_4.jpg)

That's it, self-imposed media blackout. I can't get any more amped for this game.

Even though the visuals are a huge improvement, they still seem sterile to me.

d3p0 wrote:

Even though the visuals are a huge improvement, they still seem sterile to me.

I think that's fair to say, although I'm (genuinely) curious if you could explain why.

Forza 2 was rather clinical on the graphics end, as it was openly admitted that they could only go so far with the graphics at the time without sacrificing frames. With Forza 3 the bar has been raised, but is it "enough"? I don't know. I certainly would like it even better, but I wonder if we're hitting a sort of uncanny valley effect were even if it's prettier, it'll still be "off".

Prederick wrote:

That's it, self-imposed media blackout. I can't get any more amped for this game.

Are the visuals a huge improvement, even? I'm looking at them and I'm not so sure.

Although at the end of the day it doesn't matter. Forza 3 is a very specific game attempting to aim at realism. Realism makes for boring graphics, frankly, but thats what Forza 3 is about. If Forza 3 looked like Mario Kart I'd be very disappointed.

Honestly, I don't care if the graphics aren't even improved at all. Forza 2's graphics were quite excellent enough for me. I just want more: more realism with the driving & physics model, more tracks to race on, more vehicles, more tuning/upgrade options, more racing modes, and more multiplayer and community features!

d3p0 wrote:

Even though the visuals are a huge improvement, they still seem sterile to me.

Yeah, I understand that. But, after two games chock full of content, that sterile quality has kind of become Forza's particular style.

Looking at the latest screenshots, I think I've grown to like that clean, minimalist style.

I hope Forza 3 has a better soundtrack than Forza 2. I grew to really loathe some of the background music.

LupusUmbrus wrote:
d3p0 wrote:

Even though the visuals are a huge improvement, they still seem sterile to me.

I think that's fair to say, although I'm (genuinely) curious if you could explain why.

Forza 2 was rather clinical on the graphics end, as it was openly admitted that they could only go so far with the graphics at the time without sacrificing frames. With Forza 3 the bar has been raised, but is it "enough"? I don't know. I certainly would like it even better, but I wonder if we're hitting a sort of uncanny valley effect were even if it's prettier, it'll still be "off".

Perhaps it could look better, but there's only so much hardware there, and I'm glad that they're dedicating a good chunk of it to the AI, physics, and damage modeling instead of focusing just on the graphics. It definitely looks "good enough" -- much more than good enough for me, really -- and at the end of the day, it's the gameplay that makes it a good game, and not whether or not it's 1080p or has a bajillion polygons per car.

Farscry wrote:

Honestly, I don't care if the graphics aren't even improved at all. Forza 2's graphics were quite excellent enough for me. I just want more: more realism with the driving & physics model, more tracks to race on, more vehicles, more tuning/upgrade options, more racing modes, and more multiplayer and community features! :D

And Cockpits!

Stylez wrote:
Farscry wrote:

Honestly, I don't care if the graphics aren't even improved at all. Forza 2's graphics were quite excellent enough for me. I just want more: more realism with the driving & physics model, more tracks to race on, more vehicles, more tuning/upgrade options, more racing modes, and more multiplayer and community features! :D

And Cockpits!

Well, while I can still enjoy the game immensely without modeled in-car cockpit views, I do agree that it adds a lot to the immersion factor.

As long as the Forza team continues to put gameplay first on the priority list, then I have confidence the franchise will remain my favorite racing sim.

LupusUmbrus wrote:
d3p0 wrote:

Even though the visuals are a huge improvement, they still seem sterile to me.

I think that's fair to say, although I'm (genuinely) curious if you could explain why.

Well, if you look at the flying Mercedes racing video a couple posts above yours and the Forza 3 screenshot below it, they really aren't that far off. Is it the lack of vibrant colors that is giving you that perception?

So it looks like the Forza 3 collectors edition has been announced, and I must say, I'm pretty sure this is the first collector's edition I'll ever buy.

It's probably just how dirty and imperfect actual racing is that feels off in Forza 3. I think this becomes really obvious when you check out the car select screen. In that sterile, white environment, the shading and lighting feel totally natural. But after a few laps on a track it shouldn't feel that clean -less of a matter of hardware power and more a matter of attention to detail. I think the tiling of the textures adds to this. There are also some things related to the camera like how much contrast is in the background, the quality of their blur and the shutter speed of the camera that don't help sell the game.

These things don't change my purchase intent but do keep Forza from being the best ultimate hoohaa racing game in the world.

*sigh*

Count me in for $80 then. I need the Corvette ZR1.

Ran across this today from best buy. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....

$20 off a wheel with a Forza 3 pre-order. Think I might have to bite on this one. Although i think Best Buy charges you full price for the pre-order.

I was about a year late to Forza 2, but spent a lot of time with it on the controller. Had a blast. Hoping to jump on at launch with 3.

So, if I'm going for fun - and not 1/100000 off my lap time, does the MS wheel cut it? Really like the shifter and look of the Fanatec wheel, but don't think I could spend that much (especially around the holidays). I only drive racers in first person or hood view. It looks like they've put a lot of time into the cockpit view.