Forza Horizon 5 was announced formally back at E3 2021, but since then, we’ve got even more information about the upcoming racing title. This time around, Forza Horizon 5 features a world that’s 1.5 times larger than Horizon 4, which is quite insane, honestly. As someone who pre-ordered the premium version of Forza Horizon 4 back when it was released, I’m equally as excited now to see the sheer massive map that’s to come with Horizon 5. Not only that, but you’ll also find things like the largest highway in Forza Horizon history, multiple towns and cities, and the return of Horizon Festival sites. Sound intriguing? Keep reading to find out more.
Forza Horizon 5 has a map that’s 1.5 times the size of Horizon 4, or nearly 80 miles wide
Forza Horizon 4 had a map that was 52 square miles wide, which was similar in size to Horizon 3. Well, for Horizon 5, the team decided to turn things up to 78, or thereabouts. While the team hasn’t specifically said the exact size of the map, they did say that it’s 50% larger than Horizon 4, or 1.5 times, which if we extrapolate that out, it’ll be 78 miles wide. This means that if you drove the speed limit from one side of the map to the other, it’d take over an hour to complete the task. That’s a pretty darn huge map.
Multiple distinct and unique biomes are in play here, with 11 total varieties included
Each of the 11 biomes included in Forza Horizon 5 was “painstakingly researched and recreated by the team.” They went to great lengths to ensure that the biomes transition through seasons differently, as there’s a rainy season in the jungle and farmlands of Mexico, while summer could bring “intense tropical thunderstorms” along the coast. This really can play a role in how the game is shaped, as if you think of driving from the coast of Mexico 78 miles inland, that’s nearly 60% as wide as the country is at its most narrow part. That’s right, at the narrowest point of Mexico, the country is only 135 miles wide. So, it would only be right for the weather inland to be vastly different than what you’d find on the coast.
The biomes themself include a canyon, tropical coast, farmland, arid hills, jungle, living desert, rocky coast, sand desert, swamp, urban city, and even an active volcano. Many of these are a first for the Forza Horizon series, including the volcano. The high-altitude location is an experience that brings a reward to players who can see way off into the horizon, and the volcano is the only place where you’ll encounter snow due to how high into the atmosphere you’ll be, making it for a special and unique experience in Mexico.
Horizon Festival makes a return alongside the longest highway we’ve seen in a Forza game to date
Something unique to the Horizon series of Forza games is Horizon Festivals. These sites, which are places that you can go to change cars, get races, and more, are making a return in Horizon 5. The first one is located on top of an old racetrack and airstrip, making it the perfect location for a drag race.
Also, we’ll be getting the longest stretch of highway offered in any Forza Horizon game yet. This is thanks to the sheer size of the map, and I can’t wait to throw on some headphones, fire up my gaming computer, and just cruise the back road of Mexico.
Forza Horizon 5 cruises to a PC or Xbox near you in November
Forza Horizon 5 will release on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on November 9. It’ll also be included as part of Game Pass as well as Cloud Gaming, allowing you to play the title just about anywhere you are. I’m excited to see how Xbox Cloud Gaming handles Forza Horizon 5, as well as my gaming desktop. This is absolutely a game I’ll load up on day one. What about you?
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