Land of the Rising Revs

tl;dr - Playground Games has gone and done it. Japan, in all its neon-soaked, mountain-carved, cherry-blossom-strewn glory, is the open-world racing setting we've all been dreaming about for the best part of a decade. And bloody hell, does it deliver.

"Captures the essence of the place in a smoother, condensed reality." Torben Ellert, Design Director, Playground Games.

Let me open with a confession. I've been waiting for a Forza Horizon set in Japan since roughly the moment I finished Forza Horizon 3. Every time a new entry was announced, I'd hold my breath, scan the reveal trailer for a hint of Mt Fuji or a neon-lit Shibuya crossing, and every time I'd be left disappointed. Australia, Britain, Mexico, all stunning in their own right, but never quite that. So when Playground Games finally pulled the trigger and confirmed Japan as the destination for Forza Horizon 6, I'd already mentally pencilled the 10/10 onto the scoreboard before I'd even pressed start. I mean I pretty much did the same for Assassin's Creed: Shadows.

A Setting That Slaps You In The Face With Beauty

Within about thirty seconds of starting the game, you're sent careening through the Japanese Alps in a 2025 GR GT Prototype, racing alongside a Shinkansen bullet train, before plunging headfirst into the Horizon Festival proper. It's pure Playground showboating, and I loved every single second of it.

But the real magic kicks in once you stop chasing objectives and just cruise. Tokyo at night, with rain-slicked streets reflecting every neon kanji and convenience store sign, is some of the prettiest driving I've ever experienced in a video game. The ray-tracing reflections off your bonnet in the city are genuinely show-stopping. Then you climb out of the city, find yourself winding up a Touge mountain pass with cherry blossom petals scattering across your windscreen, and you realise Playground hasn't just built a map. They've built a love letter.

Five times the size of Guanajuato. Five times. And it never once feels empty.

Tokyo alone, according to the studio, is roughly five times larger than the biggest built-up area in Forza Horizon 5. And they've actually filled it. Layered highways, tunnels, industrial districts, tight urban corners. You can spend hours just exploring one district before remembering there are six more regions waiting for you. The world is dense without ever feeling cluttered, varied without ever feeling like a theme park.

Touge, Time Attack, and Living Out Your Initial D Fantasy

Now, let's talk about what's actually new, because this isn't just Forza Horizon 5 with a Japanese coat of paint slapped on top.

Touge Battles are 1v1 races on famous Japanese mountain roads, including Hakone, Mount Haruna, Bandai Azuma, the Norikura Skyline, and Arahiyama Takao Parkway. If you grew up watching Initial D and wishing you could pelt down a mountain pass at silly speeds with a rival glued to your bumper, congratulations, your dreams have arrived. These battles are tense, technical, and properly thrilling. I've been having recurring dreams about the Akina downhill, send help.

Time Attack events are scattered seamlessly across the map. Just hit a dedicated stretch of road and you're suddenly setting times against your friends, with leaderboards plastered across in-game billboards as you drive. It's a genius little touch that turns the entire open world into a competitive playground without ever shoving you into a menu.

Horizon Rush events are like Showcases but unscripted. You get behind the wheel of a preselected car and have to earn three stars on your own merits. Less Hollywood, more proper driving.

Drag Meets now feature actual launch control management. The game no longer holds you on the line automatically. You pick your grid slot, watch a realistic countdown, and manage your own launch. Touch the throttle a millisecond early and you jump-start. No more cheesing it. You bring your purpose-built monster, you sit on the grid, you sweat. It's wonderful.

ANNA, The Auto-Driving Co-Pilot I Didn't Know I Needed

I'll admit, I rolled my eyes when I first heard about Auto Drive. Why would I let the game drive itself? Then I tried cinematic mode, where the entire UI vanishes and you get a film-style view of your car cruising through the Japanese countryside at sunset. It's strangely meditative. I've spent more time than I'd care to admit just sat watching my Land Cruiser wind through a forest road at golden hour while I sip a brew. Don't judge me.

The Cars. Oh, The Cars.

Over 550 vehicles at launch, with a heavy and very welcome emphasis on JDM heroes. Nissan Silvias, Toyota Celicas, Mazda RX-7s, GR Yarises, kei vans (yes, properly slow, properly hilarious kei vans), the lot. The cover stars, the 2025 GR GT Prototype and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, tell you everything you need to know about Playground's mission statement. This is a celebration of Japanese car culture, and it shows in every menu, every engine note, every paint option.

Engine audio has had a serious overhaul, and the new 540-degree steering animations make every car feel that much more tactile. If you've got a wheel like a Logitech G29 collecting dust in a cupboard, this is the game to drag it back out for.

Niggles? A Couple, If I'm Being Properly Honest

I'd be lying if I said it was flawless. The AI does that classic Forza Horizon rubberbanding thing, especially on the trickier Touge runs. One minute you're miles ahead, the next there's a Honda Civic on your boot like it teleported in from the Upside Down. The cutscene dialogue is still as bland as a motorway service station sandwich, a complaint that's followed the series since Australia and apparently isn't going anywhere. And Mt Fuji, the most iconic mountain in all of Japan, is essentially a background prop. You can stare at it, you can photograph it, but you cannot drive it. Heartbreaking.

But honestly? These are minor scratches on an otherwise gleaming bonnet. They're not enough to knock a single point off any of the scores above.

Verdict

Forza Horizon 6 is the best Forza Horizon ever made. The Japan setting was always going to be the headline, and Playground hasn't squandered it. They've doubled down, building the most ambitious, most varied, most beautiful open world the series has ever seen. Every drive feels like an event. Every screenshot looks like a desktop wallpaper waiting to happen.

I'm thirty-odd hours in, my screenshot folder is on its knees begging for mercy, and I've got absolutely no intention of stopping anytime soon. If you've got Game Pass, you've got no excuse. If you don't, this is the game that justifies buying it.

The wait was worth it. Konnichiwa, perfection.