For years, fans of the Forza Horizon gaming franchise have dreamed about one destination above all others. Now, Forza Horizon 6 is finally taking the series to Japan in its most ambitious release yet. From neon- soaked Tokyo highways to winding mountain roads. the latest edition of the open world arcade racer is a love letter to car culture with an extra emphasis on JDM models. The game launches May 19 for Xbox Series X|S, PC, Steam and Xbox Cloud with a PlayStation 5 release arriving later this year.
The star of the show, besides the 550 cars available at launch, is the map itself. Playground Games, the studio behind the Horizon series, says Tokyo alone is roughly five times larger than Guanajuato from Forza Horizon 5 and it sure does feel like it. Packed with layered highways, tunnels, industrial districts and tight urban corners built for technical driving, as good as the previous Baja setting was, this is better. Cityscape avenues, rural roads and mountain passes genuinely embrace the speed and exploration that are a hallmark of the series. The returning dynamic weather system makes familiar places feel fresh and challenging on every revisit.
Purists may argue that car lovers should prefer Forza’s Motorsport offerings, with the main Forza simulator titles delivering an impressively realistic racing experience. Forza Horizon 6 may eschew the physics of the real world, but that’s where it ends. This game is so careful and loving in its presentation and utilization of its extensive car list, allowing customization and tuning on a nuts and bolts level, fans of the game and of cars in general should make no apologies for loving it. Where else will hundreds of yards of drifting in a C8 Corvette net big bonuses? Forza Horizon 6 gets car culture and the unbridled joy of driving just right.
There’s no better way to show that automotive appreciation than building a garage and car collecting in FH6 is some of the best yet. Beyond the normal progress through winning races and completing challenges, scavenging for barn finds is a great way to punch out a garage. Barn finds are also now joined by Treasure cars that can be found through photographic hints. Showing off any growing collection is now done at personal garages found in properties that can be purchased around the map. The new garage customizer allows for extensive building to make a garage that suits any collection perfectly and can be shared online.
Obviously the best part of the game is actually putting pedal to metal. FH6 is more flexible and immersive than previous Horizon entries. What starts as simple exploration as a newcomer to Japan quickly turns into joining the Horizon Festival and climbing the ranks toward legendary status. A new Collection Journal tracks progress across both competitive racing activities and exploration focused objectives, giving players freedom to approach the game however they want. Whether it’s spending hours hunting for hidden treasure cars, chasing drift records through mountain passes or dominating organized circuit races, Horizon 6 is designed to reward every type of driver.
There is also a huge emphasis on social experiences and player creativity this time around. New multiplayer features include Horizon CoLab, which allows players to build custom creations together in real time using upgraded EventLab tools. Online players can also participate in hourly stunt parties, drag meets and time attack events while showing off liveries, tuning setups and those personalized garages.
Beyond the racing, Horizon 6 appears determined to turn Japan into a full lifestyle experience rather than just a photogenic backdrop. Players can take food delivery jobs through Tokyo traffic, photograph cars against scenic landmarks, pull off incredible stunts and explore ten unique regions at their own pace, as long as it’s fast. No matter what approach, there are always surprises to find along the way though those are always better discovered through exploration than reading about them online.
The biggest downside here is the music. As welcome as it is for Forza Horizon 6 to finally deliver on the promise of Japan, the radio’s tunes fell short and quickly became grating. To each their own and maybe there’s a beloved station waiting in the game but, in testing on the Xbox Series X, Apple Music integration and audio settings that allow music to be muted were very appreciated over the in-game radio stations.
Whatever the tunes may be, there’s no doubt that Forza Horizon 6 absolutely nails the presentation of its extensive car list, its variety of races and challenges, its endlessly fun arcade physics and, most importantly, its loving handling of Japan’s beauty, whether that be the ever-present backdrop of Mount Fuji or its intricately engineered roadways. This game just set a new high bar for Horizon. Watch the official launch trailer below.