I’ve been a fan of racing games ever since I was a kid, zooming through the streets of Chicago in Midtown Madness on my bus (remember those days?!). Okay, I admit it – it wasn’t really zooming, but more like cruising, but you get the idea. Over the years, the racing genre has evolved into so much more, which is clearly reflected in the Forza series. I’ve been playing Forza Horizon 4 since the early days and the constant new updates have kept me hooked. I didn’t even expect Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios to top what they did with the fourth installment of the series. And boy, was I wrong. In this Forza Horizon 5 review, I’ll share my impressions and experiences with the game after hours of non-stop gaming since its early release.

Let me get the obvious out of the way first: Forza Horizon 5 is the best open-world racer to come out in YEARS. And no, my review isn’t based on a previous copy, but on the final product I played on early access for Ultimate Edition players. The developers took everything that was good in all the previous FH games and managed to make it… even better? Is that even possible? Well, it clearly is.

First of all, let’s talk about the controls. They are amazingly well done. The game was developed in three years instead of the usual two, and this is clearly reflected in the way the cars move. With a selection of over 500 cars, you can experience the beautiful map of Mexico in a multitude of ways thanks to the super-responsive controls.

If you were a casual gamer of racing games before, FH5 will make you fall in love with the world of cars like no other. You will definitely notice that the brakes and suspension have been significantly improved. If you plan on playing it on PC, you will enjoy it even more with an Xbox controller. And if you plan on taking it up a notch, now might be a good time to check out those entry-level Logitech & Thrustmaster steering wheels, where every feedback and vibration will make you forget everything else and give you maximum immersion. Try every terrain/biome with every type of car and you will find it hard to keep the controller down.