Forza Horizon 6 is only a month away, and things are looking really good. Playground Games has released a map image that showcases how massive Horizon Japan is going to be, as well as a prologue trailer that showcases gameplay and features.
But, more importantly, they have also handed out early access to selected people. And, the reactions from those early access reviews have been more than positive.
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They Have Nailed The Map
An open-world racing game in Japan is sure to pique the interest of any car enthusiast or racing game fan. But, with that also comes a lot of expectation. And, Playground games need to deliver on that expectation, especially after how critically the preview game was.
And, looking at the early access reviews, they have managed to deliver a Japan map that does justice to Japan’s car culture and street scene. According to AR12Gaming, who got the early access, “The map is an 11/10. No exaggeration.”
They have managed to recreate Tokyo beautifully. There are long highways to test top speeds, touge mountains for drift enthusiasts, and snow-covered routes to test off-road monsters. And, when you are bored with that, you have the busy urban Tokyo city to cruise in. They have also made sure to reference popular franchises that are connected with Japan’s car scene, like Initial D.
On top of that, the prologue gameplay trailer showcases the depth that Playground Games has put into making the map for this game. Overall, Playground Games have nailed the map design for this game.
The Other Good And Bad Things
Most of the early access reviews have been positive, but there are small critiques. Firstly, customization and progressions are more or less the same. Progressions have always been my major critique with the entire franchise. The game often bombards you with a lot of information and content early on, and it makes the progressions feel worthless. I downloaded Forza Horizon 5 recently, and 3-4 hours in, I already have a Bugatti Divo, so progressions haven’t been the game’s best forte.
The customization has received improvements, but only slightly. The new Aero system is better, but it is still not as relevant to the game.
On the other hand, the cars are awesome. You have a huge roster of cars, and some iconic rebuilds as well. The RWB Porsche and Initial D AE86 shown in the prologue trailer got me excited instantly, and it’s probably the case for most car enthusiasts.
Overall, the reviews have been great, even on a much smaller preview build that Playground Games handed out. The map is massive and fun to drive around, lots of cars to cruise in, and while the progression is the same, the overall game feels much larger than any of the previous entries.
Published: Apr 8, 2026 01:30 pm