You don't have to be a gamer or sim racer to appreciate this video. In fact, we question the enthusiast cred of any car crazy person out there who doesn't spend at least a few minutes in automotive heaven after clicking play. Take our advice – once the short intro is over, turn those speakers up and embrace the sound of power.
While doing that, consider just how much effort goes into making a modern driving game as realistic as possible. This video offers a behind-the-scenes experience with Playground Games as they work on Forza Horizon 5, the next instalment of the wildly popular Forza Horizon franchise. The focus is obviously on sound, and as we see, it's far more complicated than sticking a microphone next to an exhaust pipe. Sounds are recorded under the bonnet, in the car, at the back of the car, near the car, trackside, and it's done at all engine speeds. When you consider Forza offers hundreds of cars, this effort is seriously impressive.
Get your motor running:
That said, the best part of this video is the internal combustion music emanating from a plethora of amazing cars. Okay, an early-1990s Chevy pickup truck may not be that amazing, but you won't find a better sampling of a classic American pushrod V8 than an old 350 Chevy. Perhaps the shrill inline-six from an A80 Toyota Supra is more your speed? There's more six-appeal with the iconic Lancia Stratos, or if exotic supercars are your flavour, how about the Jaguar XJ-220? The video also offers unique engine samplings with the V4 in the classic Lancia Fulvia, and the V-twin used in the Morgan 3 Wheeler. There's something here for everyone.
Sure, these are real-life sounds, but how will they translate to Forza Horizon 5? To answer that question, Forza offers another video previewing digital versions of some of the real-life cars in the behind-the-scenes clip. Yes, some signal processing is required to create a virtual car, but honestly, it sounds pretty good.
We've seen a preview of Forza Horizon 5, and it looks fantastic. Based in Mexico, the new game promises everything from volcanoes to Mayan ruins and some fantastic desert running. It arrives 9 November on Xbox and PC, and we can't wait to try it out.
Source: Forza via YouTube