Forza Horizon 6 Review: Did Racing Just Hit PERFECTION?

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:01][music] [music] >> Since the premium early access dropped on May 15th, I've been asking myself if this 2026 launch is just a great sequel or if Playground Games actually did the impossible. With a full release hitting on May 19th, I will be diving deep into this massive 550 car catalog and a Tokyo map that's five times larger than anything we've seen before to see if racing just hit absolute perfection.

[00:00:37]Let's go.

[00:00:43]Did racing really just hit perfection?

[00:00:46]And don't get me wrong. When I say perfect, I mean that very seriously.

[00:00:51]However, as far back as a decade ago, [music] as in since Forza Horizon, Forza Horizon has undoubtedly been the most iconic and elite open-world racing experience. And after an incredible response from over 53 million players to Horizon 5, I was curious whether there were limitations in how good Playground Games could be. Then, Forza Horizon 6 came out and it is now officially the highest rated game of 2026 up until this point. So, like Forza Horizon 6 has a Metacritic rating of 91, currently outdoing all of its competitors including Pokémon Pokopia and Resident Evil Requiem. The critics have even said it's a giddy rush and one of the greatest racing games ever created. But, what do you think? Is this simply an almost [music] perfectly created formula or can it be considered a total revolutionary leap forward? Take some time thinking about that while I stress [music] test that word, perfection, against the reality of the fictionalized Japan. And by the end, we'll know if this is just another great sequel or the absolute pinnacle of the genre. Japan is the open world fans have been begging for. Finally, we're in Japan, the literal holy grail of car culture. We've been screaming for those legendary mountain touge roads and a neon soaked Tokyo streets for [music] years, and they heard us. Playground Games delivered a greatest hits of the country. Just so you know, this map is for maximum variety rather than being a one-to-one recreation of Japan. One minute, you're redlining through an overstimulating Shibuya. The next, you're drifting down a serene forest pass near Mount Fuji. It seems that reviewers have agreed that this map is going to make the Horizon series the benchmark of open-world racing for its highly [music] layered beat. From the vertical streets in Tokyo inspired by the Hot Wheels DLC and a view of Mount Fuji off in the distance, you'll get all the beautiful sights you'd ever want in a game. You've got elevated expressways perfect for JDM icons to howl under overpasses before sliding into a hidden parking lot meet. I really appreciate the design. I mean, you'll see how the world stays busy without feeling cluttered. It just captures the fantasy of moving through Japan so so perfectly.

[00:03:17]The way the world and systems work together minute to minute. Forza Horizon 6 feels less like a checklist and more like a living automotive playground.

[00:03:26]You'll be cruising the coastal highways and stumble into a time attack circuit or a drag meet seamlessly. You'll have no menus, no loading, just drive into the zone and start lapping. Oh, by the way, you'll get rewarded for just hanging out near other players by those link skills. Yep, that's right. I mean, this makes the shared world thingy feel meaningful. Now, there's this new thing, collector's Journal. It makes you hunt down JDM icons and obscure Japanese landmarks. The inspiration behind Collector's Journal came from Japan stamp collecting culture. The goal is to gather mementos of almost anything that can be found in the area. What about when you need a break? So, these car meets act as social anchors where you can actually hop out, talk shop, and swap tunes. It's the cleanest loop in series history. I mean, it has its own rough spots. We can see the standard festivals and cross-country events return, but they don't feel like leftovers because they've been refined to fit the Japanese vibe. Plus, new thematic additions like touge mountain races and those high-stakes street racing break up the old routine. FH6 has used the zero-to-hero pacing where, like, you have to work your way up to gain access to those high-tier festivals. Doing all this makes every milestone feel kind of earned, and that, too, in a world this layered, it's incredibly hard to pull yourself away.

[00:04:53]Cars, builds, and how it actually feels to drive. The launch catalog features over 550 cars, the most diverse one yet, and it brings back several fan-favorite models including the Lancia Delta S4 while including elements of the Japanese car culture with Toyota Trueno GT Apex, as well as some bizarre barn finds such as the Nissan Figaro. Other than these supercars, there are many oddballs available including the Nissan PAO and the S Cargo Forza Edition. This diversity helps prevent the gameplay experience from being overly repetitive.

[00:05:29]In terms of customization, the game has seen an exponential increase since FH5.

[00:05:34]The one-size-fits-all Forza wings are gone, got replaced by bespoke splitter tailored [music] to the body lines of your car. Oh, and also, you can finally add window decals with adjustable opacity. The simulation steering allows players to better experience weight transfers when driving. When navigating a wet Shibuya in a RWD build or testing a high downforce swan neck wing on a mountain pass, the car handling and overall performance will feel much more real than it did in FH5. Overall, Playground Games appears to have found a nice middle ground between an arcade-style racing experience and a true sim racing experience. Even though there are numerous tracks available throughout Japan, exploring the landscapes also feels like a legit experience. Playing with others and why you keep coming back. Let me ask you something. Is Forza Horizon 6 just an incredible week one binge or is it a place you'll actually live in [music] for months? Once you're in the world, it becomes abundantly clear that the focus of the game is making Japan an actual living, [music] breathing environment rather than another map with ghosts and nothing more. You'll constantly see other players [music] tearing down the highways or carving up mountain passes.

[00:06:50]And the fact that there are no additional menus, everything works seamlessly. Approach one of the time attack circuits or drag meets and get straight into a race. And of course, we spoke about the new link skills earlier, right? I mean, who doesn't want to get rewarded for just hanging out and meeting up with your friends? You get this Horizon play that delivers when you want structure. Beyond the familiar Eliminator and hide and seek modes, new additions like 1v1 touge showdowns and spec racing, where everyone uses the exact same car and tune, gives a competitive Japan flavored edge. And you get the car meets. These social hubs where you can park, show off your custom Forza aero builds, and smoothly launch into co-op events. The long-term hook really comes down to the weekly seasonal updates. The Discover Japan progression and the upgraded collab event creator.

[00:07:43]Are they fun? Definitely. But, if you've played previous games, the weekly list of tasks might still feel like a little bit of a to-do [music] list. The social features make the game feel much more alive, but at its [music] heart, FH6 is still an incredible solo sandbox. The multiplayer is excellent and runs smoothly, even if it doesn't completely change the way we play with others. It's a great way to stay connected, but the solo drive is still just as strong. So, how close does this really get to perfect? It's time to cross the finish line. Is Forza Horizon 6 as good as it can get? In simpler words, Forza Horizon 6 is an absolute monster. Not only does it run at frame rates that don't drop when you're cruising at top speed in Shibuya with a dozen of other people in the race, this isn't a buggy mess anymore. This is now a solidly built game where every single moment of the game, except maybe that hit from [music] your late braking, is smooth. And for those who may be questioning what makes Forza Horizon 6 the benchmark of graphics, it's the lighting and weather effects, such as rain on your windshield or cherry blossom petals flying past or slipstream. It really feels like a huge step up. Also, the engine audio has also been remastered using new acoustic modeling, so your V8 sounds like it's roaring through the tunnel. When you combine everything, the dream Japan setting, massive selection of over 500 cars, refined physics for weight transfer, and the organic social connections, it's hard not to be impressed by how well this all comes together. While it's not absolutely perfect, the event structure will still seem very similar to previous games, and some people won't like the tourist vibe as much. But, right now, this is as close as open-world racing has ever come to the finish line. Anyway, thanks for riding shotgun with me on this one. I'm genuinely obsessed with this map, and I'll probably be drifting through Tokyo for the next 3 years. But, what do you think? Is Japan the setting you wanted, or are you still holding out for somewhere else? Let me know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this deep dive, do us a massive favor, smash that like button, subscribe to the channel, and hit that bell so you don't miss our upcoming tuning guide. Until next time, I'll see you on the streets of Japan.

[00:10:02]>> [music]