Forza Horizon 6 Review

Japan gives the Horizon Festival its most exciting playground yet

Forza Horizon 6 is the most fun I have had with the Horizon series.

That is a big statement for a franchise built on freedom, discovery, beautiful roads, music, and over-the-top racing events, but this latest entry earns it. By taking the Horizon Festival to Japan, Playground Games delivers a map full of variety, personality, and constant reasons to keep driving.

It does not always go as deep into Japanese racing culture as it should, but when Forza Horizon 6 works, it becomes one of the most exciting, playful, and addictive entries in the series.

You are not a Horizon legend yet

One of the best changes in Forza Horizon 6 is how it frames your journey. You do not start as a Horizon legend. You have to earn your place and qualify for Horizon Festivals.

That small shift makes progression feel more meaningful. Instead of feeling like the world already knows you, the game gives you something to prove. You are building your reputation, unlocking new events, finding your rhythm, and becoming part of the festival scene one race at a time.

It gives the early hours more purpose and makes the world feel like something you are growing into rather than something handed to you immediately.

Japan is more than drifting

When people think of a racing game set in Japan, the mind naturally goes to drifting, mountain roads, street racing, and influences like Initial D or Midnight Club. Forza Horizon 6 includes some of that energy, but it also makes a clear effort to show a broader version of Japan.

At first, racing in areas like wetlands can feel questionable. It may not be what players immediately expect from a Japan-based Horizon game. But over time, that variety becomes one of the game’s biggest strengths. It reminds you that Japan is not one single visual or racing style. It is cities, countryside, industrial areas, mountains, water, festivals, and strange, unexpected moments.

That said, the game could have leaned harder into Japanese car culture. There are Japanese-style racing moments, and racing a giant mech is absolutely ridiculous in the best way, but I still wanted more events that directly called back to the legendary street racing, drifting, and touge culture people associate with Japan.

The foundation is excellent. I just wish the game pushed that identity even further.

Performance

The driving still feels excellent, with the right balance between arcade fun and enough control to make every car feel different. Whether I was drifting through tight roads, speeding across open areas, or weaving through city streets, the handling remained responsive and satisfying. Of course you can manually tune your car to your liking, but if you're like me and don't know much about cars, you can auto-tune your car.

On the graphical side of things, Forza Horizon 6 is one of the most beautiful games out there, from rain hitting and rolling off the hood of your car to drifting and kicking up cherry blossoms; this is one of the most beautiful Forza games out there. The game is also well optimized, getting a smooth performance on PC.

Food delivery is a fantastic surprise

One of the best new additions is the food delivery mini-game. It sounds simple, but it adds a fun and refreshing change of pace to the Horizon formula.

Each delivery can play out differently. In one order, you may be racing with a huge delivery to get across the map. In another, you may need to maintain a certain speed while heading to the destination. These objectives make the activity feel more like a series of mini-challenges rather than a basic point-to-point drive.

It fits the open-world design perfectly because it gives you another reason to explore, drive with purpose, and experience the map in a different way. It is one of those additions that feels small on paper, but once you play it, it becomes easy to appreciate.

Smash Stunt is pure Horizon chaos

Smash Stunt is another great addition. It drops players into a big open area where the goal is simple: drive fast, smash into mascots, and rack up points.

Up to 10 players can join a session, which turns it into a chaotic party mode full of crashes, near misses, and ridiculous moments. It is exactly the kind of activity that belongs in Forza Horizon. It is silly, competitive, easy to understand, and a great break from traditional racing.

This is where Horizon is at its best. It knows racing does not always have to be serious to be fun.

Multiplayer feels natural in the open world

Forza Horizon 6 continues to make the open world feel social without forcing players into traditional multiplayer menus. If you see other players driving around Japan, you can join them, form a lobby, cruise together, or challenge them to a head-to-head race.

That freedom adds life to the world. You may start out driving alone, then suddenly find yourself cruising with strangers, racing through streets, or creating your own little car meet on the fly. It makes Japan feel like a shared playground.

The ability to park and show off your car at a car meet also adds to that social energy. Horizon has always been about cars, but it is also about the culture around them. Showing off your build, admiring other cars, and just hanging out gives the game a stronger community feel.

Discovery makes the world addictive

Driving around Japan is fun on its own, but the game gives you plenty of reasons to keep exploring. Finding treasure cars, hunting for hidden opportunities, or buying cars that other players may be selling at a discount adds a strong sense of discovery.

There is always that feeling of wondering what is around the next corner. Maybe there is a rare car. Maybe there is a discount deal. Maybe there is a new event, a challenge, or a hidden collectible. Forza Horizon 6 understands that an open-world racer needs more than roads. It needs curiosity.

This is one of the reasons the game is so hard to put down.

Festival events are bigger and wilder

Festival events continue to be a major highlight. Forza Horizon 6 delivers exciting set-piece races, from tearing through factories to racing against a mech. These events bring the spectacle that fans expect from the series, and they help break up the standard racing structure.

The mech race, in particular, is the kind of over-the-top event that makes you smile because it is so completely Horizon. It may not be the grounded Japanese racing culture moment some players are looking for, but it is memorable, exciting, and fun.

The game knows how to create moments that feel made for clips, streams, and stories you will tell friends later.

Music and DJs bring the festival to life

The music in Forza Horizon 6 is excellent, and the DJs do a great job making the festival feel alive. They sound authentic, energetic, and connected to the world around you.

Skill Songs return as a great random event, giving players double skill points when they play. It is a smart way to encourage you to keep driving, keep chaining skills, and stay in the zone. It turns the soundtrack into more than just background music. When the right song comes on, you instantly have a reason to push harder.

The DJs also drop hints about hidden cars, which is a great touch. It makes the radio feel useful while still keeping the classic Horizon energy intact.

Strengths

Forza Horizon 6 succeeds because it understands the joy of driving, exploring, and discovering something new every few minutes. Japan is a fantastic setting that offers far more variety than expected, from wetlands and factories to wild festival events and social car meets. The food delivery mini-games are a standout addition, offering fun objectives that change the pace without feeling disconnected from the world. Smash Stunt brings pure multiplayer chaos, while the ability to join players in the open world, form lobbies, cruise, or challenge them to head-to-head races makes the map feel alive. The treasure cars, discounted player sales, skill songs, excellent DJs, and over-the-top festival events all add to a game that constantly gives players a reason to keep driving.

Weaknesses

The biggest disappointment is that Forza Horizon 6 does not lean deeply enough into Japanese racing culture. I wanted more late-night street races, more mountain pass battles, more dedicated drift-focused event chains, and stronger references to Japan’s tuning scene. While there are moments that celebrate Japan’s style and energy, including an awesome race against a mech, the game could have used more direct inspiration from drifting culture, touge racing, Midnight Club-style street racing, racing the bullet train, or Initial D-style mountain battles. Japan is an incredible setting for a racing game, and while Forza Horizon 6 uses it well, it sometimes feels like it is holding back from fully embracing the racing identity many fans expected. The experience is still excellent, but a stronger focus on Japanese car culture would have made it even more special.

Final Verdict

Forza Horizon 6 is an outstanding open-world racing game and one of the most enjoyable entries in the series. It captures the freedom, energy, and sense of discovery that have always made Horizon special, while adding new activities like food delivery missions, Smash Stunt, car meets, treasure cars, skill songs, and massive festival races that make Japan exciting to explore.

The only major disappointment is that the game does not fully embrace Japanese racing culture as much as it could have. More touge battles, drift-focused events, street racing, and tuning culture would have made the setting feel even more complete.

Even with that missed opportunity, Forza Horizon 6 is a fantastic racing experience. It is fast, fun, social, and constantly rewarding. If you love the Horizon series, this is easily one of its strongest entries.

Reviewed on PC, Key Provided