Forza Motorsport 4 arrived in 2011 as the fourth entry in Turn 10 Studios’ simulation series, published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the first Forza to support the Kinect sensor alongside standard controller play. It is also the last Forza Motorsport released for Xbox 360. In this paper’s view, that second fact matters more than the first.
Trailer, via IGN.
500 Cars, 26 Tracks, and Autovista
The core of Forza Motorsport 4 is the same promise the series has always made: make the cars drive and look as real as possible. Races run on closed circuit tracks. Over 500 cars and 26 tracks ship in the box, running from city cars to race cars. Anyone who came for Gran Turismo-style simulation gets it here, and gets it in better shape than Forza Motorsport 3 delivered.
The new mode is Autovista. It lets players walk around and explore inside cars, down to brake pads, transmission, tyres, engine components and interior details. Point at a headlight, a wheel or an engine and an audio recording explains it. Kinect or a controller both work. Only 24 cars support Autovista, reserved mainly for sports cars, classic cars and dream cars. Image-based lighting gives those cars their reflections.
Autovista carries a partnership with BBC’s Top Gear and its American counterpart. Jeremy Clarkson, then a Top Gear presenter, provided commentary for the mode. A separate two-year agreement covers the American Le Mans Series.
Kinect Looks Into Corners
Head tracking is the smart use of the sensor. Kinect handles looking around the driver while the controller or a steering wheel handles the car. Players can glance toward the apex of a corner or at nearby cars without giving up their line.
Kinect as a full controller is the weaker idea. The game accelerates and decelerates for the player using a modified version of Forza Motorsport 3’s Auto Brake. Steering means holding your arms out as if gripping an invisible wheel. Voice commands start races and move through menus. It works. It is not why anyone stays.
| Mode | Input | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Head tracking | Kinect plus controller or wheel | Look toward corner apex or nearby cars |
| Full Kinect control | Kinect alone | Auto accelerate and brake, arms-out steering |
| Menu and race start | Kinect voice | Start races, navigate menus |
| Autovista | Kinect or controller | Inspect 24 cars, engine parts and interior gauges |
The split is clear, to this paper at least. Kinect adds a camera and a microphone to a game that already worked. It does not change what the game is.
The Last of Its Line
Critics gave Forza Motorsport 4 universal acclaim, praising the vehicle physics, the updated visuals and the sound design. Several singled out Autovista. Some were frustrated by the Kinect features, and some felt the game was not enough of an innovation over Forza Motorsport 3 — while conceding it was a vast improvement on it. Both things are true at once, and neither is a knock.
The real story sits in the release schedule.
| Year | Forza title | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Forza Motorsport 4 | Xbox 360 |
| 2012 | Forza Horizon | Xbox 360 |
| 2013 | Forza Motorsport 5 | Xbox One |
| 2014 | Forza Horizon 2 | Xbox 360 |
Forza Motorsport 4 is the last Forza Motorsport on the 360. Forza Horizon and its 2014 sequel were the last two Forza games on the platform. Forza Motorsport 5 went to Xbox One as an exclusive.
Our reading: this is a farewell, not a turning point. The physics and the visuals earn the praise in our view. Autovista is the best new idea in the package, and confining it to 24 cars is the one place the game undersells itself. Kinect, to us, is a demo bolted to a simulator. Strip it out and nothing is lost, which tells you how much it was ever worth.
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