For the last week, I’ve spent every evening unwinding by speeding through the Japanese countryside, blaring Babymetal as I take in the sights. Forza Horizon 6 is ostensibly a racing game, one in which you play an up-and-coming driver intent on making a name for themselves. But, like the rest of the series, it’s also an open world, one in which you can spend as much — or, in my case, substantially more — time exploring as you do racing. And it’s that element that’s substantially improved in Horizon 6. It’s a combination of structure and setting: The fictional take on Japan isn’t just the largest map in a Horizon game, but it’s also incredibly diverse, and the game lets you approach it however you like. Horizon 6 spans from the glowing streets of Tokyo to icy roads at the base of Mount Fuji, and I’m not going to stop until I’ve driven down every last one of them.
The stated goal in Horizon 6, as with its predecessors, is to move upward through the ranks at the Horizon Festival, a connected series of driving events spread across a single geographical area, in this case the whole of Japan. This can include everything from drag races to dirt tracks to performing stunts off of ramps placed precariously on the edge of a cliff. As you compete, you earn points, which will nab you wristbands that in turn open up more events where you can earn even more points. It’s a relatively open-ended structure, allowing you to mostly focus on the competitions you enjoy or are good at and avoid the rest.
Or, if you’re like me, mostly avoid all of them.
Image: Microsoft
Based on the way I play Horizon 6, all of the races and progression are a means to an end, and that end is driving cool cars all around Japan. And you really don’t have to spend all that much time competing in Horizon Festival events to do that. Part of this is because nearly the entirety of the map is open to you from the very beginning. As soon as I finished the game’s opening sequence, I went ahead and just drove wherever I wanted to; aside from one fenced-off area that I presume represents some late-game races, I’ve yet to find anywhere I wasn’t able to go.
Horizon 6 encourages this kind of exploration. There are two progression tracks in the game: One involves the Horizon Festival events, and the other is called “Discover Japan,” which sounds like a tourism slogan and also kind of is one. Here you earn experience not by winning races or setting best times, but by seeking out, well, just about everything. You get XP for traversing new roads, finding mascot characters and smashing them (don’t worry, they’re statues), and taking on various side quests that mostly boil down to going on a road trip with virtual friends. In one storyline, you’re helping a photographer snap incredible shots for magazine covers; in another, you’re testing out a mechanic’s various experiments by driving through difficult terrain you might otherwise ignore.
My favorite set of tasks involved finding a collection of hidden cars based solely on photos. You’re given a snapshot of a rare Porsche or BMW, which shows that it’s right next to a certain convenience store or within view of a particular bridge, and if you manage to find it, it’s all yours. These quests reminded me a lot of a similar track in one of my favorite open-world games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, immersing me in the world by avoiding map markers and forcing me to rely on my own eyes. What all of these quests and goals have in common is that they not only encourage you to explore, they reward you for it. They give you a sense of progression and accomplishment, even if you’re mostly just puttering around snapping photos of vending machines.
Of course, all of this would be moot if Horizon 6 wasn’t actually enjoyable to play, which thankfully it is. The game balances realism with approachability, resulting in a driving experience that can be forgiving and arcade-y at times, but still requires skill and understanding of the vehicles to compete at a high level. More importantly, the new location absolutely rules. The setting of an open-world game is almost always the most important aspect of the experience, and that is definitely true of Horizon 6’s rendition of Japan.
Image: Microsoft
This is a video game version of the country, one that has been condensed and redesigned purely for vehicular exploration. It can be a little weird at times; driving through Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, feels odd when there aren’t any actual pedestrians crossing. But for the most part, Horizon 6’s Japan captures the feeling of the country, even if it’s not a precise rendition of it. This means that you still get those iconic moments — riding through rain-slicked streets at night with the bright lights of Tokyo blurring behind you — but in a package that feels manageable, despite its large size. The map is also filled with little secrets and collectibles that encourage you to go off the typical path just for fun. And the radio stations, like in other games, are great, which really adds to the road trip experience. My advice is to turn the car sounds down and the music volume way up.
All that said, while I have mostly skipped out on the racing, I can confirm that there are reasons to partake, even if you prefer the exploratory side of the game. One is that you get some really cool cars by winning big races. But also, many of the big races have an incredible cinematic vibe that makes it feel like you’re speeding through a series of set pieces in a Fast and Furious movie; there are gigantic jumps, moving terrain and obstacles, and at one point — I kid you not — a race against a giant mech.
The best thing about Horizon 6 is that you can pick and choose how you want to experience it. You aren’t limited to either track; you can do whatever feels most interesting to you, whether it’s competing or exploring, and follow that thread to new and interesting places. I’m sure for a lot of people that means the fastest cars and lots of first place trophies. Me? I’m content taking a refurbished Nissan truck through winding forest roads, with Rise Against providing the soundtrack for my destructive path.
Forza Horizon 6 launches on the Xbox and PC on May 19th. A PS5 version is scheduled for later in 2026.
