E3 2011: Forza Motorsport 4 Preview – Car Porn! Car Porn! Get Your Lovely Car Porn!!

76
Dan Webb

Simply put, Forza Motorsport 4 is utter car porn. Total, complete and utter car porn in fact. I mean, we didn’t give it the best looking 360 game of E3 for nothing… the cars are nothing short of incredible from a visual standpoint and anybody who says otherwise is in need of a new set of glasses. Being a good game though is about more than providing just a bit of nice eye candy. It’s about substance, style and delivery, and hot on the heels of the successful Forza 3, Turn 10 isn’t about to rest on its laurels now. Far from it. We nipped behind-closed-doors at this year’s E3 to check out the new aspects of Forza 4 that Turn 10 is putting emphasis on, from the new Autovista mode, Kinect aspects to the general on the track shenanigans.

Autovista was our first port of call – Turn 10’s new pure car experience that allows you to get up close and personal with some of the best machines in the world. It’s a mode that allows you to use either the controller or the Kinect to navigate around a selection of supercars, to learn about them, get closer than you’ve ever been to them, turn on their engines, open all their doors and get a personal tour of them. With over 1,000,000 polygons per car, Autovista allows you to get within 6 inches of the car to see all the intricate details of them.

Yes, I did say best machines, meaning that not every car will get the Autovista treatment this coming fall, but everyone that does, will get the Top Gear legend - Jeremy Clarkson - voice over treatment.

“With Jeremy you never know what you’re going to get… these are straight written from him and they go in as-is basically,” says John Wendl, Turn 10’s Content Director. “If he likes a car, it’s great. If he doesn’t, it isn’t.” Speaking about the selection of Autovista motors, Wendl described them as the “most technological advanced machines out there.”

“None of them are terrible,” said Wendl. “They’re all really high-end cars, but there are a lot of high-end cars he doesn’t like, for example, the Ferrari California, and he does not hold a very high opinion of the Ferrari California.”

Part of getting the cars looking so damn brilliant is Turn 10’s new image based lighting model, that allows Turn 10 to take the world itself and project it onto the car, allowing the car to seem more grounded in its environment and bringing the high level of detail out. While this is obvious in the Autovista mode, it’s possibly even more apparent with the car out on the track – just seeing the clouds and the blue sky projected onto the bonnet of a Ferrari sat on the track of the new custom Swiss Alps course was a sight to behold, especially with the impressive draw distances and photo realistic cars to boot.

The image based lighting allows Turn 10 to create more realistic cockpit views – with a tweaked camera to see all the cockpit and even camera shaking at high speeds – as well as creating one of their new events: Heat races.

Heat races were one of two new race types Turn 10 were showing off at E3, but there are unfortunately no weather effects planned for Forza 4. “We’re not doing weather in the game per se,” said Wendl, “but we are expanding out the kind of environments that you’ll be racing in, as well as we’re doing a feature which is alternate time of day.” Otherwise known as the Heat race, where you get to race two legs of a race on two different times of day – like Suzuka in high sun and low sun, something the image based lighting now allows them to do.

The other race type, which will appear as one of a few new event types that will feature in the newly revamped World Tour, is its Passing mode, where players will have to pass a certain amount of cars in a set time to proceed. "You’re basically bringing a gun to a knife fight" said Wendl, as you’ll take a supercar to the track to overtake a bunch on smaller, less powerful cars. It allows us to see the new AI in action as well, as Wendl gives control to the CPU AI, which means Forza 4 will introduce smarter opponents as well. The World Tour though, like Forza 3, will offer players a lot of choice and be unique for players, offering them choice in gift cars, new race types (including the two above) and the chance to jet around the world.

Forza 4’s Kinect features are more than just the Autovista mode though, allowing for optional invisible steering wheel and pedal controls, head tracking and voice navigation – allowing you to navigate through 6 layers of menus with just a simple command, something that will appeal to even the most cynical Kinect vocalists.

Elsewhere in the title, opening up the online to 16 players means that it opens up a lot of opportunities for co-operative gameplay too – 8 vs. 8 stuff – online. Even the community features have been given a few new shining lights, including car clubs – i.e. clans, with shared garages and shared livery and paint job options – a news channel and a Rivals mode – i.e. Forza’s version of Autolog, but with players earning bounties for beating their friends. Aside from all that, Turn 10 mentioned that we’ll see improvements to the physics model, especially the tyres, improvements to the damage model – i.e. improved particle effects for damage and rollovers, as well as improved texture properties on damaged cars – and even animated car parts, like the wings on a Bugatti Veyron.

Forza 4 then, with its 60fps gameplay, 720p visuals, full screen anti-aliasing and image based lighting certainly looks the package, and with the Autovista, Kinect shortcuts, head-tracking, newly revamped career mode – with game modes – and community features it’s more than just a pretty face. There’s a lot to get excited about with Forza 4, but I can’t help think that the lack of weather effects is holding them back, I mean, they are one of few racers now that aren’t including them. I’m fairly sure though that it’s not really going to hold the game back at all, as it’s shaping up to be the ultimate car porn for car fans the world over. Rev those engines folks.

Forza Motorsport 4 is scheduled for a October 11th and October 14th release in North America and Europe respectively.

Comments
76
  • Please tell me those two aren't in-game photos, or at least not the first one lol. Looks pretty fun.
  • Cant wait for this.
  • if the first one is in game in need to get me a 1080p tv lol my 1080i/720p doesn't do it anymore.
  • @1 Is it a bad thing if it was ingame because they both look rather sexual to me
  • I'll need to get this for Christmas, I haven't really been a fan of Forza but I have started liking cars more since watching Top Gear (U.K).
  • Can't wait for this game!! Forza has me sold any day!
  • Wow, no need to buy my dream car anymore, it doesn't get better than this! Those pictures look reality.
  • This is the first I've heard anyone from T10 confirm active aerodynamics, which was a huge hole in Forza 3. So that's definitely good. Still looks like Forza series will still be a sunny day racer, which is unfortunate. I suppose I can do without variable weather (barely), but having every race in broad daylight gets kind of tiresome.
  • Read that as "Cat porn!" Totally confused.
  • @9 lol wtf seriously thats as funny as $h17!
  • @#9 lol me too
  • The pics looks like they took them outside, holy shit the graphics are fucking amazing!
  • Buy for me. I just beat Forza 3 and loved it!
  • i dont like racing games, but if those are in game screenshots i am very impressed haha
  • Can't wait for this game ! i hope those are actually game photos cause thats insannneeeeeeeeeeee!!!
  • nice use of porn in th name 3 times :D aces
  • Only 720p? Ouch. Regardless, day one purchase here.
  • I liked forza 3 but it got a bit boring just playing by yourself
  • Im so glad that the Ferrari 458 is the flagship car this time. Such a beautiful car and it looks stunning in the pic too :) Now all i gotta do is finish forza 3 before this comes out...
  • For me the first picture looks too realistic and I think it may be the feature where you can look around the car itself infact I believe thats part of the newish Kinect feature bit however, I think the second picture is ingame and it looks marvellous, and I did not get F3 so I may have to pick this up.
  • this game looks so fucking sweet played every other forza and loved them.
  • just got forza 3 on amazon for $14 and looking foward to Forza 4 once the price drops
  • First image looks like a photoshopped real image... It's almost scary just how good that car looks. Anyway, Forza 4 is a must buy for me. I like racing games and though F1 2011 will also be getting bought, I look forward to some sports car racing.
  • SO do I fap to this?
  • if that first pic is an in game screenshot then holy $%^$£. it looks so REAL!
  • I loved the first and second Forza. I skipped Forza 3, but I will definitely be buying this.
  • I'm more of an arcade racer... Forza has me daydreaming on just about every track, it lacks excitement for me. 10 lap races on 15km tracks really doesn't help that issue... That said, I'm certain it'll be a good game, and I'll probably end up buying it anyway, you never know they add some form of pass-time while racing, other than getting and staying up front.
  • @1 I'm almost certain that the first one is in game. look at the flowers to the right of the car, they seem more cartoony, for lack of a better word, than real flowers. OT: These graphics give battlefield a run for its money :)
  • @17 What do you mean only? Most games don't even run at that.
  • Damn you x360a for mentioning porn after I stopped my porn addiction 9 days ago! Besides that, game looks great. Just preordered on Amazon.
  • @17 you do realize that most games aren't true 720p much less 1080p.. Most are upscaled, which like i said is not TRUE 720p. Xbox itself is not even TRUE 1080p.. so a game running in true 1080p is outta the question.
  • "Lift your hood that's it baby work that bonnet" "Damn girl you got a nice spoiler on you" Too much? Graphics look amazing. haven't played a Forza game before this maybe the one.
  • Wow those pics look real! Any news on the cars list? I love Forza but don't want to spend 40 dollars to buy bonus cars like they had in 2 and 3. I'm sure that is a good source of money, but I wish they would just put the cars they want into the game.
  • Being a serious car enthusiast and a big fan of Forza 3 and the GT series, I seriously cannot wait for this! Straight to a shop morning of the 14th for me! :)
  • Love me some Car porn :) getting Forza 4 for sure, day one, played the hell out of Forza 3, still not even 75% though :(
  • This game should be rated M for its raw potrayal of sex.
  • i feel like ima pee my pants from excitement :D
  • looks like I might have to put aside some time away from BF3 for this..
  • This and BF3 will dominate this year when it comes to graphics.
  • Anyone else disappointed? :(
  • I always spend more time making liveries and decals than I actually do racing in Forza. Anyone know if they made any changes to that portion of the game?
  • @28 now i cant stop looking at the flowers!
  • Unfortunately I don't trust turn 10 when it comes to graphics,I remeber forza 3 svreenshots were ingame,but turned out to be high res replay shots,they didn't lie,but decieved,and I'm going to take a stab in the dark and predict the same thing will happen here,also those two new game modes sound rubbish,to much like an arcade game
  • It will not look like that in game. In fact it probably won't be much different than Forza 3. These shots are probably taken from the cutting edge pc that they make the game on. 1st one looks like a photo.
  • Although I'm not a huge racing games fan, I know this one will deliver. But there's one thing I can't help but complain about and it's the cover art. It's just too plain and unimaginative and I do hope it's not the final one.
  • I really enjoyed Fprza 3 but the speed feeling and the pretty bulky handling sometimes made it not as enjoyable as I thought... gameplays of forza 4 look improved here...can't wait!!!!!
  • damn it you said there was car porn...
  • Like this just because it said PORN
  • Its key that people know that the top picture is done in photo mode. And the game will not look that good. Photo mode has some of the best graphics to date no doubt but its not game play footage im sure that will be of a lesser quality.
  • looooks soooo sick !
  • I will be picking this up as i like the Forza games, would have preferred Grid 2 to be honest, but this will have plenty of driving hours to make do until Grid 2 gets at least announced.
  • First screenshot has just guaranteed another sale . . . They look incredible! A definate purchase for me :-)
  • Am I the only one thinking the 'Passing Mode' is something they've just taken from the Project Gotham Racing series. Slightly annoyed at that.
  • I find it hard to believe it looks that good, but hey, crazier things have happened.
  • How about OPEN WHEEL RACING? How about REAL WORLD TRACKS? I just hope theres no 1.0 cars on this game...shit... I already give it up to see Turn 10 been creative...
  • ....Has anybody noticed that 10 people have this in their collection??? =P
  • i only wish they dont make an endless event list like in fm3 which took ages to complete FOR ONLY 60G.i mean come on really.....
  • damn im sold
  • Day 1 purchase for sure (limited edition) Only 720p though? All games have Been 1080p for at least the last 5 years, Looks like turn 10 might be going Playstation 3 on us :(
  • @61: That's not true, only a few games on the last gen consoles support 1080p. So 720p with anti-aliasing is just fine! ^^
  • 720p game are just as good as 1080p in MY WORLD
  • @ 19 ive been banging out forza 3 now for past 3 days to finish it off just 2 more years then should all been part from time trail.but forza 4 needs better tune up set ups than 3 in 2 you could go 0.3 on springs and ride hight to 3.8 on here the fxx handles bad round slight bends yet takes tighter bends like its on rails.
  • oh yh enough said i think :) realy cant wait love forzas should of missed 3 out n just made 4
  • Glad I wasn't the only one who confused this for cat porn and still clicked on the link and then continue to admit it... :)
  • really looking forward to this.
  • "720p visuals." Only 720p??? typo right???
  • Cannot wait for this, visuals look immense, kinect head tracking will be great, the new game modes will break up the gameplay nicely if you feel like having a laugh, handling will be amazing as always, sounds will be great as always, the extra features look great and there's still more to come. So glad they've not went down the weather effects road too as nobody ever gets the feel of it right, I know they'll do it when they've got it right. Would like to see that new image based lighting in night races though, would be intense.
  • One thing that's irked me about Forza 1, 2 and 3's graphics were the lack of fireballs(unused gas that hits the exhaust and shoots flames) and the lack of active spoilers on some cars( Ex: The airbrake on the Bugatti Veyron).
  • Omg the first 3 were amazing. Ill buy this one for sure.
  • Soo cant wait for this game, been in love with forza since it first came out. Cant preorder right off the bat tho because im trying to save for Battlefield 3. When i get the money, then ill get it :D *cough* Blueprotoss is a Troll... *cough*
  • I for one, am hoping they make some serious improvements to the AI. I loved the dynamics in forza 3, but the over all difficulty wasn't too impressive. for me, atleast, medium was entirely too easy, and hard was near impossible without the right car/setup. I'd like to see the dynamic AI with a more "middle-of-the-road" difficulty setting...
  • Remember when we all thought Gran Turismo 3 looked super realistic?
  • Can't wait to get in that Italia 458!
  • I cant believe nobody mentioned this,but i really hope that,as rumoured,that custom public lobbies are back.It killed the multiplayer in No 3 stone dead!.. I personally dont want to race against people that have the advantage of a racing line,or auto breaking,making their likelyhood of an accident practically impossible.The primary skill,& most deciding factor of how you do in a race in motor racing,is how well you time the braking on,& take the corners.. If they are done foe you,or you have a line telling you when & where to be,then thats most of the skill(& point of racing even)taken out of the equasion.
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