Forza Motorsport 3

VideoGamer

Never before has there been such a content-packed racing game, playable for people of all skill levels, that feels this good. That's the key. On the track, no matter what car you're in, it feels right. You're not wondering if the controls are too twitchy or if you should tweak some options in the menu. You're 100 per cent focused on nailing every corner, out-breaking an opponent and taking him on the inside and just having a good time.

Games Radar (in-house)

The Rewind addition removes the most agonizing aspect of the modern racing sim, while the ridiculous level of customization and online support keeps the experience fluid and rewarding. And at 60 bucks, Forza 3 presents more value than just about any other game in any genre.

Destructoid

Forza Motorsport 3 is the new king of racers. I can safely say that I've never played a better racing game. Scalable difficulty lets anyone play, making sure that everyone from novices to pros have a good time. Drop-dead gorgeous graphics will satisfy anyone's car lust. But it's that lovingly crafted and exceptionally realistic control that wins me over.

Giant Bomb

It's extremely easy to lose hours to Forza Motorsport 3 because it does so much great stuff both on and off the track. If you're at all interested in the reality of racing cars, Forza 3 is amazing from every angle.

Boomtown

Xbox 360 owners can be assured that this is one of the finest, if not the finest, releases for the console so far. It is a celebration of the car, but even more a celebration of the joy to be had in driving.

AceGamez

The auction, the user generated designs, the multiplayer modes, and then the desire to earn experience and credits to buy new motors and new upgrades will keep this title funky fresh and roaring to go.

Kombo

Forza Motorsport 3 is the best racing simulation ever made and as close to a flawless game as I've ever played.

Gaming Age

All together, if you've been looking for one racer to satisfy you this year, then Forza 3 is going to be it. I've played the big ones this year, stuff like Dirt 2 and Need for Speed Shift, and Forza 3 is still hands down the best I've had a chance to check out this year, and it's certainly the racing game to get.

Gaming Nexus

Seriously this is the best racing game of the current console generation.

Gamestyle

It is fair to say that on the current generation we have a perfect racing package.

GameFocus

If you are a racing game fan then you will have to have this game in your library for the sheer amount of content and community aspects to the game. Even just the average single player gamer who enjoys racing will find hundreds of hours of enjoyment here with this game and its huge potential for future growth. Run and buy this game on day one and enjoy it.

Gamer 2.0

It does a good job of easing people into the experience, and yet has all of the options to make the game as hardcore as you’d like. It’s a game that packs a lot of value into its two DVDs of content.

WonderwallWeb

Forza 3 is without doubt the best racing game yet. Absolutely stunning.

GamingExcellence

While many of the features that Forza Motorsport 3 brings to bear are nothing new to the racing genre they all come together in a fantastic package.

Gamervision

Forza 3 may split its focus between simulation, accessibility, customization, visual splendor, and commercialism, but none of those aspects suffers or feels underserved. It’s an incredibly realistic racer with options that make the game fun for just about anyone, sublime pacing, a massively deep customization suite, spectacular visual presentation, and a groundbreaking online storefront that makes the game almost infinitely replayable.

My Gamer

What Forza 3 does best is progress the design of racing simulators with its accessibility, excellent physics mechanics, and focus on community contribution among other things.

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Not just for car nerds now, it's a huge game where every element works. [Christmas 2009, p.68]

NZGamer

Forza 3 may have 'something for everyone', but for me the heart of the game is how damn satisfying a good lap feels in the hot lap mode. And I guess at the end of the day, the most important thing in a DRIVING game is how much fun you have kissing the apex.

Impulsegamer

For now, Forza 3 is easily the most impressive and realistic racing simulation on any console and its online community as mentioned before is unparalleled.

MondoXbox

Turn 10 managed to improve an already great title, offering us the best racing game available today on consoles. This game bursts with passion for the motors world, conveying it to the player and immersing him in a great experience. A must have.

GameSpot

Turn 10 Studios' latest racer is bigger and better than its superb predecessor in every way.

Extreme Gamer

Turn 10 Studios has been working hard in the shop since its last release of Forza, and it shows. Forza Motorsport 3 is a racing fans type of game that is also accessible to the causal racer.

Gameplanet

Simply put, it's the best console racing experience you're going to have this year.

TeamXbox

Forza Motorsport 3 may display graphics so beautiful it makes your eyes bleed. It may be so scalable from accessible to hardcore that everyone from your grandma to Michael Schumacher could enjoy it. It may have super-slick presentation values and an unparalleled love for all things car-related, but it somehow falls short of feeling like a classic.

Official Xbox Magazine

What makes Forza 3 so epic is that along with being an outstanding racing game, all this social and creative activity is so alluring for car people of all stripes. It's the kind of hub that people get lost in, and we'll be right there with them. [Dec 2009, p.95]

Everyeye.it

Probably the best driving simulation ever created on a console.

Play Magazine

Turn 10’s done a phenomenal job of crafting an experience that’ll appeal to all race fans. Whether you’re a car porn addict or just a gamer looking for a joy ride, Forza 3’s accessibility—anchored by fantastic difficulty scaling—depth, and breathtaking presentation put it neck and neck alongside the season’s other genre definers Need for Speed: SHIFT and Dirt 2.

Meristation

Nowadays, Forza 3 is the best driving simulator for consoles. Its great visuals, the incredible physics engine, and the huge array of online and offline game modes, create a must-have game for lovers of racing games. Right now, it's the king of the road.

Planet Xbox 360

From the moment we placed Forza Motorsport 3 into our Xbox 360 the game just screamed polish and fine-tuned racing, from every angle...It’s simply the best racing game ever created.

Strategy Informer

It has certainly laid down the marker for Gran Turismo 5 to surpass; a task that now looks incredibly daunting. At this stage in Forza’s lifespan, it doesn’t feel like we could ask for much more.

3DJuegos

Forza Motorsport 3 has more of what made the second game so great, but also with better visuals, and a more balanced control.

MEGamers

In a nutshell, this is the best racing simulator released in 2009.

AtomicGamer

So what does Forza 3 do that no other game like it has ever really done? It's hard to explain, but for me it's a combination of the slick interface, extremely solid racing without a ton of special effects to complicate the experience, the ability to rewind in the single player mode, and amazing-looking cars that all adds up to one of the best racing experiences I've ever had on a TV screen.

Game Over Online

In the end, Forza Motorsport 3 succeeds at offering up the best entry in the series to date. It should please everyone who plays it and beyond just making sim racing fans happy, the increased emphasis on user-friendly gameplay makes it an easy recommendation for anyone who is usually intimidated by sim racers. There’s a lot to do here, much of it is quite awesome, and this is definitely a game worth playing for racing game fans of any experience level.

GamingTrend

If you're not sure if the game is for you, there's a demo on the Xbox Live Marketplace. However, if you're a fan of racing games in general, Forza Motorsport 3 is a definite win in my book.

IGN

An exemplary racing game. It's beautiful, the controls are spot-on, the career mode is satisfying, and the multiplayer component is awesome. But there's still room to grow...This is the best racing game of this generation. Good luck topping it.

IGN UK

The very best racing game there is on the console market. It’s a compendium of everything that’s been great about driving games over the past few years, tied into a community that can keep the experience fresh for some time to come.

Vandal Online

Microsoft's simulation bet takes a new leap in quality, makes itself more accessible and remains a must-have for driving fans.

Multiplayer.it

With this third chapter, Turn 10 delivered a game that many gamers will consider the best driving simulation ever made on any console. Microsoft Games Studio fulfilled all of the promises they made, giving gamers tens of hours of entertainment thanks to dream cars, customizable liveries and a perfect online department.

Games Master UK

More accessible but more comprehensive. 2009's greatest race simulator. [Dec 2009, p.66]

Da Gameboyz

Forza 3 is by far one of the most accessible racing simulators ever released onto the masses.

GameZone

As both a gearhead's dream and an accessible racer for newcomers, Forza Motorsport 3 is practically two games in one, making the package all the sweeter.

Xbox360Achievements

Easily the best simulator on consoles and is a simulation game that racing fans around the world can welcome with open arms. I mean everyone, whether you want to race with all the assists off and get the true simulation experience, or whether you want to experience fast cars and beautiful tracks but don’t know your clutch from your cam belt.

GameTrailers

Forza Motorsport 3 features a wide breadth of content and truly excels with its fantastic creative tools and community structure. Some limits on the rewind feature would be nice, but the ability to shape the experience to your skill level insures that it will satisfy anyone looking for a realistic racing experience without too many headaches.

Cheat Code Central

Forza 3 is easily the best and most complete console racer currently available. Will Gran Turismo 5 change all that? There's no way to know at this point in time. But for 2009, it seems that Forza 3 has emerged as the automotive title of the year, and it is one that all simulation fans will enjoy.

SpazioGames

Forza Motorsport 3 is a great sequel, and it deserves the title of best driving simulation of this generation.Despite a couple of unexpected flaws, like a slightly unbalanced difficulty system and some small graphics issues, this is a title to have if you love racing games.

Worth Playing

It isn't a perfect game by any means, as there are a few things that it could improve on, specifically in the graphics and damage departments. Nevertheless, all of the title's new features and positive traits outweigh the few negatives and make this the racing game to have.

GamesNation

Forza Motorsport 3 has finally become more than Microsoft’s response to Sony’s Gran Turismo. It is a mature and very realistic driving simulation, one that you will enjoy whether you’re a pro or a rookie of the driving genre. Excellent graphics, incredible sound samplings and all the fine tuning you want for over 400 vehicles are on offer. Hop in!

1UP

Forza 3 upholds the franchise's tradition of excellence, but also plays it a little too safe; it irons out the previous game's clunky interface and sports a minor visual upgrade, but the gameplay feels strikingly similar to its predecessor.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

Once again Turn 10 has produced the biggest and deepest racer on the Xbox 360.

MS Xbox World

There really is something for everyone here, and with the game's more laid back approach is less daunting for the inexperienced and more rewarding for the pros.

Computer and Video Games

Getting your favourite car and modifying like a mentalist is a joy on its own, as is hitting the tarmac in an 800bhp beast and throwing it around with Forza's excellent handling physics - even if you won't ever notice the supposedly massive numbers behind it.

GameDaily

We could nitpick the small things (returning courses, the developers force players to repeatedly race on the same tracks), but none of those issues affect an otherwise incredible racing experience. Forza Motorsport 3 is without question one of the best racers and a surefire contender for 2009 game of the year.

GameSpy

Forza 3 is a brilliantly engineered, if somewhat cold, racing game.

Level7.nu

It is filled with so much polished content that it is close to being ridiculous. The enormous amount of cars and tracks together with improved community, painting and tuning features this came can be played for months. With superior physics and a realistic handling together with a large amount of adjustable options to fit each and every person makes Forza 3 a game that contains everything. The only thing missing is that little extra touch that would make it feel more than very good.

Eurogamer Spain

What makes Forza 3 great is that even being a very realistic simulator it still manages to be a very funny and addictive videogame.

Eurogamer Italy

Turn 10 did it again. Forza Motorsport 3 is a nearly perfect title, able to improve what Forza 2 did. The quality of the experience is at the top both for gameplay and contents and there is no other racing game at this level actually on the market. If you're looking for a masterpiece right now to put in your collection, Forza 3 is the answer for your prayers.

Eurogamer

Turn 10 has sacrificed flash for a faultless 60 frames a second, and understood that in simulation, what you feel is far more important than what you see. It has diverted all of the 360's resources to giving you the smoothest, most believable, most physically rewarding drive you've ever had.

Gamer.nl

Forza 3 is the most complete and impressive racing game of this moment. The race cars really feel spot-on and the Storefront can be very addicting. If you have any interest in realistic racing games, this is the game to play – both online and offline.

X360 Magazine UK

Lacking a little in polish and bizarrely ordered though it may be, Forza Motorsport 3 nevertheless delivers gaming's most authentic racing experience. Fact. [Issue#52, p.76]

Totally360

With the numerous customizable options allowing both casual and hardcore players to enjoy this title you won’t be disappointed.

RealGamer

Despite a number of small disappointments, Forza Motorsport 3 is definitely the definitive racing title on Xbox 360.

ActionTrip

If you're asking this gamer for advice - DiRT 2 is a bit aggressive and in-your-face, NFS: Shift is basically a letdown, but Forza Motorsport 3 is the racer to own in 2009.

PALGN

Forza 3 is close to the complete racing game package. It's got the sheer volume of content in terms of cars, tracks and options, a deep and very lengthy single player mode, a creative, thriving online community, and it successfully balances casual and hardcore appeal. Forza 3 may not look the best or sound the best, but it races the best.

Digital Chumps

The newest entry into the acclaimed Forza series is nothing short of excellent. Forza 3 is packed with content and offers something for every type of racer. Sit down, buckle up, and drive.

Telegraph

With Forza Motorsport 3 Turn 10 have made great strides towards accessibility, but have managed to do so without compromising what remains the most open, detailed and enjoyable racing simulation on the market.

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Versatility often comes with mediocrity, perfection is associated with specialization. Forza 3 is an exception – it is versatile and – when not flawless – a first-rate game it is for sure. [Nov 2009]

Eurogamer Portugal

Shows broad indices of car culture and sports, but also delivers a more intimate, satisfying and true experience between the main actors of this experience.

Console Monster

Forza 3 is a game that caters for the novice and hardcore players with equal aplomb, providing those with less skill an enjoyable Sunday drive whilst pushing the gear-heads to try even harder.

Cynamite

No matter weather you are a professional player or beginner: everyone will enjoy this game with its beautiful cars.

Play.tm

Forza 3 is undoubtedly the most comprehensive in the series to date, boasting more cars than you can shake a (gear)stick at and a whole host of fantastic courses to race them on. Slickly presented throughout, Forza 3 has pure quality coursing through its high-performance engine. Make no mistake, this is currently the finest racing sim money can buy.

InsideGamer.nl

Forza Motorsport 3 is the racing game of the year and the most advanced racer ever. The game has a numerous kind of depth and stays very accessible. Forza Motorsport 3 is the cutest girl of the classroom, but the collision detection isn’t always that great and a little odd. Still, Forza Motorsport 3 is great in everything is does.

Thunderbolt

If you own an Xbox 360 and have even a passing interest in racing games, this is a no-brainer. If you own a 360 and have zero interest in racers, but love games in general, this is still a title that needs to be seen to be believed. If you don’t own a 360, Forza Motorsport 3 might just be enough to make you buy one, it really is that good.

Edge Magazine

Grid still offers the most on-track excitement (and better car damage), and the forthcoming GT5 already looks graphically superior, but anyone looking for the most rewarding console driving experience to date has found their ride.

XboxAddict

Forza Motorsport 3 may look like any other racing game out there, but being able to have players enjoy themselves even if they aren’t that skillful speaks loudly.

GamingXP

Without any doubt you can say that Forza Motorsport 3 is the best racing simulation ever made, maybe finally taking over the reigning position from the Gran Turismo series. So watch out, the second quarter of 2010 will be exciting! But do not miss out having fun with Forza Motorsport 3 first, until GT5 hits the stores.

XGN

With Forza Motorsport 3, Turn 10 has delivered the most complete racing experience ever. So get on this ride for hours upon hours of racing fun.

9Lives

There's not a lot of innovation in Forza Motorsport 3, but that's not necessary anyway. The third in the series flies across the race track, leaving the competition far behind on every level. Highly recommended for every race game lover.

Gaming Target

The game has issues, and isn't a huge improvement over Forza 2 (aside from the really good front end presentation), but it's still a fun and lengthy simulation of racing for those of us still into that stuff.

Game Informer

Forza 3 redefines the franchise, but it definitely didn't take me to anywhere I hadn't already been before. [Nov 2009, p.106]

Game Revolution

Like a racer from Stepford, Forza Motorsport 3 is clean, well-manicured, friendly, does everything you want it to, and yet it all seems a bit… eerily familiar. Beneath the handful of smart accessibility improvements and slick menus, it’s still the same game as Forza 2. That’s not a bad thing since the series is among the best; it’s just not anything new.

D+PAD Magazine

There is a wealth of content growling under the proverbial hood, but the game comes perilously close to lacking any real enthusiasm to show us exactly what it is that makes it so special.

Kikizo

There’s no doubting Forza 3’s status as the finest racing simulation on the 360, though it is still trailing in Gran Turismo 5’s slipstream for the title of finest racing simulation ever.

games(TM)

Forza Motorsport 3's most notable achievement, however, must be its unique ability to make simulation 'fun', not a word you'll often hear used to describe the likes of Race Pro or Gran Turismo. [Dec 2009, p.108]

Teletext GameCentral

The best gets that little bit better in what is a modest sequel, but a still stunning driving simulator.

Total Video Games

Forza 3 has undoubtedly come a long way since its predecessor - the handling is better, visuals have been improved all-round, and it provides more online options for car customisation via the new Storefront feature. It's just a shame that the game's focus on attracting a more casual audience has detracted from the hardcore experience, with an inadvisably implemented time rewind feature and underwhelming opponent AI.

GamePro

Forza Motorsport 3 isn't exactly a leap for the series. The incredible realism of Forza's physics, car mechanics and driving simulation, especially when it comes to the slippery, hard-to-control upper-class cars, is going to bore arcade racers or casual drivers. But car junkies and passionate racing gurus are going to find a nice cave to hole up in for the next few years and it'll make you less jealous when PS3 owners start crowing about Gran Turismo 5.

Wired

But these perks are all secondary to Forza Motorsport 3’s main mission: to deliver a realistic racing experience with more than 400 licensed cars and 100 real-world tracks. Consider that a mission accomplished — or at the very least rewound and nailed again on the third go-round.

Gameplayer Sweden

Forza 3 is undoubtedly the best racing game for the 360, and the one with the most depth also. The career mode is far from perfect however, and it demands a shockload of hard drive space in the end. Still, if you're after a racing game this year for this particular format, there's no competition really.