The Xbox 360 Version

We used the Xbox One version of the game for the purposes of this Guide, however we received the Xbox 360 version as well as a review tool so we are familiar with both versions of the game.

If you don't have an Xbox One yet, and want to play, the 360 version is certainly a choice, but there are some significant Differences between the two versions you should be aware of, so we thought we would explain it here...

There are significant Differences between the two versions of the game. In general the differences that do not require a personal opinion to be expressed include the following:

• Bonus Boards: Many Bonus Boards are in different locations;

• Bonus Board Collections: In the One you obtained XP or Fast Travel Discounts from the Boards - on 360 you get Credits or Fast Travel Discounts;

• Bucket List "Stunts:" In the One these are special Cars that are staged at locations on the map, and that require you to perform a special task using the car that is staged there. In the 360 these are spawn locations that require you to complete a specific task using a selected car (that is not staged but is generated as an event). Other than that - and the fact that the Bucket Lists are not sets but one collection, the process is similar;

• Car Customizations Settings: Fewer car customization options;

• Car Damage Settings: No realistic damage option or setting;

• DLC Content & Expansions: No DLC for the 360 version - expansion content will only be offered for Xbox One.

• Drivatars: No Drivatars;

• Graphics Quality: Lower quality and depth of graphics;

• Open World: A simplified and less open-world game world;

• Radio Stations: Only the original radio stations / No unlockable additional radio stations or music genres;

• Speed Cameras: In the 360 version your goal with Speed Cameras is to pass through them at speeds in excess of 100 MPH - whereas in the One version, your goal was to beat whatever the best time was that one of your mates set at the Speed Camera;

• Weather FX: No weather effects; It may seem strange but, once you experience a rainy day in Horizonville, the lack of rainy days is painfully obvious...

• Wheel Spin Rewards: No Wheel Spin Rewards Mechanism for free money and Cars from leveling up.

Those are the major Differences - there are lots of minor ones as well, but the list above is largely what will concern most players.

It is very difficult to explain the feelings and Differences between the game versions. Bearing in mind that I did not start playing the 360 version until having nearly 100 hours into the Xbox One version, so the latter is very much an impression on me.

That said, the most obvious difference to me is that the 360 version tells a completely different story compared to the Xbox One version. Completely different.

What I mean by that is that at the ground level it is very different. Starting with the races - the Road Trip, and the Wristbands. In this version the races are shorter and much more simple - they do not include as many or as challenging surface shifts, for one thing.

The Wristband System in the 360 version is very much the same as it was in the original Forza Horizon - that is to say they are unlocked and awarded for winning specific races, and are very race and championship oriented, whereas the Wristbands in the Xbox One version of the game are entirely score related.

The AI drivers in the game have a more irritating and interfering style of racing, and seem to block and harass much more frequently than the Drivatar racers in the Xbox One version did - but that makes a certain sense, when you consider that the Drivatar behavior is based upon the actual driving style of real players, whereas the AI is, well, AI.

Each race has a smaller number of opponents in the 360 version - 8 racers as opposed to 12 racers in the Xbox One version.

Another oddity - if you can call it that - is down to the Road Discovery and Driving Collection - both versions of the game have it, and all of the roads start out undiscovered and undriven, but in the 360 version in addition to discovery and adding the road to the driven list, you also earn Credits - that is to say that for each new road you discover and drive down, the game pays you credits... Not sure why, but hey, cool!

The Big G - Graphics Differences

While there are lots of little things that are different between the two games - and some big things in terms of story and elective activities, the most obvious difference that players coming from the Xbox One version are going to notice is the graphics for the Cars, the world, and racing.

In the Xbox One version of the game the world and the Cars will trick you - you often wonder during cut scenes if you are looking at the real world and real cars, or it really is game engine generated content. It is, but the point is that it looks so realistic.

In the 360 version you don't get that sort of cognitive dissonance - the game one the 360 looks and feels like what it is - a game. Now, if all you have seen is the 360 version, it will look like a pretty good game - but if you have played the Xbox One version, there is a decided break in the suspension of disbelief that simply being there generates.

Another issue that comes up is the feeling of driving... They are both games, but the physics of driving in the One version feels more realistic than it does in the 360 version.

Conclusions

So here is the thing - this is a tough thing to say but it has to be said... If you have a choice - if you own both a 360 and an Xbox One - I strongly recommend that you go with the Xbox One version of the game.

If you only own an Xbox 360 though, I still say you should get the game for that console - because it is a fun and entertaining game, and some Horizon beats the pants off of no Horizon any day of the week!

Now I come to the surprise part of this - if you own both an Xbox One and an Xbox 360 - and you have played the Xbox One version of the game - I strongly recommend getting the 360 version!

Why? Because it is a completely different game play experience mates. It is like two different games that just happen to be set in the same universe, in the same world, and in the same neighborhood. They are both games about racing and a thing called the Horizon Festival. They both feature an incredible stable of Cars.

They are both hosted by a guy named Ben, and both feature a computer nav system called Anna. They have a similar selection of races and optional activities. They are both fun, and they are both entertaining. But they tell two different stories and BOTH stories are worth experiencing!

There. I said it. Now you know.