10 Best Forza Game Picks | 2025 Buying Guide & Reviews

So, you’re hunting down the best Forza games and wondering where to even start. Fair enough – there are over a dozen of them, and each one feels completely different depending on what you’re looking for. Do you want something laid back and open-world? Or are you after realistic racing with every corner counted?

I’ve gone through all the major Forza titles – old and new – and tested how each one actually plays today. Some are perfect for new players. Others still hold up surprisingly well, even years later. This guide will help you figure out which Forza game is the best fit for you – based on how you like to drive, how serious you want to get, and what kind of experience you’re really after.

Our Top Picks for Forza Game

If you’re just looking for a quick recommendation, these are the three Forza games I’d suggest right away. They each offer something different – but all of them stand out in terms of gameplay, content, and overall experience.

1. Forza Horizon 4 (2018) – Still one of the most balanced entries in the Horizon series. Set in a beautifully recreated version of the UK, this game nails that mix of fun, variety, and freedom. The seasonal changes keep the world feeling alive, and it’s beginner-friendly without being shallow.
2. Forza Horizon 5 (2021) – The biggest and most polished Horizon game yet. With its huge map based on Mexico, constant content updates, and near-perfect visuals, this one’s a great choice if you want something fresh, social, and easy to jump into.
3. Forza Motorsport 7 (2017) – The best pick for players who prefer structured, competitive racing. It has the depth and precision that sim fans expect, with a massive car list and plenty of tracks to master. If you’re into tuning, lap times, and realism, this is the one to start with.

Want more details and a few surprises? Keep scrolling – the full list breaks down all ten games and what makes each one worth playing.

10 Best Forza Game Titles to Try in 2025 

If you’re ready to dive deeper, here’s the full list of Forza games worth checking out. These include both Horizon and Motorsport entries – each with its own vibe, style of racing, and type of player it appeals to.

How many of these have you played? Let’s find out which one truly earns the title of best Forza game.

1. Forza Horizon 4 [Best Forza for Casual and Hardcore Players Alike]

Forza Horizon 4 takes everything the Horizon series built up until now and raises it to a new level. Set across a stunning recreation of the British countryside, this game gives you full control to drive, collect, and compete however you want. You can race through winding mountain roads, explore hidden trails, or just cruise past stone villages at your own pace. 

Every season brings something new. In winter, roads ice over and demand a tighter grip. Spring introduces rain and mud, affecting traction. Summer gives you dry speed-focused runs, while autumn is packed with leaves, fog, and low visibility. 

There’s a shared world too. As you drive, you’ll see other players in real time. Events, stunts, and challenges constantly pop up around the map, and everything you do contributes to your overall progress. 

The introduction of dynamic seasons transformed how open-world racing worked. Combined with a living Britain and seamless online integration, Horizon 4 became a genre-defining moment for casual and competitive racers alike.

Final Verdict: Forza Horizon 4 is an easy recommendation for players who want variety, flexibility, and a racing game that still feels fresh in 2025.

2. Forza Horizon 5 [Best Visuals and Map Variety in the Series]

Forza Horizon 5 didn’t just polish the series – it crowned itself king of racing simulation games. Set across a massive map based on Mexico, it offers stunning landscapes that shift between dense jungles, coastal roads, deserts, city streets, and even an active volcano. 

Visuals are a highlight here. Every environment feels handcrafted, with photorealistic lighting, realistic terrain deformation, and weather effects that add depth to every type of race. Dust storms, tropical downpours, and bright sunlight each bring new handling demands, especially when you’re driving hypercars at full speed.

The Horizon Arcade and EventLab systems give players even more freedom to build races, stunts, or game modes from scratch. Online interaction is frictionless, you drop in and out of events without ever leaving the open world. And with hundreds of cars and constant content drops, there’s always something new to do.

Final Verdict: Forza Horizon 5 is the most ambitious and visually impressive Horizon yet. It’s a must-play for anyone who wants variety, creativity, and fast-paced freedom all in one. 

3. Forza Motorsport 7 [Best Motorsport Entry with Massive Car Count]

Forza Motorsport 7 expanded the franchise with more content than ever before. The game featured over 700 cars and 32 real-world and fictional tracks, including returning favorites like Mugello and Maple Valley. Each vehicle had detailed interior views and could be raced across different weather conditions and times of day, all rendered in 4K with HDR.

The core gameplay focused on structured championships and exhibition races, offering deep car progression and tuning systems. For the first time in the Motorsport series, players could customise their driver, adding a personal touch to the racing experience. The physics felt grounded, and car handling rewarded consistency over aggression.

Dynamic weather returned with puddles that changed grip levels mid-race, and endurance events felt more challenging due to real-time environmental effects. The game also added truck racing, expanded multiplayer events, and a smoother progression loop than its predecessors.

Final Verdict: Forza Motorsport 7 is best suited for players who want variety in cars and tracks with a consistent simulation feel. It strikes a balance between realism and accessibility.

4. Forza Horizon 3 [Best Horizon for Nostalgic Road Trips]

Forza Horizon 3 shifts the Horizon Festival to a colorful and sun-drenched version of Australia, delivering one of the most playful and visually exciting entries in the series. Unlike previous games where you’re just a racer, here you become the festival’s director – setting up events, expanding into new regions, and building your own version of the Horizon experience.

You’ll drive through beaches, forests, and outback highways while unlocking races, showcase events, stunts, and car challenges. One of the core features is Horizon Blueprint, which lets you create custom races using your own rules and share them with others. 

Visually, this top cross-platform game balances arcadey fun with scenic realism. The color palette is vibrant, car models are highly detailed, and the diverse environments bring real personality to each drive. You’ll go from off-roading in dusty terrain to speeding down coastal roads, all in a matter of minutes.

Final Verdict: Forza Horizon 3 is ideal for players who want creative control, beautiful scenery, and a strong sense of progression. It still holds up visually and mechanically.

5. Forza Motorsport 4 [Best Classic Motorsport Career Builder]

Forza Motorsport 4 is an iconic racing game simulator that raised the bar for realism and depth on the Xbox 360. Built around precision handling, technical driving, and authentic car physics, the game puts players behind the wheel of more than 500 cars across dozens of famous closed tracks. 

What made this entry stand out was its Autovista mode – a showroom experience that let players explore select vehicles in ultra-close detail. Using Kinect or a standard controller, you could open doors, zoom into interiors, and learn about each car’s mechanical design. This, paired with a Top Gear partnership, added a unique media layer to the experience that mixed entertainment with education.

Gameplay focuses on mastering clean lines, upgrading cars with in-depth tuning options, and unlocking new performance tiers. While the graphics were capped by the generation’s hardware, the developers used image-based lighting to bring vehicles to life with photorealistic reflections and showroom-quality detail.

Final Verdict: Forza Motorsport 4 remains a fan-favorite for simulation racing purists. Its detailed car physics, media tie-ins, and immersive presentation still make it a standout pick.

6. Forza Horizon [Best Starting Point for Open-World Racing]

Forza Horizon was the first game in the Horizon sub-series and completely changed how the Forza brand was perceived. Instead of closed-circuit racing, it focused on a festival-style open-world experience. Set in a fictional version of Colorado, the game featured open roads, scenic backdrops, and a heavy emphasis on street racing, stunts, and popularity-based progression.

Players could roam freely, choose events on the go, and participate in one-on-one challenges, speed traps, skill-based combos, and off-road routes. With AI traffic and online multiplayer keeping things unpredictable, Forza Horizon quickly proved itself as a great co-op game too, letting friends jump in together and experience Horizon’s open roads side by side.

It also introduced features like barn finds, skill chains, and a music festival backdrop that shaped the entire identity of Horizon titles to follow. The paint shop and tuning systems allowed full car customisation, while photography and autoshow features added extra layers for car lovers.

Final Verdict: Forza Horizon set the foundation for everything that came after. Even today, it still stands out for how fresh and different it felt at the time. 

7. Forza Motorsport 6 [Best Balance of Tracks and Content]

Forza Motorsport 6 refined the Motorsport formula with a major focus on presentation, realism, and content depth. The game delivered simulated handling across more than 450 cars and 22 tracks, mixing real-world locations with fictional circuits. Each car is tuned to behave like its real counterpart, with careful attention to power, weight, and grip.

The game introduced night racing and dynamic weather for the first time in the series. Rain impacts visibility and track control, while racing in darkness demands complete concentration. This added a layer of challenge that made track mastery more rewarding. 

Forza Motorsport 6 also supported both split-screen and online multiplayer through Xbox Live. Championship structure felt more refined, and the addition of DLCs like Porsche and NASCAR packs brought long-term value. The game was a significant visual upgrade, boasting cutting-edge graphics and introducing a full-featured weather system and night racing to the series.

Final Verdict: Forza Motorsport 6 is ideal for players who want realism without sacrificing visual excitement. It’s one of the most well-rounded entries for pure circuit racing.

8. Forza Motorsport 5 [Best Motorsport for Tuning and Performance Fans]

Forza Motorsport 5 was the franchise’s debut on Xbox One and set a new visual standard for console sports games. It featured high-resolution models, realistic lighting, and immersive sound design across both real and fictional race tracks. 

The game introduced the Drivatar system, an AI based on actual player behavior. Rivals felt less robotic and more reactive, providing a more engaging offline experience. Cars handled with weight and precision, and assists like the ideal racing line and traction control made it easier for new players to adapt.

While Forza Motorsport 5 really proved itself as a standout single-player game, it didn’t stop there – multiplayer and split-screen modes were also on the table, along with rotating in-game challenges and high-stakes racing events. Visually, the game was a showcase of the Xbox One’s capabilities. It was praised for its stunning graphical fidelity that pushed the boundaries of the new hardware, and for introducing the Drivatar AI system.

Final Verdict: Forza Motorsport 5 is a solid entry that balances approachability with depth. If you care about graphics and consistent racing feel, it’s still worth revisiting.

9. Forza Motorsport [Best Original Sim Racer in the Franchise]

Forza Motorsport (2023) is a full reboot designed for competitive players and car enthusiasts alike. It includes over 500 real-world vehicles, 30 tracks, and multiple driving disciplines, all rebuilt with dynamic weather, real-time time-of-day progression, and advanced car damage systems. Every race feels different depending on conditions, your racing simulator setup, and skill.

Players can compete in seasonal tours or experiment in Open Track Day and Builders Cup career mode. Visuals are crisp, lighting is lifelike, and cockpit views are immersive with high frame rates and 4K HDR support.

Final Verdict: Forza Motorsport is for players who want the most refined track racing in the franchise. If you care about clean driving, car tuning, and continuous content drops, this is one of the best Forza game options today.

10. Forza Horizon 2 [Best Southern Europe Driving Adventure]

Forza Horizon 2 was a major leap forward for the Horizon series, featuring a seamless open world across Southern France and Northern Italy. It introduced dynamic weather, day-night cycles, and a refined driving model. Players raced across coastal roads, rolling hills, and historic towns while competing in circuits, sprints, and skill-based challenges.

The game included bucket list events, car meets, and a wide range of online multiplayer modes. It rewarded stylish driving and gave players freedom to explore or compete at their own pace. 

Compared to the first game, it felt more alive and visually expressive. It expanded on the original with a larger, seamless open world set in Southern Europe, featuring dynamic weather and a car handling model that perfectly balanced realism with accessibility.

Final Verdict: Forza Horizon 2 holds up as one of the most well-rounded entries. Its setting, freedom, and gameplay make it a strong contender for the best Forza game for exploration-focused players.

FAQs

What is the best Forza game?

Forza Horizon 4 is widely considered the best overall due to its dynamic seasons, balanced gameplay, and open-world design. It appeals to both casual and dedicated players.

What type of game is Forza?

Forza is a racing game series with two styles: Motorsport focuses on circuit simulation, while Horizon offers open-world, festival-style street racing.

How many Forza Horizon games are there?

There are five main Forza Horizon games, released between 2012 and 2021, each set in a different country with a unique open-world map.

What’s the most realistic Forza?

Forza Motorsport (2023) is the most realistic, featuring advanced physics, dynamic weather, and deep simulation tools built for competitive racing.

What is the most recent Forza?

The most recent Forza game is Forza Motorsport (2023), a reboot focused on simulation racing for Xbox Series X/S and PC.