Forza 3 Review

Forza 3 for Xbox only is a beautifully rendered racing game that anyone can enjoy -- from seasoned gamers to total racing game newbies. It'll help you with the hard parts and challenge you when you're ready. And the cars are awesome.

There is a whole lot to love about the latest game in the popular racing series for Xbox 360, Forza 3. Let's start with the very first race. The game developers were smart enough to give you a taste of the supercars to come by putting you into an Audi R8 right off the bat. Your opponents are seven Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, and other extraordinary sports cars. The track and cars showcase the care and precision used in creating the game -- if you hit a cone, it stays where it lands. If you touch your nose to the Murcielago's tail, it takes off paint (and hopefully spins him out of your way). And the backgrounds flow seamlessly by as you race past at top speed.

But that first R8 race is just a taste. When you embark on your racing career, you start in F Class, like all the best. Your choices include cars like the Scion xD and Chevy Aveo. Not to worry, though. You move up through the classes pretty quickly, and it only takes a couple hours of awesome-looking racing to start earning Lotuses and Shelbys. You can also buy cars with the credits you earn -- my first was a Dodge Viper that I painted black and tinted the windows. It looks evil.

This is the game that racing gamers have been waiting for. But what if you, like me, suck pretty badly at racing games? What if you can't figure out the best line, let alone follow it? What if your cornering skills are atrocious? Trust me -- I am awful at race games. But Forza 3 give you options. Are you a casual or serious racing gamer? Would you like your opponents set at easy, medium, or difficult? Traction control on or off? The more difficult the settings, the bigger the credit bonus for each race.

I personally like the setting that shows you the racing line in green, with arrows in red or yellow to tell idiots like me when to slow down or brake. But everyone will enjoy the rewind feature. If you miss a turn, get tapped by another car and spun out, or just think you can do better, hit rewind. The game will take you back a hundred meters or so -- or further, if you keep hitting the button -- and you can restart from that point. The do-over is king in this game.

All of the settings can be adjusted as you improve. So if you start on easy with every assist, like ABS, turned on, you can move your opponents up to medium and turn off an assist or two to increase your credits. Also, the driver and each car earn experience points (XP to any seasoned gamer) as you progress.

Cars available with the two-disk game range from those tiny F-Class cars to the Bugatti Veyron and Le Mans-class cars. Vintage supercars are available (for a price), like the Jaguar XJ220. Everything is tweakable for every car -- anti-roll bars, tire width, ignition, paint, decals. The quick upgrade feature lets you optimize your car in one shot -- again, for a price.

Speaking of price, that may be the biggest drawback for Forza 3. You need an Xbox 360, which costs a couple hundred bucks if you don't have one, and the game itself is $60.