Hello FM5 community,
First things first, I think the game is amazing. I could write for hours on all that is brilliant. I bought the game exclusively because of the open wheel racing.
It’s a totally stunning game and one that I will be playing lots. I commend Turn 10 and Microsoft studios for an excellent game. Kudos and hats off to them.
As a new player to FM5, here is a few minor issues that, I feel, takes away from the overall shine of an outstanding product.
Maybe these things have been mentioned before, if so, apologies.
I bought the game on retail disc, it had no instruction manual. It took me an age to find out where I could practice the tracks and access online MP. I eventually found it by pressing the ‘B’ button.
I guess I’m just used to the old way of ‘Press Start’ to access the main menu and all its options.
This is certainly no big issue but it is confusing for new players to the series.
In career mode, why not offer the player the ability to practice the track before the race? Most, if not all, racers will want to practice the track before the race, why not include it on the race screen instead of having us to come out and backtrack to ‘Free Play’ by pressing ‘B’.
Again, it’s no big issue but the game would be more seamless and hassle free if the race screen included the ‘Free Play’ option.
In career mode, the number of race laps are far too short. I’m now doing A Class Championship. I’m at Road America. The distance is 2 laps. That is far too short for any dedicated racer to enjoy or to feel any sense of realism. In Road Atlanta, I’m 14th on the Grid. As a racer, I want to compete and win. In order for the player to win this race, it basically leaves the player ramming his way to the front.
With there being only 2 laps, the player can’t afford to line up his rival and perform clean overtakes. To win it I have to put the ‘Drivatars’ on ‘Average’. But yet, in a 5 lap race in ‘Free Play’ I can beat the Drivatars on the ‘Unbeatable’ difficulty.
Maybe this is why the Online MP mode is full of rammers, they learnt it from their career mode.
Its such a shame that the laps can’t be longer, or even better, an option for the player to set the amount of laps they want to race.
Aside from these minor gripes, I think its an absolutely amazing and fun game.
Whats your view on the above issues?
It’s GLORIOUS! I’ve been playing console-based driving sims since 1997, and it blows my mind how far they’ve come, especially in terms of physics, graphics and sound.
As far as the issues you mentioned:
Precious few games actually come with an instruction manual anymore. Next time this happens, try google or wiki, where manuals and guides practically write themselves.
Rivals mode is a good place to practice the tracks whilst comparing your lap times against real, human drivers. You can also watch the faster guys’ and girls’ laps, see how they drive, the lines they take, where they brake, and so on. Good stuff.
This comes down to practice and skill. Beating “pro” and “unbeatable” drivatars in a clean race is totally possible. Cruise the tracks till you know them like the back of your hand and could drive them in your sleep. You’ll come to know where the drivatars are fast, where they’re slow, and where/when/how to make a clean pass. A good car that matches your driving style is essential.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head when it comes to online play. Once again, skill and experience can help you dodge these fools. Also, DO report and/or block the worst of the worst. Your online experience will improve over time as more and more idiots and wreckers are banned from your sight.
Hi again B Wald
I bought this game for career mode. I like online MP modes, but I always buy for the solo player content.
I’ve been doing arcade/console racers since the early 80’s. And yes, its truly amazing how far they have come. I think FM5 and Xbox One really showcases this fact.
I have played a lot of racers on the 360 but this game is a real step up the ladder in terms of graphics, gameplay, and other features.
Its a truly amazing beautiful game.
Just getting back to my points B. Wald.
That is a good idea but shouldn’t be necessary. In real life, I know how to drive a car but the manufacturer still supplies me with a manual.
The game disc should be packaged with a manual, or at the very least a leaflet which directs you to an Official Turn 10 URL to download the manual.
I always use career mode to teach myself the circuits and characteristics of the individual cars B Wald. I’m sure the rival mode is really good but I may as well try to conquer my career mode whilst learning. kill two birds with one stone type of thing. I still think having a practice option on the race screen is beneficial to all racers. You can’t really learn anything from watching others unless your car setup is identical to theirs. I enjoying tuning the car myself which brings me back to my point, why do I have exit out of race mode to do this?
It’s not a big issue B Wald, just more of a slight inconvenience.
I’m sure its possible to beat them B Wald, but still, 2 laps is way too short for dedicated racers.
I will put it like this B,
27th July 2014 F1 Grand Prix Hungary
1.00 pm - “And the lights are green, its go go go…”
1.01pm - Pit crew message to Rosberg…“Nico there has been an accident, the safety car is out”
1.03 pm - Pit crew message to Rosberg… " You have just won the Hungarian Grand Prix. Congratulations".
1.03 pm - Nico Rosberg - “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOH. Thank you so much guys. I can’t believe it. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOH.”
The point I’m trying to make B Wald is that, although FM5 career focuses heavily on the cars and circuits and many other great new revolutionary features. it somewhat fails to deliver what the game should be about…Racing.
I understand that a lot of people will play the game for Online MP modes, but there are many like me who will just buy it for the career mode.
But, kudos to Turn 10, FM5 does cater for racing in the Free Play mode. I can race up to 50 laps in that mode. When I get through my career, I know I will spend lots of time in Free Play.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brilliant game, I love it lots but those few minor small gripes is all that I find wrong with the game. All the right ingredients are there, they just need to be added into the same cake. Every good chef will always have their ingredients near to hand and not scattered and hidden throughout their kitchen
Maybe sometime in the future we could race together online. I’m a very clean racer.
Thanks for your reply
I think you can also access the manual by saying “xbox help” if you are kinected or going back to dashboard and snapping the help app. This should be the same case for any X1 game.
I think you are right Turns, which brings me to the another issue, the Xbox One is not exactly user friendly to someone new to consoles. Anyone that has experience with the 360 will be familiar with the layout of Xbox One but someone brand new will be very confused.
A manual that you can read is always best, its more simplistic and easier to understand. But, thanks for the tip Turns.
I think you hit all of the high and low points that we have felt about Forza 5. You need more than 2 or 3 laps to over take the leaders when you’re positioned in 14th place on the starting grid.
An easier way to get to a few practice laps would be appreciated and the ability to change your tune, also.
Otherwise, a great game!
The Free Play mode is absolutely awesome Auwingr. It allows up to 50 laps. Its great fun and really showcases the racing. In my opinion its the highlight of the game.
I love the open wheel racers. I can’t commend Turn 10 and Microsoft Studios enough for their inclusion. Its absolutely brilliant. A true racing experience. I’m very impressed by this game.
Its just a shame that the laps are so short in career mode, it really is a corner cutting and ramming crashfest due to the small number of race laps on offer. But, at least its an issue that Turn 10 could easily fix for the next installment. I think an option to set the number of laps is always best. Hopefully Turn 10 can do this.
I think making a real good racer is much like building a jigsaw puzzle. You need to have all the right pieces together, nice and snug.
Tune, Practice, Qualify, Race should all be on the 1 screen.
I don’t mean to sound rude or that I’m complaining, I’m not, far from it. Its the best open wheel racer I have ever played, and like many here I have played a lot of them, maybe too many.
The game makes me feel like I’m actually driving an open wheel racer. There is a great sense of realism. Really really great game.
Those 3 issues are the only real complaints/niggles that I have about this exceptional outstanding game.
I bought this game for €60 and I spent €10 on a DLC. I bought it just to race a dozen or so cars. I don’t race with the sports, hatches, muscle etc, only the open wheelers and some of the Le Mans 24 hours cars. €70 for a dozen or so cars, worth every last cent. I’m totally gobsmacked by how good this game is.
I’m still learning the tracks. I’m racing class P at the moment. 77 Indycar lights. I like Spa, Sebring, Catalunya.
I’m always up for a race on any of those 3 for now
I just picked up an Xbox One and FM5 last week (and I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner), and I amd in love all over again. I played (and still play) FM4 and Turn10 has taken it up another notch with FM5… Although there are some features I do miss. I hate the way tunes, designs and vinyls are shared in FM5 (I love to tune). While the system in FM4 was not the best by any stretch of the imagination, it was far better than FM5. I also hate the garage interface. I miss my GROUPS and car details. I have over 100 cars already (go go DLC), and I dread navigating the garage! Frustrations aside, I love the driving/racing…
I totally agree with you on the length of he races. I would love a feature like Grid Autosport has where you can set a race length multiplier in the assists/difficulty section. I run career with Drivatars set to Pro difficulty and it’s really tough to CLEANLY (no smashing them out of your way) get into the top 3 in a 2 or 3 lap race. Admittedly, I do tend to smash and dash in career to get gold…
…Speaking of Grid Autosport, one of the coolest features is how your pit talks to you over the radio. Repetitive over time, but it adds to the immersion… Would be a great feature in future FM titles as well!
I stay away from public lobbies due to the smash and dash drivers. While I might do it in career mode to the drivatars from time to time, it’s completely different when there is a real person racing with you. Expand your friends list and block the annoying dirty ones. You also might want to join one of the many clubs out there. It’s good the club feature is coming back in FH2. I really miss it in FM5. Thankfully, I have all of our active members on my friends list, so getting a private lobby together is easy enough!
Hello BigLou
Like yourself, I’m very impressed with FM5 to say the least. Sorry to hear you have some woes about designs, vinyls, tuning, sharing and the groups. I don’t know anything about this Lou cos I only played the early Forza titles very briefly. I bought FM5 because it is the first time Turn 10 has done Open Wheel Racing in the Forza series, which happens to be the discipline that I love so much.
I like to tune the car too but I’m hopeless and rubbish at designing them. I can do basic paint jobs but applying decals and stuff is way beyond me so a big thank you to all who shared their designs.
Its a pity the career mode offers such a small number of laps. I tend to race many laps. 5 being the bare minimum and preferably 20+. In FM5 I play the Free Play mode the most.
And like you Lou, when I’m in my career mode I tend to be a bit of a rammer but playing online with people I always try to race clean. I’m a big fan of the ‘collisions off’ racing.
I think its better. it may lack a bit of realism but its much fairer that way instead of impeding someone or being impeded.
I didn’t play Grid autosport, the pit crew talking seems like a good thing but I’d be kinda like Kimi…“Stop talking to me when I’m in the corners”.
I have made a few friends on here Lou so please feel free to add me. My gamertag is the same as here.
Maybe someday we could race. I prefer class P and X.
I agree 100%. I’ve been playing Forza since the beginning, and I was absolutely furious for the first 3 or 4 races of F5 until I figured out how to tune & upgrade my car. Just a little 2-page pamphlet with an explanation of how to navigate thru the menus would have been extremely helpful.
Yes, but I would also include an optional qualifying session so those of us who don’t want to start 14th (or 8th at Bathurst) don’t have to. Especially if we’re only running 2 or 3 laps.
Waaay to short. I would love some sort of difficulty adjustment on how many laps we have to run. I don’t mind chasing down the leaders from the back of the pack as long as I have at least 7-10 laps to do it in so I won’t have to feel like I need to ‘muscle’ my way thru the pack to get the gold. Would also be nice to see the final results of the career races.
I would like to add the sound difficulties. Certain cars (like the Citroen) like to mess up the sound with a bunch of static that seems to be gotten rid of only by powering off the console. Not to mention the MP sound issues (the ‘robot’ effect).
Other then those, I agree it’s an amazing and fun game with gorgeous graphics.
Hi Kal,
I only race the open wheelers and a few Le Mans 24 hours cars, that is why I bought this game.
I had a sound issue with the Lotus E21 F1 car. I posted it into another thread on here.
And yes Kal, it sure is a really fun game with beautiful graphics. Prague is beautiful, I urge all to select free play and drive around it really slowly. Beautiful. Very breathtaking especially at 200 MPH
In 2006 I walked the bridge in Prague
Feel free to add me Kal if you want to.
my GT: TigerFury777
