I’ve never owned a racing game before. Haven’t owned a console in years (my 360, Wii, TV, etc. were stolen in 2010).
Never owned a Forza before 5.
But, after watching some of the previews of the game last summer, I knew there was no choice. Had to have it. Had to. Like, more than I need Nutella. Or coffee.
Bought an XB1 and a TV just for Forza 5, and couldn’t be happier. Each day gets a little better as I learn more about tuning and improve my skills bit by bit.
When I started coming here, all I saw was a litany of complaints about what was missing, what was wrong, what wasn’t quite right… For every opinion, someone else had the equal and opposite opinion to throw back. It seemed (seems?) crazy to me.
I play the game every day. I’ve met great people through XBL. I’ve learned to accept the craziness of the multiplayer hoppers, and I’ve found an antidote in private lobbies playing with great, clean racers who never wreck you while unleashing their angry bigoted diatribes.
I’m a super car nerd, and Forza 5 has kept me in a state of car-nerdiful bliss.
The reason I think I’m the luckiest Forza 5 player in the universe is that I don’t know anything about what’s “missing” - or what’s “wrong” - or why this game or that game is, or will be, better. Knowing nothing of previous Forzas, and having only played a GT game for a few minutes, I approached Forza 5 nearly completely innocent. Because I’ve never had a racing game, I’ve never had “The Ring” - I’d love to have it, but it’s something I look forward to rather than something whose disappearance I mourn.
What I think I’m saying here is that, as a virgin in the world of racing games, I’ve gotten to see this as a total noob, and I adore it.
Maybe the game is better than the I’m-angry-about-what’s-different-from-Forza-1-2-3-4 crowd realizes.
Knowing only Forza 5, I can judge it entirely on its own merits, and, god, I love it. And, rather than being upset about issues that range from what sounds legitimate all the way down to some really petty princess-and-the-pea whining, I look forward to every little update, and if Forza 6 brings back some of the things that the long time fans insist need be returned, then… again, I must be the luckiest Forza 5 player in the universe.
I love what I’ve got, and only have better things to look forward to.
And if you’re wondering why I wrote this… it’s partly to try to encourage some of you to see this game on its own terms rather than the terms of previous editions (which, I understand, are all still playable on your 360s), and it’s partly to try to add a little bit of happy to forums that can get a little too dark at times.