Before I start off, I’d like to emphasize that this entire write-up is based IN MY OWN OPINION. Others have their own idea of what their ideal Horizon game entails, and I respect that. I only ask that you respect this as mine. Now, without further ado…
My Ideal Forza Horizon
Location
Right off the bat, I’d like to say; I want this series to feature a well-made installment in Japan. The country has such a deeply rooted and diverse automotive culture, that it seems a shame to not capitalize on it. For a map, I there are 2 very well-constructed examples that I’ve found off of Reddit.
The first example is by a user, who seems to have had their account deleted unfortunately.
(If you are the creator of this map, and you find this thread, please let me know so I can link you and provide you with the credit you deserve.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/forza/comments/wz6xdw/forza_horizon_japan_map_idea_oc/
I feel this particular map features a good mix of driving roads and very nicely condenses down the different portions of Japan, while still being large enough to be enjoyable to drive around.
My second example comes from /u/QRavek.
https://www.reddit.com/r/forza/comments/ak0oyo/horizon_japan_map_concept/
Right off the bat, there’s an extremely notable size difference, with this particular map being nothing short of gargantuan. But with the extreme size comes everything; technical mountain roads, long sweeping country roads, city streets, high speed expressway routes, and plenty of dirt routes. I even noticed at least one real life race track (Hello Fuji Speedway!). While the size of the map could seem intimidating, I can think of no better way to showcase the power of a new console.
Basic Career/Story Premise
With the Horizon Festival having taken over Japan, thousands of drivers from all across the world flock to the island nation to compete. The sheer number of drivers necessitates the formation of several teams/clubs to consolidate the competitors and prevent things from becoming too overwhelming. You play as a newcomer to Horizon, and begin flying solo. Over time, you form your own team/club to take on the best competition the Festival has to offer.
Car List
One of Forza’s selling points, in my opinion, is the sheer variety of cars available to drive, and I see no reason to stop or downsize. Ideally, the car lists from previous games should be examined and used as the absolute baseline, with cars missing since Motorsport 4 onward returning again. After said missing cars are returned, there can be a focus on cars or entire brands wearing that ‘New to Forza’ tag. Since we’re living in a perfect world at this point, I’d say the car list should reach a size of nearly 4 digits. Purpose built race cars should also make a firm appearance here, something that hasn’t been seen since Horizon 3.
With the sheer size of this imaginary car list should come a revamp and reexamination of the different car type divisions. Some cars should be able to hold more than one type. Take the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 for example; It should simultaneously be considered a ‘Track Toy’ alongside a ‘Modern Muscle Car’.
Car Customization
Car customization should be the most in-depth the series has ever seen, with the ability to freely modify every aspect of your vehicle. The system we’ve gotten used to is pretty decent so far, but there’s plenty more that can be added.
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Body Kits and Aero Parts: While additions from name brands is a given, this section primarily focuses on the Forza kits and aero. Specifically the addition of a variety of universal components of different shapes and customizable sizes. Not only splitters and wings, but diffusers and canards, as well as universal fender flares. If mix and match isn’t your thing, you could always go for a full body kit, with different kits having their own style and applications, from purpose built GT widebody kits to extreme Time Attack aero kits. Said kits could also correspond to a particular era in racing history, such as having a Trans-Am kit for a 60’s muscle car, or a sleek Le Mans kit for a retro sports car. In the other direction, the ability to remove bumpers and hoods allows for players to get a truly stripped down look.
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Wheels and Offset: While the selection of custom wheels in Forza is constantly growing, there’s still more that could be done. For starters, the addition of a manufacturer wheel selection, with different OEM options for each brand. After that, the ability to customize wheel depth and offset via a slider instead of presets. Besides allowing the player to further style their car to their heart’s content, a higher offset would allow for wider tires to be fitted as well.
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Paint: Simply painting a car no longer takes up a ‘Saved Livery’ slot.
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Vinyls and Decals: Implementation of window and tire decals, as well as the ability to fully change vinyl material (including metallic and carbon fiber materials). The ability to re-color OEM decals.
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Exhaust Tuning: A pretty basic concept. The ability to adjust the sound of your exhaust note, as well as the frequency, size, and color of the backfire.
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Full Interior Customization: Starting from the moment you select a car from the Autoshow, you are given the ability to select from a selection of different OEM interior colors and options. Afterwards, what you do with the interior of your car is entirely up to you. From unique color and material options, to custom interior parts. Your car is yours to modify to your heart’s content. This extends to any rollcage or weight reduction upgrades as well. Want to paint your cage, or remove those pesky passenger seats? Go right ahead.
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Car Lighting: Custom headlight colors, tinted lenses, and even underglow effects see implementation at the Festival.
Performance Upgrades and Tuning
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The addition of ECU/AFR tuning and boost adjustments. You can squeeze even more power out of your engine, with your level of upgrades being your limiting factor. Only have some Street-grade bolt ons? Maybe you can get an extra 10 to 20 horsepower out of your motor. Have a fully built and boosted Race engine? You can push the limits much further. On simulation difficulties, this would also effect fuel consumption and engine wear as well.
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A larger variety of engine swaps, both OEM manufactured and aftermarket. For example; You are just as capable of swapping a 6.2 liter V8 into an R34 Skyline as you are swapping in the VR38DETT from an R35 GT-R.
Character and Garage
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Character Appearance and Personality: A revamped character customization tool that allows you to sculpt your character’s features and customize their appearance to your liking. A selection of voice actors that better reflects the variety of dialects spoken by the various drivers in Horizon. The option for a silent protagonist as well.
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The Removal of Clothing and Emotes From Wheelspins
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Home and Garage Customization: Change different features of your player homes, and display your cars freely. Larger homes can display more cars for viewing in Forzavista.
Gameplay
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Clubs and Teams: Due to the sheer size of the Festival, and the amount of drivers taking part, several teams and clubs have sprung up, each with their own unique drivers and vehicles. As solo newcomer, you can create your own as well. The drivers in these groups can either be other players, invited like in previous Horizon titles, or customizable NPC drivers, with their own names, appearances and vehicle specialties. These NPC drivers fill the role of an alternative to Drivatars, and can gain rewards for you by appearing in other players’ races. As they continue racing, their skills will improve, which can lead to more victories in team races and larger rewards.
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Eventlab Expansion: No longer limited to starting at pre-existing events, players may create their own starting positions, start types, replay camera locations and even custom start and finish cinematics using the same tools available to the developers. Create a racing experience only limited by your imagination.
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Midnight Battles and Rivalries: New, more intense midnight battles with one-of-a-kind cars on the line. Players may set-up their own battles as well, with cars from their own garage as the competition. As a new feature, members of other clubs or teams can form rivalries with you, and may challenge you or your entire group. Expect tough opponents and big rewards.
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Businesses: As you and your team’s reputation at the Festival grows, several business opportunities become available to you. From running deliveries and giving rides to festival-goers, to building and tuning cars for select clients, there’s plenty of money to be made at Horizon.
Radio
Horizon is a music festival after all, with radio stations to suit all tastes.
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Bass Arena: Scott Tyler returns to deliver more house and EDM hits.
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Pulse: Pop and indie tunes hosted by Amy Simpson.
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XS: Phoenix Fox flying in all the way from Colorado, USA to bring you rock and punk.
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Block Party: MistaJam brings you the best rap and hip-hop tracks in Japan.
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Hospital Records Radio: More drum and bass hits, hosted by Chris Goss.
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Classico FM: Classical and orchestral pieces.
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Radio Shibuya: Japanese hard rock and heavy metal.
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Neon: Synthwave, eurobeat, and phonk
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Spoti-cast: Spotify playlist integration
but forget it I wasn’t replying for an argument with you I was just replying to you saying there’s none, but I get where your coming from and I do agree with you there’s a definite lack of Japan based open world racing. But with the horizon franchise not being accurate with locations anyway it could be a possibility to just add a few landmarks like they did with the last 2 games