Forza Horizon: On the Real (and Virtual) Roads of Colorado

A few weeks ago, I took a 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS out on the open roads of Colorado, careening around corners and cruising through tunnels cut through mountains west of Denver. Last week, I repeated the same drive. But this time I had a controller in my hand as I played a preview version of Forza Horizon, the new open-world variant of the mega-selling Xbox racing franchise.

Forza 4, the previous game in the franchise, simulates some of the world's great racetracks. But drivers can race only on these closed courses?there's no venturing out. In Forza Horizons, out Oct. 23, not only can players drive amazing real-life cars, but they can also take them out of the racetrack onto the highways of Colorado, which developer Turn 10 modeled for this expansive game.

Everything you see in Forza Horizon references a real-world highway, scenic vista, or actual object. That seemed like a lofty goal, so this summer I set out to prove whether it were true?I drove most of the route through the Rocky Mountain State that the developers used as reference material to see if the reality matched the simulation. Ford let me borrow a 2013 Flex, which was ideal for recording the video and photos. And to gauge the experience of driving fast on curvy mountain roads, I also borrowed a 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS. Then, this past week, I finally got my hands on an early preview build of the game

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/video-games/forza-horizons-on-the-real-and-virtual-roads-of-colorado-12824091?src=rss

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