Forza Horizon, an open-world racing game crafted by Playground Games, has just celebrated its 13th anniversary. The deep affection of fans for the game has been so overwhelming that some even mentioned that the first part had set the bar that the rest of the series failed to reach. A large number of gamers still claim that the first installment was the best and demand a remaster or at least a better version in the new series.
So yes, Forza Horizon is officially a teenager! Indeed, time flies! The game made its debut on Xbox 360 back in 2012, and frankly? It continues to look and feel awesome. The Game Awards tweet acknowledging the anniversary got a huge response from people who had quite strong opinions about this franchise.
The sweetest comments about the original game were shared by a number of players. One of the users designated it “The best one” and another person manifested “Still the best FH game IMO.” Such a positive atmosphere prevailed. “My favorite FH” was among the comments and “The best Forza Horizon” was another one. It is clear that the first game set the standard for a lot of people, which has not been surpassed by the following releases.
The retro effect in gaming is also very strong. “I clearly remember the day I went to the store and purchased it,” one gamer nostalgically recalled, adding, “I loved this Horizon the most.” Another person similarly said, “I remember seeing the first videos and getting it. It was incredible; I had not had so many feelings for a long time.” That’s really strong and powerful. It’s like gamers aren’t just narrating the event of a game—they are living an experience again.
Yet the past is not all diamonds; some gamers think of the previous delisting or the case of the game being withdrawn due to expired contracts as things to reflect on. One person harshly said, “@thegameawards Then it was delisted because Microsoft can’t figure out licensing,” and that is indeed a big letdown for the fans who want to go back to the original and get the full legal experience. The talk about rights issues related to racing games with real cars that have been delisted and temporarily retired is not new; it has been going on for quite some time.
The discussion eventually took a turn towards the future of the series with a few gamers putting forward some great ideas for the next installment. One user had a really extensive plan: “eliminator map should be different from the main game map, the main map remains the same and the eliminator map can be just a separate but quite interesting area,” and then asked Playground Games to “resume that feeling in Horizon 6, make it as memorable as 1, 2 and 3.” Another gamer, in fact, was even more blunt in voicing their displeasure with the recent games: “FH5 was horrible as far as the map was concerned; it was huge and the eliminator ruined it.”
What was I saying? Oh yes, the criticism aimed at the recent titles. The number of players suggesting that the franchise has somehow gone off track is rather interesting. One person even claimed that “Wheel spins ruined the franchise,” which is a very strong statement but they have a logical argument. The system of progression has witnessed enormous changes in the last few years.
The calls for a remaster or remake were made very clear. One player tweeted directly to Playground Games, “Deserves a remaster/remake” going to such an extreme. Another one requested hardware upgrades: “Can you guys please bring FPS boost to the old games?” Given the tremendous respect the original has, one would reckon that Microsoft would contemplate modernizing it.
Purely emotional reactions were among the replies. One user expressed her feelings saying “I still think about this game every single day 😭😭,” while another declared “My ALL-TIME favorite game. I still play it weekly.” That’s what we call loyalty—playing a 13-year-old Forza Horizon weekly. Naturally, the “this makes me feel old” comments were there because, well, it does indeed. Thirteen years is a long time in the gaming world.
The anniversary has given rise to some interesting side conversations as well; one user pointedly asked Playground Games “EHY, where is Fable?” because the studio is also handling that reboot. Next, there was worrying over the future settings of the games, one player lamented “I’m gonna cry that when they FINALLY give us Japan, it plays like 4&5” instead of getting the magic of the old games.
What really hits you is how profound and personal the people’s memories are. It is not just about the game—their very lives and the very specific moments that were born of their lives are being animated. “I was there and it was awesome” one user relived, while another said simply “I was there 🫡” as if referring to some historical occurrence. And it was, in a way—Forza Horizon did change the whole racing game trend, after all, when it was launched.
The fondness for the narrative of the first game was also voiced, as one user proclaimed it “The best horizon story yet and nothing has surpassed it.” They maintained that Horizon 2 was the next closest, which is odd because it was also made by Playground Games before they started to invite other studios to assist with the subsequent installments.
With the years the series has changed and so have the gamers’ preferences regarding the genre of the game. The newer titles have raked in record revenues, but this anniversary discussion makes it clear that the small community of diehard and faithful fans still regards the original Forza Horizon as a peak that the other titles have not reached so far. The combination of its Colorado setting, the party feel, and the progression system just clicked so beautifully that later titles have not quite managed to do it for these players.
13 years down the line and racing video games are still a topic of such heated debate. That is quite a special thing, in terms of numbers. Most of the games after a while become forgotten but it seems that Forza Horizon has a soft spot in the memory of all those players who experienced it in 2012. Whether Playground Games will absorb any of this feedback for their future titles or not remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, the first Forza Horizon will always be one of the favorites among the video game classics.
