Forza Horizon 6 Review – Endless Roads Through Japan

There’s a weird kind of pressure that comes with a new Horizon game now. Over the last decade, the franchise has quietly become one of Xbox’s most consistently excellent series, to the point where expectations almost feel unfair. Every new entry has to somehow be bigger, prettier, smoother, more social, more alive, and more addictive than the last while still maintaining the easygoing freedom that made people fall in love with Horizon in the first place.

After spending several hours with Forza Horizon 6 during early access, I can honestly say this: Playground Games somehow pulled it off again.

What immediately stood out to me wasn’t just the visuals or the opening showcase event — although both are spectacular — it was the sheer scale and atmosphere of Horizon’s take on Japan. Within the first hour, I already had that dangerous Horizon feeling where you tell yourself you’re going to do “one more race” and suddenly realize two hours disappeared because you spotted a mountain pass, then a drift event, then a hidden road leading into a neon-lit city district somewhere off in the distance.

This map feels enormous. Not fake-big filled with empty roads, but genuinely dense with things to do, discover, and stumble into naturally. There’s constantly something over the next hill pulling your attention away from whatever you originally planned to do. Horizon has always been good at making exploration feel rewarding, but Horizon 6 may be the best the series has ever done it.

And honestly? Playing this on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X has been a 10/10 experience for me so far.

There’s something about Horizon that feels perfect on a handheld. You can sit down for twenty minutes and knock out a few races, or accidentally spend an entire evening cruising through the countryside chasing distractions. The Xbox Ally X handles the game beautifully, and Horizon’s structure works incredibly well in portable form because the game constantly rewards curiosity. It becomes dangerously easy to lose track of time.

World & Atmosphere

Japan feels like a natural fit for Horizon.

From tight mountain roads inspired by classic touge racing culture to dense urban streets glowing with reflections at night, the setting gives Horizon 6 an identity that immediately stands out from previous entries. The environmental variety is impressive early on, with the world constantly shifting between peaceful rural areas, crowded city spaces, winding forests, industrial districts, and long open highways built for pure speed.

The atmosphere is where the game really shines.

Weather systems roll across the map naturally, lighting transforms entire regions depending on the time of day, and the festival vibe still manages to feel energetic without becoming obnoxious. Driving through rain-soaked streets at night while neon signs reflect across the pavement genuinely feels incredible.

What impressed me most is how handcrafted the world feels despite its size. So many modern open-world games fall into the trap of becoming oversized checklists. Horizon 6 avoids that better than most because exploration rarely feels forced. You are not climbing towers or clearing repetitive icons just to clean up a map. Instead, the game naturally pulls you toward things you actually want to do.

Multiple times already, I’ve started driving toward a specific event only to end up somewhere completely different an hour later because I found a hidden challenge, joined a random online activity, or simply got distracted cruising around listening to the soundtrack.

That freedom matters.

It reminds me why Horizon still feels special compared to most racing games on the market. It understands that sometimes players just want to exist in the world and enjoy the drive.

Driving & Gameplay

At its core, Horizon 6 still delivers the best balance between arcade fun and believable handling in the genre.

The cars feel responsive, fast, and approachable without losing personality. Whether you’re drifting through mountain roads, flying down highways, or weaving through narrow city streets, the sense of speed is fantastic. Japan’s road design also gives races a very different feel compared to Horizon 5. There’s a heavier focus on technical corners, elevation changes, and tighter environments that make driving feel more engaging moment to moment.

Compared to Horizon 5, the gameplay feels more refined than radically reinvented, and honestly, I think that’s okay. Playground didn’t need to tear the formula apart. They needed to evolve it.

The progression feels smoother, events feel more naturally integrated into the world, and online systems appear less intrusive than before. Horizon remains one of the easiest racing franchises to recommend because it respects different playstyles. You can tune every car down to tiny performance details or simply jump in and have fun casually driving around for hours.

Again, this is where the Xbox Ally X experience shines. Horizon feels tailor-made for portable gaming sessions. Xbox Play Anywhere makes it incredibly easy to bounce between devices, and being able to continue progressing across platforms without thinking about it genuinely improves the overall experience.

Visuals & Audio

Visually, Horizon 6 is stunning.

Not just in the obvious “look at the graphics” sense, but in the way the world constantly feels dynamic and alive. Lighting is incredible, weather effects add real atmosphere to races, and Japan’s mix of natural beauty and dense city environments gives the game a unique visual personality.

Performance has also been excellent so far during early access. On Series X, the game feels incredibly polished, while the Xbox Ally X version has genuinely surprised me with how smooth and enjoyable it is handheld. Cruising through this massive recreation of Japan from a portable device still feels a little ridiculous in the best possible way.

The soundtrack and audio design also continue Horizon’s tradition of making driving feel cinematic without trying too hard. Engine sounds have weight and personality, while the music does a great job matching the energy of the world.

Verdict

It’s still early, and I need significantly more time with Forza Horizon 6 before making any kind of definitive judgment on where it ultimately ranks among the best entries in the franchise. But after several hours during early access, one thing already feels very clear: Playground Games understands exactly why people love Horizon, and that leaves me leaning towards a 10/10.

The world feels endless, the gameplay loop is incredibly addictive, and Japan gives the series one of its strongest settings yet. There’s always another road to take, another race to try, another distraction waiting somewhere off in the distance.

Most importantly, it’s just hard to stop playing.

Whether on Series X, PC, or especially the Xbox Ally X, Horizon 6 captures that rare feeling where gaming stops feeling like progression management and simply becomes fun again.