Forza Horizon 6 Review: Metacritic 92, 2026's Game of the Year So Far — Playground Games Outdid Themselves
When Playground Games announced Japan as the setting for Horizon 6, fans were quietly anxious — could a country without America's vast open spaces capture the spirit of Horizon? It could. Emphatically.
Forza Horizon 6 isn't just a great racing game. It's a statement about what the genre can achieve.
Japan Open World
Forza Horizon 6 offers the most meticulously crafted world in the series' history. Neon-lit Tokyo circuits, mountain passes with hairpin bends, traditional villages, and snow-capped Mount Fuji scenery combine into a space larger than Forza Horizon 5's map.
Dynamic weather isn't decorative here: mountain rain genuinely changes braking dynamics, and mountain fog forces real speed reduction. Playground smartly leveraged Japan's climatic diversity.
Driving Physics and Car Roster
The physics engine took a meaningful step forward — not toward simulation, but noticeably richer than previous entries. FWD vs RWD differences feel sharper; surface types matter more. But accessibility remains: assist options make it playable even for newcomers.
The roster includes over 550 real-world cars at launch, including several exclusive Japanese models that have never appeared in Horizon before.
Multiplayer and Seasonal Events
Expanded multiplayer is one of the major additions. Cooperative challenges have been redesigned to require genuine team coordination. The first week's seasonal events already show impressive variety.
Visuals and Performance
On Xbox Series X and capable PC hardware, the game delivers stable 60fps in Performance mode at 4K with scaling. Ray tracing is available as an option. Series S is limited but still looks good.
The PC version scores 89/100 on Metacritic — slightly below the console version, a traditional Forza pattern, though PC optimization has noticeably improved this time.
Verdict
Forza Horizon 6 is the rare sequel that doesn't just continue but genuinely elevates everything good about its predecessors. Japan proved to be an inspired setting choice. A Metacritic 92 is well-earned — this is the best Horizon entry and the best arcade racing game in years.