I love all types of racing car games, no matter whether its a traditional arcade racer or a full on racing sim, you can be guaranteed that it will be on my shelf no matter what. However there is one question that many people ask, a question that few people answer. But a question nonetheless that I hope to answer in this article. So strap in, fasten your seatbelts and hold on tight.
Both of these series are gems in my book and they will always stay that way no matter what happens to the games throughout the ages. I grew up on Need for Speed games but this does not bias my opinion of which is the better series. I have only recently started playing the Forza series and so far I like what I see. But there are some major differences between the two series, firstly Need for Speed focuses on Police chases and recless driving where as Forza maintains its sim like feel and precision. I like to compare them in a way that Need for Speed is a dirty Dodge Viper that has just emerged from a dusty dirt road, and Forza is a shining and brand new Lamborghini just of the show room floor. Not that Forza is better than Need for Speed, thats just the way I feel about the two in comparison.
Need for Speed blends a mixture of its iconic and frantic Police chases with high speed runs and crazy jumbs and tricks, Forza on the other hand seems to follow the curvature of the road and blends right in with the realism of what cars are made for and what you expect to feel when you are driving one. It’s obvious when you start comparing both the series side by side that they are two very different Genres of Racing games and they have helped pave the way of what a car game is ment to feel like.
Need for Speed has been making games since the mid to late 90s and the franchise has had some stunning games. Pro Street and the Undercover series are just two of the great games that NFS has managed to crank out but in recent years, some of their games have fallen short of the mark by a long way. Take Need for Speed the Run for example, I purchased this game quite a ways after it had been released and was fascinated by the idea of being chased across America by Police and fellow racers but this game slipped on many aspects and failed to pull me into its frantic and slow moving world that was most of the time confusing. Yes there have been good titles in between such as Rivals and Hot pursuit but it seems that the games have taken away what made a NFS game so enthralling. I still remember spending hours on Pro Street and Carbon detailing every inch of my sick ride ready to take on the best in the business of street racing. But now, where is the detailing mechanic?? where are the awesome cars that feel realistic and powerfull??
Its all fun and games speeding across Americas high country as a cop chasing street racers but it just isn’t the same without the means to customise and own your own car.
Forza on the other hand, never dissapoints. You can speed around Bathurst in New South Wales Australia or race on the Top Gear Test Track. Even challenge the Stig!! and you can do all of this whilst also customising your ride the way you want it. Forza is only about half the age of NFS but that should mean that Forzas games are worse off they have less experience in the field compared to a 20 year old series.
All of Forzas games are nice and slick to play with neat mechanics and a steady and realiable system with a “if it aint broke don’t fix it” feel that WORKS! All of Forzas customization mechanics are easy to use and understand and they supply the player with a decent amout of control over their customisations and the cars that the player is driving.
FINAL VERDICT
In conclusion, I dont hate or even dislike the Need for Speed series but in this scenario, I prefer the Forza games for their attention to detail and their consistent good quality content. I still do love the Need for Speed games and there are days that I just need to be racing at 300kmph chasing after a street racer in my sooped up cop car. But most days, Forza is all I need .
