Forza Horizon 3

Forza Horizon 3 is a 2016 racing game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios. The game was released on September 27, 2016, and is the ninth installment in the Forza series.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) A massive, large open world to explore based on Australia (primarily Byron Bay, Coober Pedy, Yarra Valley and Surfers Paradise, City of Gold Coast), even bigger than in Forza Horizon 2.
 * 2) Over 350 accurately detailed cars to be driven and customized in so many ways.
 * 3) In previous Forza Horizon games, you were a participant in the Horizon Festival, but in Forza Horizon 3, you are the host of the festival.
 * 4) You can mod the newly added Ford Crown Victoria to look like a police car.
 * 5) Amazing and realistic looking graphics, which have improved over the second game.
 * 6) This game can be played on PC, useful for those who don't have an Xbox but still want to play the game.
 * 7) Unlike most racing games, when you drive fast in this game, it feels like you're going fast.
 * 8) Lots of customization combinations, liveries are also available.
 * 9) *This game also introduced widebody kits from Rocket Bunny and Liberty Walk for certain cars such as the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86 (ZC/ZN6), BMW M3/M4 Coupe (E36, E46, E92 and F82), Nissan Silvia (S13, S14 and S15), Mazda RX-7 (FD3S), Lexus RC F, Honda NSX-R (NA1), Nissan GT-R (R35), Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, Ferrari 458 Italia and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV and Aventador LP 700-4.
 * 10) You can auction off your own car, so anybody can buy it!
 * 11) *This is also the first Forza title where the Auction House does not require a paid Xbox Live Gold membership to buy/sell auctions.
 * 12) Realistic visuals (like if your car is dirty and you drive through the water, the car will get cleaned off and look wet) this shows that the developers took their time to develop the game to how it is now.
 * 13) Decent soundtrack. And also the addition of some tracks such as "Papua New Guinea" by Future Sound of London is a nice touch.
 * 14) Every time you level up, you will spin the Horizon Wheelspin, which can give you great prizes, like new cars and a high amount of credits.
 * 15) The cars actually look great. (Especially the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, Koenigsegg Regera, Porsche 911, Ferrari LaFerrari, etc.)
 * 16) The ability to play your own music in-game via Groove Music. (However, this is no longer available. See below.)
 * 17) Two great expansions in the form of snow-covered Blizzard Mountain and the insane Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Sometimes, the barn finds can be rather too easy.
 * 2) On some surfaces, the vehicles appear to be floating.
 * 3) Volkswagen cars are missing from the game due to licensing issues.
 * 4) The Groove Music Pass was discontinued on December 31, 2017, limiting players to songs uploaded to their OneDrive accounts. Then, on March 31, 2019, the OneDrive streaming feature was also disabled, meaning players are now restricted to the in-game soundtrack only just like all the other Forza titles. And no, sideloading Spotify to replace it is not the same; you do not get the nice environmental audio effects that the in-game stations (including Groove Music) have, such as increased bass at the Horizon Festival sites or the audio cutting off in tunnels.

Reception
Forza Horizon 3 received universal acclaim from critics upon release. On review aggregator site Metacritic, the Xbox One version holds an average critic score of 91/100, based on 88 reviews, making it the most-acclaimed Forza Horizon title to date. The Windows version holds a score of 86/100, based on 11 critics.

Brett Makedonski from Destructoid gave the game a 9/10 citing that "It's a good dynamic, one that has worked expertly for three games."

Nick Tan from Game Revolution gave the game 4 out of 5 stars saying that "You'll want to bend and curve around every corner in picturesque Australia landscape at least once, even if that's the only time."

Miguel Concepcion from GameSpot also gave the game a 9/10 saying that "Turn 10 and Playground Games affirm the series’ status as the driving game for everyone. The new emphasis on off-road options isn’t at the expense of traditional races, thanks to the sheer volume of activities."

Justin Towell from GamesRadar also gave the game 4 out of 5 stars citing that it "You won’t need to think much while you play it, but if you’re talking about places to just cut loose and enjoy the breathtaking scenery, Australia is a fine place to do it."

Luke Reilly for IGN gave the game a 9.5/10 saying it "never loses sight of the fact that tearing through postcard-perfect locations should be fun, and it puts the tools in our hands to keep it that way, always. This is the racing game I’ve been waiting for, and it's officially my favorite thing on four wheels. A fair dinkum triumph, mates."

Colin Campbell from Polygon gave the game an 8.5/10 saying that "Through a superbly realized version of Australia as well as a wide variety of terrain, cars and challenges, this free-roaming car simulation offers a valuable playbox. But it also managed to muster "cor blimey" moments that made me feel a whooping rush of speed and liberation."

A politically correct review from mh:rottenwebsites:Vice contains rants of Australian politics and the portrayal of Australian car culture.