I'm obsessed with Forza Horizon 6, and I've barely even raced

"Forza Horizon 6 is ostensibly a racing game, one in which you play an up-and-coming driver intent on making a name for themselves. But, like the rest of the series, it's also an open world, one in which you can spend as much - or, in my case, substantially more - time exploring as you do racing. And it's that element that's substantially improved in Horizon 6. It's a combination of structure and setting: The fictional take on Japan isn't just the largest map in a Horizon game, but it's also incredibly diverse, and the game lets you approach it however you like."

"The stated goal in Horizon 6, as with its predecessors, is to move upward through the ranks at the Horizon Festival, a connected series of driving events spread across a single geographical area, in this case the whole of Japan. This can include everything from drag races to dirt tracks to performing stunts off of ramps placed precariously on the edge of a cliff. As you compete, you earn points, which will nab you wristbands that in turn open up more events where you can earn even more points."

"It's a relatively open-ended structure, allowing you to mostly focus on the competitions you enjoy or are good at and avoid the rest. Or, if you're like me, mostly avoid all of them. Based on the way I play Horizon 6, all of the races and progression are a means to an end, and that end is driving cool cars all around Japan. And you really don't have to spend all that much time competing in Horizon Festival events to do that."

"Part of this is because nearly the entirety of the map is open to you from the very beginning. As soon as I finished the game's opening sequence, I went ahead and just drove wherever I wante"

Horizon 6 is a racing game set in a large, fictional version of Japan that offers wide open exploration alongside structured events. The Horizon Festival provides a connected set of driving competitions across the map, including drag races, dirt tracks, and stunt challenges. Competing earns points that unlock wristbands, which then open additional events and more opportunities to earn points. The progression structure is open-ended, allowing players to focus on preferred event types and skip others. The map is accessible from the start, enabling immediate free driving across varied environments such as Tokyo streets and icy roads near Mount Fuji, with racing serving mainly as a means to access and enjoy cars.

Read at The Verge