Forza Horizon’s approach to progression often polarises its fanbase. Its Wheelspin mechanic is a particular point of contention, frequently showering players with supercars in random slot-machine prizes.
Some players relish this instant gratification, giving them a dopamine hit. But others crave a deeper sense of progression and reward.
For Playground Games, catering to both fanbases is a difficult balancing act.
“Forza Horizon is so many different things to so many different people”
“It’s super tricky,” Production Director Mike Bennett told Traxion at a recent launch event. “The challenge we have is that our games are massive now. We have such a broad audience. Forza Horizon is so many different things to so many different people.
“When we do our research early on, we find people play the game in so many different ways. Some don’t really engage in the curated race content: they just pick the car they want and drive around the game world, and that’s how they want to experience it.
“We also saw the hunger and desire people had for a more meaningful progression system. They’re opposed to each other in some ways,” he continued.
“We’ve got this cohort of players who want more progression and challenge. And then we have other people who love how rewarding and generous Horizon is. We’re trying to balance these things. There’s a healthy tension between the two of them.”
This inspired Playground Games to reapproach Forza Horizon 6’s progression systems. Instead of earning accolades in previous games, the latest entry sees you tackle tasks in two progress-tracking journals: Horizon Festival and Discover Japan.
The former sees you complete objectives from collecting specific cars and photographing murals to completing race events.
Meanwhile, Discover Japan rewards exploration. Collecting up to seven stamps unlocks Barn Find hints and new homes to buy around the map. It all aims to provide a more guided progression path for purists while still rewarding casual exploration.
“We reward people for the typical Horizon progression, where if you go and engage in events, PR stunts and races, you’re going to level up,” explained Bennett. “You’re going to get your wristbands and hit those milestone events, Showcases and Rush events.
“But then equally, if you just want to drive around and take in the game world, you’re going to be taking photos, exploring and discovering. You’re going to progress through a more passive experience of the game world.
“Whatever you are choosing to do based on your player type, or maybe just on your mood on a given day, you’re still going to feel like you’re achieving something, moving forward and being rewarded for it.”
Return of the Festival Playlist
Forza Horizon 6 also sees the return of the Festival Playlist and its weekly challenges. In previous games, prize cars were obtainable only for a limited time in these challenges. While this rewarded players for returning each week, it penalised others who couldn’t commit.
“We’re always conscious of the balance,” said Bennett, addressing the limited-time Festival Playlist rewards. “We want to deliver stuff to people that gets them excited to come back and play. But we are always aware that it’s a double-edged sword.
“The challenge with that is if someone can’t play that week or month because of family or work commitments, they will potentially miss out on something. We’re very aware of that and always looking at ways we can adjust, take on player feedback and improve those things going forward.”
As a solution, the new Series History Rewards allow players to unlock exclusive cars from past series by acquiring lifetime Playlist Points throughout the game.
Acquiring cars in Forza Horizon 6 is “a bit different this time”
It’s a similar story with the contentious Wheelspins, which are rebalanced in Forza Horizon 6. “You can still get access to fast-performing cars early on,” Bennett admits. “But our race events will try to keep you in slower cars at the beginning of the game, so you can have that experience.”
Race events are now gated by Wristbands. Returning from the original game, they require you to rank up before you can enter higher events. Conversely, Discover Japan objectives let you jump in any car you already own.
“The acquisition of cars is a bit different this time,” Bennett added. “Previously, there were a few main mechanisms, such as rewards for completing events and wheelspins, or you could just buy cars from the Autoshow. We had our Barn Finds as well. We tried to supplement that this time by tapping into the role-playing element.
“If you’re a car guy, you might be driving down a road and spot a cool car for sale on somebody’s driveway. It incentivises people to drive around the world and explore. You might find something special you won’t get through the Autoshow alone.”
The new Treasure Cars hidden around the map also encourage exploration, with photos and descriptions providing clues to help you track them down.
Ultimately, Bennett believes these new progression systems create a “more meaningful acquisition journey to a car.”
“It’s not just a car showered upon you through a Wheelspin,” he said. “We’ve still got that if that’s what you want. But we’ve also got other cars you can hopefully feel more attachment to because you remember how you acquired them.”