E3 2011: Forza 4 shows GT5 how to make the most of the Top Gear license

Turn 10 hand over the creative control to Clarkson and the BBC production team

Words: GamesRadar_NathanIrvine on June 9, 2011

How to make license worthwhile in three easy steps. Step 1: Watch Top Gear and realise that your car-heavy game could do with a bit more personality, specifically like the show. Step 2: Acquire license. Step 3: Realise that to recreate the magic from the show, allow the creators and presenters creative control over the output. Job done. This is the thought process that Forza 4 devs, Turn 10, probably went through as this is exactly what they've done.

Not only will the game feature the Top Gear test track but each car in the showroom will have a few words of over-enthusiastic wisdom from Jeremy Clarkson played as you browse. And that's not all. Check out the interview with Turn 10 from E3 as they confirm what else they'll be including from the hit BBC show...

Good, eh? By allowing the Top Gear production team to create scripts and decide how best to serve the player with show-specific traits, the whole integration into Forza 4 should be seamless. Regardless of how it fits, we're still pretty damn excited about checking out the show's trademark challenges, like driving across a country in sports cars powered only by Richard Hammond's bottled flatulence. Or something like that.

No doubt the devs had one eye on Gran Turismo 5's squandering of the license and focused on blowing Polyphony out of the water. As nice as it is to have the Top Gear test track in GT5 it's essentially pointless without the time-trials in the Kia C'eed - a car that isn't even in the game - and who really wants to watch clips of the show via the game when it's run (in the UK anyway) on Dave almost 24/7. Or perhaps, this is just enough Top Gear in their games for most people?

Here's hoping that the Forza 4/Top Gear union adds a dose character that even non-petrol heads will be able to appreciate.

June, 9 2011

Platforms:

Xbox 360

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HilariousSpade - July 8, 2011 6:46 p.m.

Thats cool! I realy like Jermey Clarkson but i hope Hamster and Captain Slow is in FOrza 4 aswell. An i'm glad that its The Top Gear UK, not the Ausralian or US version :)
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Spybreak8 - June 9, 2011 8:31 p.m.

Awesome, more Top Gear awareness to the world is always a good thing and glad it's Top Gear UK, gawd Top Gear US is a crime.
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JSayonara - June 9, 2011 5:28 p.m.

Great stuff. Forza has been better than GT for ages now. Much as I like a bit of serious Forza though, allowing players to get out of sim mode and have a bit of fun with the Top Gear boys can only be a good thing. Best of both worlds I think.
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Markoose16 - June 9, 2011 5:09 p.m.

In fact I am pretty sure it is a Kia C'eed going around the track, check it yourselves. http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-forza-motorsport/715823
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PimplesInYourAsstista - June 9, 2011 5:08 p.m.

I'm with SDHoneymonster. I know jackshit about cars, but on the few occassions I've watched TopGear UK, I really actually liked it. Funny, down to earth, and I actually got most of what they were saying. Considering the total letdown GT5 was, I'll be considering Foreza if I get a hankering for realistic(ish) racing.
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Markoose16 - June 9, 2011 5:07 p.m.

I just watch a video on GameTrailers of someone doing a lap of the test-track in a Kia, I don't know if it was the C'eed but the person did a time of 1'52 which is pretty accurate. From September onwards there are too many games starting with FIFA 12, the week after Forza 4, 2 weeks after that I'll get Battlefield 3, the week after that Uncharted 3, the week after that Skyrim, the week after that Assassin's Creed and somewhere during or after that period is Skyward Sword. Best year ever for games?
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SausageLozenge - June 9, 2011 4:44 p.m.

GT What? This is great. I was actually thinking of sitting 4 out, but now.
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SDHoneymonster - June 9, 2011 4:37 p.m.

I feel I should probably add a bit more to that to be honest - I'm not a really a fan of racing games where you can't play as cute characters and shoot your friends with rockets, but it's a feature like this that can get me interested. It just makes it so much more accessible to those of us - like myself - who know bugger all about cars. I've been meaning to check Forza out for a while anyway, simply because everyone raves about it, so I may well have to check this out when it hits.
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ThatGuyFromTV - June 9, 2011 4:34 p.m.

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE tell me the Stig is in this too!
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SDHoneymonster - June 9, 2011 4:33 p.m.

Are we able to run Jeremy Clarkson over at some point? That would be fun.
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marioman50 - June 9, 2011 4:26 p.m.

Hey, he's using the achromatic controller. I've got one of those! btw, very cool feature
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Manguy17 - June 9, 2011 3:53 p.m.

Ohh, that actually look really good
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phate - June 9, 2011 3:47 p.m.

Colour me interested
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DannyMB - June 9, 2011 3:29 p.m.

@MattCrinos Not sure if troll...... @FoxdenRacing Power laps on the TT test track will be way, way more exciting than the reasonably priced car stuff, but only the Kia c'eed is going to give real, bragging rights (even if it is virtual).
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FoxdenRacing - June 9, 2011 2:58 p.m.

I'm less interested in the 'reasonably priced car' bit of the test track and more interested in power laps...especially if the game tracks your best time for each car, rather than best time overall. Double bonus if it comes pre-loaded with some of The Stig's times on there for comparison's sake.
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MattCrinos - June 9, 2011 2:37 p.m.

I will buy* is what I meant to say on the second line. My mind was still blown from Clarkson's commentary.
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MattCrinos - June 9, 2011 2:36 p.m.

Buying it just for Jeremy Clarkson. I will be a subsequent copy for both Richard Hammond and James May. If the Stig makes an entrance, I will buy every copy from my local GameStation. Because why not?
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Baron164 - June 9, 2011 2:31 p.m.

I'm looking forward to Forza 4 more and more. I'm just hoping they keep the rewind feature from Forza 3 :-) I'm definitely planning on grabbing this day one.
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DannyMB - June 9, 2011 2:28 p.m.

Jeremy Clarkson is palatable in small amounts. This is probably just enough. And I agree, we definately need the "Reasonably Priced Car" or else there is no point having the track.
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435 - June 9, 2011 2:27 p.m.

I thought it was Top Gear USA they were courting. This is -FABULOUS- news. :D :D :D
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