The simulation angle is from... Gran Turismo
An obvious one, really. Before Gran Turismo, simulation racers were only really popular (or possible) on PCs, with Microprose Formula One Grand Prix getting the race started in January, 1992.
Above: Microprose'stake on the Monaco tunnelwith real-life equivalent
But it was Gran Turismo that changed console racers forever, adding hundreds of licensed vehicles to your garage and favouring suspension-tweaking over turbo boosts. It's no exaggeration to say the industry is still feeling the shockwaves from its launch.
Above: Gran Turismo even shows suspension roll in external views
The action replays are from... Virtua Racing
You could argue that this flat-shaded polygon racer marks the transition between old and modern videogames. Not least because it offered full 3D graphics that could be viewed from any angle, most spectacularly demonstrated by the post-race action replay. We may skip past it now, but back then, it was impossible to choose 'no'when it asked'Watch Replay?'
Above: Virtua Racing's blocky 3D replays were a revelation in 1992
The decal editing is from... Ridge Racer Type 4
Forza's comprehensive decal editing feature is waaay better than R4's tiny square of pixellated customisation, but the PSone classic set the scene for everything that was to come.
Above: R4's decal editor. Crappy? Yes. Butwe had to start somewhere
The rewind system is from... RaceDriver: GRID
Full Auto, the first post-launch 360 title, was the first racer to feature a rewind system, known as 'unwreck'. We'd had a user-activated rewind in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time before that and games like Blinx on Xbox 1 have featured time manipulation, but GRID did it first in a serious racing game and is undoubtedly the reason it's in Forza 3.
Above: Just go back to when the car had 4 wheels and try again
So why is Forza 3 such a big deal?
Because it's impossibly comprehensive. There are hundreds of hours' worth of gameplay to be had, all of which are glossy in quality and all of which can be tailored to your own tastes. Unlike Gran Turismo, Forza lets you customise your experience so you only do what you want to do. Couple that with superb community features and you've got yourself one of the most complete racers ever made.
So... originality is for losers?
On this evidence? Yes. Of course that's not the case - we'll always welcome originality. But it seemssome of the best games aroundat the moment do little more than repackage old ideas. And there's nothing wrong with that - there just has to be a purpose and a direction.It's like they alwayssay:It's not what you take, it's where you take it.
Games don't have to be original. Just awesome.
10 Feb, 2010
The digital doppelgangers that copied the cream of the Hollywood crop
As the legendary Sega man steps down, we celebrate his legacy
We look back at the evolution of the Formula One racer
