For years fans have begged Forza Horizon 6 to take the Horizon Festival to Japan and after spending 50 hours exploring its neon-lit streets, mountain roads and countryside landscapes, it’s safe to say Playground Games has absolutely delivered.

This isn’t simply another Forza Horizon map with a fresh coat of paint. Forza Horizon 6 feels like a genuine evolution for the franchise. From the improved handling model and more meaningful progression system to dramatic weather effects and one of the most atmospheric open worlds Playground Games has ever created, this feels like the biggest leap the series has made in years.

In this Forza Horizon 6 review, I’ll break down everything from the campaign structure and open-world design to performance on Xbox Series X|S and whether this latest entry truly lives up to the enormous expectations surrounding its Japanese setting.

You can also check out our Review that has gone live on YouTube above!

One of the smartest decisions Playground Games made in Forza Horizon 6 is the return of the Wristband progression system.

Unlike Forza Horizon 5, where players were quickly flooded with supercars and rewards almost immediately, Forza Horizon 6 takes a more measured approach. You begin with lower-tier vehicles and gradually climb through the Horizon Festival ranks by completing races, drift events, rally challenges and exploration activities.

Slower cars actually matter again. Upgrades feel meaningful. Unlocking faster and more specialised vehicles genuinely feels earned rather than simply handed to you within the first hour. It also encourages players to experiment with a much wider variety of vehicles instead of immediately sticking to hypercars.

Alongside the Wristband system, the game introduces “Stamps,” a progression layer focused around exploration and discovery. You earn these by finding collectibles, photographing landmarks, uncovering hidden areas and engaging with the world beyond just racing.

It gives the open world much more purpose and rewards curiosity constantly.

The biggest achievement in Forza Horizon 6 is undoubtedly its recreation of Japan and Playground Games has created an open world that feels dense, varied and constantly alive.

Tokyo is easily the standout location. The city is packed with glowing neon signs, elevated highways, narrow alleyways, reflective wet roads and towering skyscrapers that create one of the most visually striking cities ever seen in an arcade racing game. Then at night, the atmosphere becomes incredible. Rain reflects across the asphalt, headlights cut through fog and the entire city feels cinematic in motion. But what truly elevates Forza Horizon 6 is the sheer variety outside the city.

You’ll race through:

• Bamboo forests
• Cherry blossom countryside roads
• Coastal highways
• Snow-covered mountain passes
• Peaceful villages
• Foggy touge roads

The mountain regions are especially phenomenal with tight switchbacks, dangerous cliff edges, snowfall and rapidly changing weather conditions create some of the most memorable driving roads the series has ever produced.

Compared to Mexico in Forza Horizon 5, Japan feels significantly denser and more deliberate. Every area has a stronger identity and transitions naturally into the next biome.

One of the biggest improvements in Forza Horizon 6 is how weather finally impacts gameplay in meaningful ways.

Rain dramatically reduces grip, snow alters braking distances and fog changes visibility enough to affect racing lines and cornering confidence. The same road can feel completely different depending on conditions.

This makes tuning and car choice far more important than before. A high-powered rear-wheel-drive car may dominate dry city streets but become incredibly difficult to control on wet mountain roads. The handling model itself has also been significantly improved.

Cars now feel heavier and more connected to the road surface. Braking has more consequence, and different terrain types communicate much more clearly through the vehicle handling. Gravel, mud, tarmac and snow all feel distinct. It creates a far more satisfying driving experience overall.

At launch, Forza Horizon 6 includes around 550 cars, making it one of the largest launch rosters in franchise history.

Naturally, the Japanese setting means JDM culture takes centre stage.

Some of those notable JDM Cars are:

• Mazda RX-7
• Nissan Silvia S15
• Mazda MX-5
• Toyota Supra
• Kei vehicles

The new body kits are also fantastic, particularly the Liberty Walk options available for several iconic Japanese cars.

The Forza Edition cars feel much more unique this time as well, featuring exaggerated designs and stronger visual identities compared to previous entries. That said, customisation is still one area where the franchise could evolve further. Many returning vehicles still use familiar upgrade options and the garage menus remain largely unchanged from Forza Horizon 5.

Still, the overall car culture focus is excellent throughout the experience.

Creative Labs has seen major improvements in Forza Horizon 6, allowing players to create races and events with far fewer restrictions. The standout new feature though is Estates and these customisable spaces allow players to build:

• Drift tracks
• Stunt parks
• Drag strips
• Technical circuits
• Community playgrounds

Because these can be shared online the Estates feature could become one of the game’s most important long-term features.

Performance on Xbox Series X|S is excellent overall and although there are some compromises depending on which graphical mode you choose, it is a very solid experience and probably the most optimsed Horizon game to date.

On the Xbox Series X:

• Quality Mode runs at 30FPS at 4K Resolution
• Performance Mode targets 60FPS at 4K Resolution but this is upscaled from 1440p

On the Xbox Series S:

• Quality Mode runs at 30FPS at 1440p but Renders at 1080p with Dynamic Scaling
• Performance Mode runs at 60FPS at 1080p but Renders at 880p with Dynamic Scaling

Personally, Performance Mode feels like the best way to play. The jump from 30FPS to 60FPS dramatically improves responsiveness during races and the visual sacrifices are surprisingly minor during gameplay.

Playground Games deserves huge credit for how well the game runs across both consoles.

Forza Horizon 6 feels like Playground Games operating at the peak of its abilities.

Japan is easily one of the best settings the series has ever explored, offering incredible environmental variety and some of the most atmospheric driving roads in any racing game.

The revised progression system gives the campaign more purpose, the handling model is vastly improved, weather systems genuinely affect gameplay and the open world constantly rewards exploration.

While customisation still has room to grow and some visual compromises exist between performance modes, these are relatively small criticisms within an otherwise phenomenal racing experience.

Forza Horizon 6 is not only the best Horizon game in years, it may honestly be the best arcade racer Playground Games has ever created!