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Forza 3 Autoweek Pack 360

Format:
360

Genre:
Racing

Style:
Firstperson
Thirdperson
Competitive

Buy/Support:
Support Andy, click to buy via us...

Forza 3 adds ten Autoweek picked cars to the starting grid. These crafted virtual versions of the world's most drooled over cars are more than enough to entice you back onto the track.

I was dreading this. I was dreading coming back to Forza 3 so much, I'd already written that sentence over and over in my head before I'd downloaded it. It sat on my hard drive, waiting. If digital content could look menacing, this was a slash the seats in the cinema Teddy Boy.

Since reviewing the full game last year I hadn't logged one second of track time. No It, no Drift, no pedal to the metal and leave 'em eating dirt. Not even an accidental disc insertion caused by shambolic game cataloguing. It had been months - there would be only pro and champion rated players on now, thrashing round every track with perfectly tuned, customised cars, one arm dangling out of their tinted windows. And I was going to line up on the track with my brand new Pagani Zondae I felt like the milkman asked to cover for Shumacker while he had a brew - way out of my depth.

With heavy heart I headed for a race-track only to find that if I wanted to race most of these new cars I'd have to unlock them in Season Mode first. Which was slightly disappointing since if I was going to lose, I'd like to lose behind the wheel of the Aston Martin One-77, one of the more understated speed demons available. I had to settle for the visually underwhelming Audi RS 6. One unfinished race later I had successfully span off the track on the first corner and lost sight of the pack. Which was probably for the best - driving on the grass and sliding about all over the place is best enjoyed alone.

But losing in a not particularly cool looking car was about as fun as it sounds, I wanted some eye candy to look foolish in. I had a look around the lobby options. The last time I'd played, the only non-racing game available was It, a car driving version of capture the flag. But even with that you needed some skills to be able to drive off as It and keep away from the pack. Now, Turn 10 have added some new games. The one that whistled at me from a dark doorway was Last Car Standing. The rules were simple: smash everyone else up to score.

This was more like proper videogaming laughs. Better still, all the new cars in the Autoweek pack were available. The Pagani ZondaR looks like something straight out of a Batman movie. In the real world it can do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 215 mph. It seemed only right that I should destroy a car that costs GMP1.3 million smashing it into Dodge MPVs.

This is perhaps the only thing that might see me come back and play Forza 3 again - the chance to ram very expensive sports cars into everything that moves. If you've ever wondered what a demolition derby would look like if it was on real race-tracks and involved souped up racing cars, this is the place to come. Okay, so they don't really let you crumple the cars up like accordions, but it's still a lot of fun to watch a Lotus 2-Eleven sail through the air at 80mph, upside down.

Best Multiplayer Moments

Cannoning off an Audi, into a Dodge, and being tossed like a rag doll.

Multiplayer Verdict

It's a bit of a cheek to make you play the single player game first to get most of these cars onto the multiplayer tracks, but pleasing to see more multiplayer games available online now, like drag and oval racing.

Written by Andy Robertson

You can support Andy by buying Forza 3 Autoweek Pack



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Andy Robertson writes the Family Gamer column.

"Videogame reviews for the whole family, not just the kids. I dig out videogame experiences to intrigue and interest grownups and children. This is post-hardcore gaming where accessibility, emotion and storytelling are as important as realism, explosions and bravado."

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