Forza Horizon's first race depicts a desperate rush to win a spot in the Horizon Festival, a series of races and showcases across a huge stretch of Colorado roads. While that introductory race isn't tough, you start at the very bottom of the pack, ranked 250 out of 250 and with only a handful of beginner events available.

Forza Horizon's first 20 minutes threaten a much more story-driven racing experience than the full game delivers. I found the party atmosphere of the Horizon Festival off-putting, but the goofy portrayals of characters like wise-cracking middle-aged mechanic Dak and cocky long-time champion Darius Flynt have a glint of potential. These characters are only featured in a few cutscenes near the start of the game, and Playground Games misses out on a great opportunity to inject life into Horizon by not committing to them more.

On the other hand, plot is the least worrisome thing to fumble in a racing game. Horizon gets the feel of the cars right by borrowing heavily from its namesake. Cars handle how they should based on size and power, as well as the type of track. Test driving each new vehicle is a great experience.

Though the cars look and control great, Horizon's visuals take a huge step back from Forza Motorsport 4's stunning graphics. The Forza series has always prided itself on being amongst the best-looking games on any console, but Horizon takes a hit by virtue of its human presence. Plastic characters in cutscenes are forgivable, but they also fill out the sidelines for many of the races, detracting from the vast, beautiful landscapes ofHorizon's virtual Colorado.

I noticed the visual hit immediately, but it takes longer to pick up on the concessions that Forza Horizon makes to feel like an arcade racer. Drifts are easier, crashes are easier to recover from, and you can scrape against other cars at high speeds without losing control and spinning out. These tweaks fit the setting, but races are often unpredictable messes.