I wasn't sure what to expect when I sat down to play Forza Motorsport 5 , a game which, along with Ryse, Microsoft is clearly pushing as its biggest Xbox One launch title. I'd seen the trailer at the May 21 reveal, and it didn't look real to me. It had a CG "sheen" to it that just didn't quite make me a believer (see the video at the bottom of the page).

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“ The dashboard reflections on the windshield during daytime races is a seemingly small but brilliant touch.

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“ The rumble effect in each individual trigger is both complementary and welcome.

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But laying my hands on the controller (more on that part specifically in just a moment) put a big fat Forza smile on my face. The game genuinely does look that good -- there won't be any mistaking it for the stellar Forza 4, which itself was a beautiful thing until I sat down with Forza 5 and ruined Forza 4 for myself forever. The new next-gen iteration runs in 1080p resolution at a butter-smooth 60 frames per second.High Dynamic Range lighting means the sun can get in your eyes as you're heading west across the Prague track's long bridge, while the draw distance on the track vistas is absolutely insane. You can see trees and buildings miles in the distance from the crest of the hill on the same track. Gorgeous!As for the handling? Well if you've played Forza 4, you know how it drives, and that's as realistically as you want. You can turn every assist on, off, or find your own preferred custom configuration. But what Forza 5 -- or more specifically the Xbox One itself -- brings to the table for the series is the Xbox One controller and its developer-customizable triggers, each with its own rumble motor inside it.Naturally, Forza 5 will once again feature hundreds of cars, though this time all of them will be viewable in Forzavista mode (nee Autovista). And Microsoft just announced that open-wheel race cars will finally join the Forza family. The livery and custom tuning profiles that the community so passionately creates will return, and with the former, makers of popular paint jobs will get rewarded with in-game credits based on the number of downloads their creations get. Finally, as you'd expect, regular DLC drops will occur, delivering new cars into your Forza garage if you pony up the dollars.The Xbox One controller combined with the stunning tech not just in and on the cars but around them has me highly eager to see what other tracks and rides Forza Motorsport 5 will offer. Until then, a pre-order might be wise move.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews and Xbox Guru-in-Chief. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan , on IGN , catch him on Podcast Unlocked , and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.