OK, firstly it'll be better to play the full game, the demo is well down on features. You don't get the chance to replay your laps for example! I know, I know, me a Fweak!


That said, I've mixed feelings. In one way this is a good thing, as I won't be hammering the demo or its tracks. I have to say, my gut reaction is - that when Forza 2 landed I was instantly hooked - there were so many positives. Whilst I'm not saying 4 is bad or anything, it isn't holding the same appeal of the Camino De Viejo as Forza 3 did. My eyes/brain are ultra 'picky' about frame rates. I'd have preferred 3 less cars and smooth frame rates at all times. Sure Forza 3 wasn't 100% smooth 100% of the time.

Visuals: Awesome track-side camera's, very welcome. So when the full game does land there'll be some awesome footage. The rear of the cars in front really do seem to have their 'contrast' settings all screwed up - it's hard to see detail in decent light, but it's no worse than before. Cars and cockpits look well, but I don't see extra detail when I watch a car lapping after you've run a session and passed the finish line as it drives itself in demo mode. The models look no more complex than before - just lit better. The cars do move much more realistically - and is heading towards GT5. It's still head and shoulders away from it though. Despite Forza having many kick ass features missing in GT5.

For some reason, and I don't use rear view mirrors tbh, but the framerate looking backwards seems not to be updated at the same rate that stuff is moving at in front of the car. So if the game is at 40fps forward, the rear is like 20, this could be a trick and the price of increased detail, as the game appears to be approx rendering the rear view every other frame. It's a tiny pathetic detail I know, but my eyes see it - so it's a mark down T10, shame on you.

Sounds: Already improved. I dunno what Chris will make of the understeering tyre noise.


Handling: Loads better, but without being mega hard or owt. Those with less time will love it I'm sure. Hardcore too, it's deffo a move in the right direction. The suspension even leaving the ground is much more authentic. It will be gr8 to use identical cars and tracks in 3 and 4 after 4 lands to do a direct comparison. I'd be intrigued to know if FM4 was slower because of the extra thought required when driving near the max. It's not a huge difference, but will mean a few crashing a bit more until they adjust to the tyre/suspension model. The brakes for me haven't changed much, and don't get me wrong I don't have problems with Forza 3 brakes. But for me to pick the demo up and drive it like Forza 3 with regards to brake control there's nothing revolutionary or different to brag about. The positive: the braking wasn't broke in FM3, and didn't need fixing!!

I've only done the rivals thang with the 458 though. I've raced, but used the Impreza. It's a more rewarding drive, but feeling the car go for those with least experience doesn't mean they'll save a nasty incident for sure. If I was rating the demo, it'd score less than the FM3 one, depsite its advances. I'm not hooked to get back into the game as I type this, but I know the full game will help. But, let's be honest this demo is the full game. It's not sumat 6 months old and sub-standard.

What we get next week will be this with all the cars and tracks. I guess Forza 3 has spoiled us/me? Don't get me wrong I wasn't expecting a huge leap from 3 to 4. I just was expecting to see 100% polish, and the framerate thing bugs me to the core. Even in GT5 it does. If I scored Forza 3 demo as 9/10 - this would be 7.5-8/10. It's really nice, I like it, there's nothing not to like. I don't quite see why I'm not gagging to get back to the game and run some more laps. Roll on next week and the full game.

The limited taste we have is nice. Maybe if the demo wasn't so limited it would have scored higher? Not because of feature, but because there'd be more reason to get me going back maybe? This game continues to be the best of the rest, and I know I'll love all the extras that I know are confirmed for version 4. Happy days!!

Well for me it has to be a 10. I love it. I love the tracks, Ive never driven in Switzerland before! Its awesome. I hope we shall be seeing those selections in the TTCS. Having said that I did only do a few laps in the Rivals. I was chasing Chris's time. Will have a lot more time on my hands today so I can have a good look :) There is a lot more choice in this *limited* demo than what there was in forza3. If I remember right we had just one track to play with? My memory could let me down here and I may be mistaken but thats how I remember it :)

Hmm, I never thought I would ever say this but GT5 in terms of pure handling physics beats this game like a little ginger step child.

Honestly, it doesn't seem to feel any different to Forza 3 to me and you know how and when the car is about to loose grip. The 458 handles exactly the same as it does in Forza 3 as it does in 4. The cockpit view is nice enough but the animations for the driver changing gear are THE exact same as Forza 3 and they are very very poor.

They should take a leaf out of Codemaster's book when it comes to that. Little things, I know but it seems to be a proper cut and paste job.

The graphics again are totally ruined by the lack of any AA. So again GT5 wins this one too, however the track side details are spot on and it did really feel as though you are driving around Switzerland.

The bonnet view is quite frankly AWFUL. It looks like one polygon with a little bit of shading on there and as Wainsy baby mentioned with that freaking awful sub 30 FPS rear view mirror. I don't know what it is, it just doesn't have the polish or finesse that I have been accustomed to driving with GT5 a lot lately.

So yeah, quite disappointed with the game. However the engine noises that you can just about hear over that god awful music (nice one turn 10 don't give us the option to turn it off either!), seem to be quite frankly awesome. The sound of that Zonda is utterly utterly superb. I'm glad that this game isn't very good because it has saved me £400, because I was seriously contemplating getting a Fanatec wheel and some clubsport pedals.

I'm not getting this on release, and will see what GT 5 Spec 2.0 brings us. Saying that I thought the F2 demo sucked donkey balls but the retail version turned out to be decent. It could have been the same for F4 but it seems to similar to what I have already driven countless hours with F3 with, and I'm not prepared to pay £40 for the privilege.

Rant over!

^^lol, Linz your memory serves you well. We had one track and a few cars, but we had replays (I think)



Don't worry, these tracks will deffo feature in a TTC, but it will deffo not be the first one!

^^LMAO at John. Can of worms there peeps, sorry about that! Bloomin Sony fan-boys, we leave one behind and then 2 new ones appear!



My Forza stays pre-ordered of course, I've booked my 3 days off next Wed-Fri. If it doesn't land Wed I will...



John, we know GT5 is far from perfect, and sadly will remain with as many of the floors in tact even after the next/first proper update. Forza is THE most complete car game at present. We can't argue that, despite it not being perfect. Neither is GT5. I don't get the reaction from the tyres on full load in Forza III that I get in Forza 4. I suggest get urself weened off the Newcastle Brown you Stig, get some bottled water, and run some more laps.



Regarding cockpits, I really think (and this ain't nec a bad thing) that Forza is trying to be good at lots and lots of things. It needs to make up it's mind what it's gonna excel at. Codies are as bad, look at DiRT 3! They've took a decent game and created long boring tracks, which can largely be taken very quickly!



Roll on NXT-GEN consoles, really, we'll never moan about AA or sub 30 frame rates again. It's so unfair on us, but this is the best that consoles can do right now. Comapred to Forza 2 it has come on leaps and bounds.

The bonnet is too high, I actually had to look twice and thought the bonnet cam on the Impreza had been mounted to the roof! When I first saw the Forza 4 DEMO GFX, I had come from a Red Bull X1 lap, as I'd just unlocked the challenge for LVL 30. When I ran Forza 3 last night and booted the 4 Demo after again, it was more in-keeping and less of a shock. Music is crap, the option not to turn it off or choose different buttons for the controller is poor. A minor detail, rectified by the full game, but again why did T10 limit this? Freaks! This is what I meant when I mentioned limited functions.

As for GT5, Chris and Linz sold it, I've come very close. This is a demo, but I'm sure the final framerates will stay when the retail lands. Everything else will be cured by tailoring the game to ourselves. Can't wait to see my designs on more realistically shaded cars, in replays which show much more realistic movement that is gaining on GT5.

Forza 4 will be a 9 out of 10 experience deffo. In Forza's defence, the following in GT5 were crap, and formed part of the reasons why Chris/Linz sold the game. Forza certainly won't have as many issues as GT5 on launch.

GT5 boo:

Cockpits only in Prem cars! WTF! What was Sony thinking??
Shocking framerates when all cars are Prem cars on track!
I'm sorry but upscaled GT4 poly models with 50p coins for wheel arches is crap!
Bugs!
No money for driving yourself to death, due to low earnings and wear and tear (events patched this)
No game saves for Endurance! WTF!
Crap online functionality, making TTC fun hard to run
No replay control WTF!
600 Nissans WTF!
400 Toyota's WTF!
Hardly any new partnerships with auto manufacturers! OMG!



Forza Forza Forza!!

Game still sucks. End of! The physics of the cars are not on GT5's level, just look at the subaru. The car is so predictable as to what it can and can't do whereas with GT5 you have some of the unknown thrown in for good measure. I would love to see where all of this work has gone into making the physics of the game better because to me this could be forza 3.5 and I wouldn't know the difference

I Love it, there are certainly changes from Forza 3 and, from what i can see, they are all good ones!

I haven't noticed or experienced any of the bad points that people have listed.

This will be a superb game, probably the best racer i will have ever played to date! I can't wait for the full game!

Had my first proper with it yesterday - had an hour on the first time trial.

Bit difficult for me to compare the physics with F3 as now I don't have FF I'm having to learn how to drive all over again as it feels totally different

Graphically it looks superb but I hope we get some tweakable options (preferably brightness!) in the full game - the contrast on my Samsung plasma makes driving into shade/tunnels a scary experience! Also, I'm dying to see if/how the Kinect options work in game, they don't seem to in the demo so again, relegated to bumper view

Once I'm abale to tweak the wheel settings in the full game I think it'll be great, as it is now after losing FF I'm struggling with the defaults.

However, there's one thing that's bugging the hell out of me with the demo & TBH I doubt I'll be playing it much again til the full game's out - GIVE ME AN OPTION TO TURN OFF THE STUPID FKING MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^^Ditto!