Want to take Forza Horizon 2 for an open-world test drive prior to its Xbox One launch on September 30th? No problem! Beginning September 16th, Xbox One race fans will be able to cruise around southern Europe behind the wheels of five of the more than 200 cars included with the full game.

In other Forza news, Microsoft and Playground Games have also revealed the full track list of songs players will be able to listen to on the in-game radio while driving the open road. Once again curated by BBC Radio DJ Rob da Bank, the Forza Horizon 2 soundtrack consists of close to 150 tunes spanning seven different radio stations, which is double the size of the first game’s soundtrack. Three of the stations will be available at the beginning of the game, while the remaining four will need to be unlocked by progressing through the Horizon Festival.

The listing below reveals all songs categorized by radio station. A sampler stream of 14 tracks is available to preview in a “Best of Forza Horizon 2” playlist on Xbox Music.

Horizon Pulse
The festival’s coolest selection of laidback pop, summery nu-disco and electronica – perfect for cruising with the roof down as the sun sets.

•“I Might Survive (Goldroom Remix)” by Architecture In Helsinki
•“Busy Earnin’” by Jungle
•“The Heat” by Jungle
•“Luna” by Bombay Bicycle Club
•“The Mother We Share” by CHVRCHES
•“Free Your Mind” by Cut Copy
•“Love Sublime (feat. Nile Rodgers & Fiora)” by Tensnake
•“Bridge & Tunnel” by Holy Ghost!
•“Never” by Phonat
•“Can’t Beat The Old School (feat. Jasper Wilde)” by Bo Saris
•“Come Alive (feat. Toro y Moi)” by Chromeo
•“Jealous (I Ain’t With It)” by Chromeo
•“Operators” by Jetta
•“Always (Classixx Remix)” by Panama
•“Brighter Days” by Saint Raymond
•“Pica Disco” by Lazyboy
•“Klapp Klapp” by Little Dragon
•“With You Forever” by Pnau
•“Wolves (feat. Youngblood Hawke) (RAC Remix)” by Digitalism
•“Nitrous” by Nick Mulvey
•“Sea” by Roosevelt
•“The Phoenix” by Pyramids

Horizon Bass Arena
From house to electro and techno, Horizon Bass Arena plays the biggest dancefloor anthems of the year all night long.

•“I Got U feat. Jax Jones” by Duke Dumont
•“Still (Richy Ahmed Remix)” by Katy B
•“Hey Now (Arty Remix)” by London Grammar
•“Only For You” by Mat Zo
•“Touch (Grum Remix)” by Shift K3Y
•“NRG” by Duck Sauce
•“Changes” by Faul & Wad Ad & Pnau
•“Crisis” by Turtle
•“Thinking About It” by Just Kiddin
•“Running (Disclosure Remix)” by Jessie Ware
•“Satisfy” by Nero
•“F.A.T. (Original Mix)” by Pryda
•“36” by Redlight
•“Hyperparadise (GANZ Flip)” by Hermitude x Flume
•“Survive” by Kidnap Kid
•“Pushing On” by Oliver $ & Jimi Jules
•“Delorean Dynamite” by Todd Terje
•“Liberate” by Eric Prydz
•“Here For You (feat. Laura Walsh) (Extended Mix)” by Gorgon City
•“Gecko (Overdrive)” by Oliver Heldens X Becky Hill
•“Aeropolis” by BeatauCue
•“Astral” by Pyramids

Horizon XS
Horizon XS combines classic acts with hot new bands, all playing the best indie and alternative rock in the perfect festival set.

•“Hoochie Coochie” by Band of Skulls
•“Peace Keeper” by Bear Hands
•“Teenage Rhythm” by GRMLN
•“Debaser” by Pixies
•“XXX” by The Bohicas
•“Just Because” by Jane’s Addiction
•“Come Closer” by Miles Kane
•“Put Me To Work” by Papa
•“Train In Vain” by The Clash
•“Red Eyes” by The War on Drugs
•“Out of the Black” by Royal Blood
•“Solemn Skies” by Childhood
•“This Much I Care” by Skaters
•“Mesmerise” by Temples
•“I Come From the Mountain” by Thee Oh Sees
•“It’s Been So Long” by TOY
•“Take It Or Leave It” by Cage The Elephant
•“Get Away” by Circa Waves
•“All Day” by Tom Williams & The Boat
•“Fool For You” by Wild Smiles

Hospital Records Radio
London’s undisputed kings of drum & bass bring all of their top artists to Horizon for the very first time.

•“Move Around feat. Ian Shaw” by Camo & Krooked
•“Like A Byrd” by Danny Byrd
•“Spoken (S.P.Y. Remix)” by Etherwood
•“Hydra” by Fred V & Grafix
•“Recognise” by Fred V & Grafix
•“The Road Goes On Forever” by High Contrast
•“Nocturne” by Keeno
•“Out Of Nowhere” by Keeno
•“Seasons (feat. Lifford)” by Logistics
•“Somersaults” by Logistics
•“Yikes!” by London Elektricity
•“Believe” by Metrik
•“Slipstream” by Metrik
•“Roundabout” by NuTone
•“Valence” by NuTone
•“Photone Recruits (Phace Remix)” by Rawtekk
•“Break Em” by Reso
•“Lunar” by Royalston
•“Cold Harsh Air feat. Total Science & Grimm” by S.P.Y.
•“Love Life” by Netsky

Innovative Leisure Radio
The LA-based indie label bring their diverse roster of artists, and some brand new, unreleased music to the Horizon stage.

•“Crawling After You” by Bass Drum Of Death
•“Electric” by Bass Drum Of Death
•“Everything’s The Same” by Bass Drum Of Death
•“Lose My Mind” by Bass Drum Of Death
•“All You’re Waiting For” by Classixx
•“Dominoes” by Classixx
•“Stranger Love (RAC Remix)” by Classixx
•“Better At Making Time” by De Lux
•“It All Works All The Time” by De Lux
•“Moments” by De Lux
•“Other Side” by Feeding People
•“Build, Destroy, Rebuild” by Hanni El Khatib
•“Family” by Hanni El Khatib
•“Pay No Mind” by Hanni El Khatib
•“Reassuring” by Jim-E Stack
•“Some Place” by Nick Waterhouse
•“Eclipse Blue feat. Kazu Makino” by Nosaj Thing
•“Geri” by Superhumanoids
•“So Strange” by Superhumanoids
•“Cherry Street” by Tijuana Panthers

Ninja Tune Radio
Long-standing British legends Ninja Tune bring their impeccable indie credentials and incredible line-up of artists to Horizon.

•“Better Days To Come” by Andreya Triana
•“True Skool (feat. Roots Manuva)” by Coldcut
•”Spinnaker” by John Matthias
•“Friday Fish Fry” by Kelis
•“After Dawn” by Letherette
•“Champion Nibble” by Mr Scruff
•“Wannamama” by Pop Levi
•“Krunk Guide” by Roots Manuva
•“Rick Rubin (Radio Version)” by Spank Rock
•“We Can Make It Out (Yppah Remix)” by Spokes
•“Can You Seen Straight” by The Death Set
•“How You Like Me Now” by The Heavy
•“Wings” by The Invisible
•“Renegade” by The Qemists
•“Take It Back” by Toddla T
•“That Girl” by Two Fingers
•“F.I. (Instrumental Mix)” by Wiley
•“Again With Subtitles” by Yppah
•“Luxelife” by Kid A
•“Sun Models (feat. Madelyn Grant)” by ODESZA

Radio Levante
A local radio station based in Tuscany, Radio Levante has been playing classical music to a small, and dwindling, audience for more than forty years.

•“Lohengrin – Prelude” – Richard Wagner
•“Overture, The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
•“Symphony No. 41, Allegro Vivace” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
•“Symphony No. 8 in G major, Allegro con brio” by Antonin Dvorak
•“Concerto for 4 Violins, I. Allegro” by Antonio Vivaldi
•“Flute Concerto in F Major” by Antonio Vivaldi
•“Symphony No. 9, Andante Allegro” by Franz Schubert
•“Carmen Suite No. 1: V. Les Toreadors” by Georges Bizet
•“Overture, La Cenerentola” by Gioachino Antonio Rossini
•“Overture, The Barber of Seville” by Gioachino Antonio Rossini
•“Symphony No. 2, Finale, Allegro con spirito” by Johannes Brahms
•“The Flower Duet (Lakme)” by Leo Delibes
•“Pictures At An Exhibition – The Great Gate Of Kiev” by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
•“Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner
•“Symphony No. 35, Finale (Presto)” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
•“William Tell Overture” by Gioachino Antonio Rossini
•“L’Estate, Summer, Le Quattro Stagioni” by Antonio Vivaldi
•“Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Allegro con brio” by Ludwig van Beethoven
•“Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Allegro presto” by Ludwig van Beethoven
•“1812 Overture” by Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky

Source: The Forza Horizon 2 Demo is Coming! [Forza Motorsport]
Source: Press Play on Nearly 150 Tracks and Seven Radio Stations in Forza Horizon 2 [Xbox Wire]

100 of the more than 200 cars that will be drivable in Xbox-exclusive open world racer Forza Horizon 2 have been revealed today. Here’s a list to complement that spiffy-looking graphic pictured up top:

1. 2002 Acura RSX Type-S
2. 2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
3. 2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde
4. 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Quadrifoglio Verde
5. 1964 Aston Martin DB5
6. 2010 Aston Martin One-77
7. 2012 Aston Martin Vanquish
8. 2013 Audi R8 Coupé V10 plus 5.2 FSI quattro
9. 1995 Audi RS 2 Avant
10. 2006 Audi RS 4
11. 2011 Audi RS 5 Coupé
12. 2013 Audi S4
13. 1997 BMW M3
14. 1991 BMW M3
15. 2012 BMW M5
16. 2011 BMW X5 M
17. 1990 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
18. 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
19. 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
20. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-454
21. 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
22. 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
23. 1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
24. 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS 409
25. 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
26. 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8
27. 1957 Ferrari 250 California
28. 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
29. 1994 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta
30. 2012 Ferrari F12berlinetta
31. 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
32. 2013 Ferrari LaFerrari
33. 1980 Abarth Fiat 131
34. 2010 Abarth 500 esseesse
35. 2013 Abarth Punto Supersport
36. 2009 Ford Focus RS
37. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302
38. 2000 Ford SVT Cobra R
39. 1993 Ford SVT Cobra R
40. 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
41. 2011 Ford Transit SuperSportVan
42. 1997 Honda Civic Type R
43. 2006 HUMMER H1 Alpha
44. 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track
45. 1956 Jaguar D-Type
46. 1961 Jaguar E-type S1
47. 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE
48. 1945 Jeep Willys MB
49. 2011 Koenigsegg Agera
50. 1997 Lamborghini Diablo SV
51. 2014 Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4
52. 1982 Lancia 037 Stradale
53. 2013 Lexus GS350 F Sport
54. 2010 Lexus LFA
55. 1956 Lotus Eleven
56. 2012 Lotus Exige S
57. 2010 Maserati Gran Turismo S
58. 1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata
59. 2011 Mazda RX-8 R3
60. 2013 McLaren P1
61. 2013 Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG
62. 2012 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series
63. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series
64. 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG
65. 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
66. 1965 MINI Cooper S
67. 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR
68. 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR
69. 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
70. 2010 Nissan 370Z
71. 1969 Nissan Fairlady Z 432
72. 1994 Nissan Fairlady Z Version S Twin Turbo
73. 2000 Nissan Silvia Spec-R
74. 1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R
75. 1993 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec
76. 2012 Pagani Huayra
77. 2009 Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster
78. 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
79. 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455
80. 1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA
81. 1973 Renault Alpine A110 1600S
82. 2003 Renault Sport Clio V6
83. 2010 Renault Megane RS 250
84. 2011 RUF Rt 12 S
85. 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
86. 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi
87. 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
88. 2011 Subaru WRX STI
89. 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205
90. 2013 Toyota GT86
91. 1995 Toyota MR2 GT
92. 2005 TVR Sagaris
93. 2012 Vauxhall Astra VXR
94. 2009 Vauxhall Corsa VXR
95. 2013 SRT Viper GTS
96. 1992 Volkswagen Golf Gti 16v Mk2
97. 2010 Volkswagen Golf R
98. 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI
99. 2011 Volkswagen Scirocco R
100. 1963 Volkswagen Type 2 De Luxe

Now that’s some serious horsepower!

An Xbox 360 version of Forza Horizon 2 is in development at Sumo Digital, but the lead developers at Playground Games are tapping into the power of the Xbox One to build all of these automobiles in true photorealistic detail, including subtle touches like dirt-mapping and functional windshield wipers, headlights and interior lights designed to really highlight the game’s dynamic weather tech.

The screenshots below show off five of the game’s brand new cars: the 1973 Renault Alpine A110 1600S, 2009 Vauxhall Corsa VXR, 1945 Jeep Willys MB, 1963 Volkswagen Type 2 De Luxe, and the 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE.

Source: Forza Horizon 2 Cars Revealed! [Forza Motorsport]

Forza Horizon‘s back, souped up with Xbox One horsepower for an open world racing experience like no other. Fueled by the Forza 5 engine, Forza Horizon 2 has more than 200 cars rendered in immaculate detail at 1080p, dynamic real-time weather and day/night cycles, seamless integration between single and multiplayer (something the original didn’t have), and support for Drivatar technology which populates the world with AI representations of racing friends so you’re never alone on the road.

Forza Horizon 2 burns rubber for North American retail starting September 30th. The first game was already pretty damn great, so you better buckle your seatbelts for an even more exhilarating ride this fall.

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Car porn alert! Car porn alert!

Forza Motorsport 5 shows that it’s ready to race for Xbox One Day One glory with an enticing launch trailer that starts slow and builds to a rapid finish. If you’re a racing game gearhead, I imagine you’ll find it hard to watch and not walk away with a car woody, what with all the squealing tires, shiny paint jobs, and engine and dashboard money shots.

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Ooh! Ahh! Shiny cars. On an Xbox gaming console. Must be a new Forza.

Yeah buddy. Forza Motorsport 5 was outed today during Microsoft’s Xbox One reveal. The fifth model of Turn 10’s industry leading sim racer will be available at launch exclusively on Xbox One. It looks pretty.

Start your engines. Next-gen car porn begins in 3… 2… 1… GO!

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Let’s make this clear up front: Forza Horizon is not Forza Motorsport 5.

Forza Motorsport is known as Microsoft’s rival to Sony’s Gran Turismo franchise in the race to be the best damn simulation racing video game money can buy. Horizon has the Forza DNA pumping through its engine, but eschews the series’ usual simulation focus in favor of free-roam action racing heavily influenced by underground music festivals and street racing culture.

Forza Horizon takes skilled drivers to the idyllic Rocky Mountain state of Colorado for the Horizon Festival, a rave-like event where players party it up and compete against other top racers for cash, cars, colored wristbands, and street cred. The whole Fast and the Furious “we’re cool because we drive fast cars and break the law” attitude is a bit of a turn off, especially once you factor in the generic personality stereotypes of the festival stars you face off against (black hip-hop cool guy, cocky returning champion, sophisticated foreign dude who thinks he’s better than everyone else, tough girl trying to prove she can hang with the boys, etc.). But who really plays a racing game for the story? I sure as hell don’t.

What I care about in any racing game is, well, the racing of course, and racing is what Forza Horizon does best. New developer Playground Games has basically condensed the M.O.O.R. racing model innovated by Test Drive Unlimited into a smaller open world racing environment built mainly for the solo driver. Single player and multiplayer are two separate entities in this game, not a unified massively multiplayer online format like TDU where other live players can be seen and challenged from within the same world. Ghost rival races, paint design trading and integrated leaderboards are pretty much the only features that connect the single player experience to the online community at large. To actually race against other players, you must first quit out of single player mode.

Horizon’s authentically fictionalized recreation of Colorado is smaller than other free-roam racers you may have played, taking no more than 10 minutes to drive from one side of the map to the other in a fast car. However, in the context of solo play it’s plenty large enough to keep you busy cruising the streets for tens of hours. I’ve put around 15 hours into the game up to this point, which has been enough to complete the main festival storyline and play around some on the side, but only amounts to an overall completion percentage of 51%. There are still leftover festival races to wrap up; street races to be won; probably more than 100 licensed cars still to collect; PR stunts (photo shoots, speed traps, skill challenges) to complete for discounted quick travel; a few junked classic cars stashed in secret barns to find; hidden discount signs to run over; and a popularity ranking to max out. This game does not skimp on content or replay value, I assure you.

Behind the wheel, Horizon operates at peak performance, borrowing the impeccable physics engine from Forza 4 and injecting it with a smooth, easy riding approachability for gaming drivers of all skill levels. Assists, such as the driving line and a real-time rewind mechanic that allows players to immediately turn back time and erase a spinout or poor turn from their record, open the game up more to casual drivers and to those of us who don’t enjoy rerunning races that were only lost because of one braking error on the final lap. Enthusiast drivers can just as easily turn these assists off and rev up the difficulty level for a more realistic and demanding experience, with an increase in bonus credits to be earned for playing with less hand holding.

Horizon does not attempt to achieve pure sim realism—car damage is merely cosmetic, the upgrade system is fairly basic, and reckless driving is rewarded over proper racing etiquette—but it’s not some fluff arcade racer either. Certain showcase events will have you racing from point to point against an airplane or hot air balloon, but that’s as crazy as this game gets. Don’t expect to find nitro boosters, weapons, or over-the-top crash animations here, because Horizon is not that type of racer. Playground Games managed to find an ideal middle ground, balancing accessibility with skill-based control, realism with an aggressive arcade flair. The mix works, and the game is loads of fun to play as a result.

Another example of this meeting between skilled driving and pedal-to-the-metal aggression can be seen in the stunt system. Whether you’re cruising the open road or engaged in lap-based circuit races, performing skills such as drifts, drafts and one-eighties or driving like a daredevil by near-missing other cars on the road and smashing over roadside signs and fences rewards you with skill points, and by combining multiple skills in rapid succession a multiplier gradually builds. If you’re able to complete a stunt or maintain a skill combo without crashing into another car or bumping a wall, the points will eventually be banked and contribute to a global popularity ranking, and by rising in popularity you can earn extra credits and eventually even bonuses from sponsors like Oakley, Adidas, and Bose. You are never not accomplishing something.

The convergence of arcade and sim also extends into the multiplayer mode, where up to eight drivers compete in standard lap and point-to-point races, or more fun-focused events such as Infected, in which infected cars attempt to smash into and infect “survivor” cars until the last man standing wins, and Cat and Mouse, in which two rival teams attempt to escort their designated mouse driver to the finish line while the cat drivers try to impede the other team’s mouse.

Multiplayer is solid overall, with a roulette-style unlock system that randomly rewards you with sums of cash or a new car upon each level gain, along with steady online performance and helpful matchmaking filters that put you in appropriate races according to your skill and car quality. But as mentioned earlier, it’s disappointing that single player and multiplayer are not more harmoniously tied together. You can join friends in a co-op free-roam mode, but the two halves of the game are disconnected in such a way that just seems like a step back from what games like Test Drive Unlimited have been able to pull off in the past.

The most annoying thing about the game, though, is how hard it pushes micro-transactions and DLC. Seriously, it’s like there’s a used car salesman AI built into the game constantly reminding you that Microsoft Points can be used to buy unlock tokens, which in turn can be used in place of in-game currency to purchase cars or to buy cheats that reveal hidden items on the map or give you a short-duration popularity spike for doubled skill points. What is this, an iPhone game? The problem is how convenient the whole token system makes unlocking content, almost as if the developers purposefully made higher end cars so expensive so that players would forgo hours of grinding out enough credits the old fashioned way in favor of spending small chunks of real money to unlock a hot ride in a matter of seconds. The Season Pass DLC seems rather shady too. 4000 MS Points (that’s almost the price of the full game!) for an expansion pack coming in December and monthly car add-ons through April 2013? Ummm… No thanks.

Thankfully, DLC and tokens are completely optional, and the content provided straight out of the box makes this one racing festival worth attending. Although lacking seamless online integration, Forza Horizon totally delivers on its promise of a robust sandbox racer. A refreshing change from the tropical locales and dark cityscapes seen far too often in racing games, the Colorado scenery of small rural towns, majestic, snow-capped mountains, gushing geysers, and forests bursting with the colors of autumn, is also a joy to take in as you pound the open road in your Mini Cooper or Bugatti Super Sport. As long as you know going in not to expect the next Forza Motorsport simulation, Forza Horizon’s brand of action racing will have your gamer engine purring like a kitten.

Pros:
+ Diverse open world littered with events and side activities
+ Colorado-inspired scenery is absolutely beautiful
+ Good balance of traditional Forza realism and accessible arcade qualities
+ Optional assists cater to newcomers but don’t spoil things for Forza enthusiasts

Cons:
– Disconnect between single player and multiplayer
– Tokens and DLC seem like a greedy cash grab
– Music festival attitude feels forced and artificial

Game Info:
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Playground Games
Release Date: 10/23/2012
Genre: Racing
ESRB Rating: Teen
Players: 1-8 (2-8 online)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

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