E3 2010 - Forza Gets Re-Kinected With Racing
posted Tuesday Jun 15, 2010 by Jon Wurm
We saw a lot of impressive things this year at Microsoft's Keynote. Some of the most impressive news came from the widely anticipated and aptly named Kinect for the Xbox 360. Everyone can pick their favorite parts but even I am surprised at how impressive Forza looks given my hardcore Gran Turismo fan status. Bill Geist and Dan Greenawalt from the Forza team introduced us to a whole new Forza experience but more importantly a whole new racing game experience which the genre has needed for a little while now.
Hit the break for the full game rundown!
Before you even get behind the wheel of your favorite supercar Kinect allows those of us who get into the game to get intimate with our newest ride or reacquaint ourselves with some old favorites. Noobs can just gawk away at the shiny interior and exterior while getting spoon-fed the 411 on just how awesome she (the car) really is. Having the ability to literally take a walk around the car, paying attention to every detail then opening the door and sitting inside just like you would in real life adds an extra personalized element to connect the driver to the car and the game. This is especially nice since for most of us this is as close as we will get to our dream cars.
The other (possible) big improvement affects the way the car is controlled by the player. The reason I placed, possibly, in the previous statement is because thanks to Kinect, you are the controller. In the demo the driver places their hands in a 10 and 2 position on the in game steering wheel and the car responds appropriately according to your movements. I'll be the first to admit that this could take some getting used to but it will still be a big improvement over the standard Xbox 360 controller and those terrible driving simulating controls because now your ability to drive can be as accurate as your muscle control. No more lame excuses, put up or shut up.
Also, don't forget to check out PLuGHiTz Live! Radio Tuesday night @ 9PM Eastern for our Microsoft and EA recap show!