It looks like some new information about Forza Motorsport 8 is on the horizon. Since the early 2000s, developers Turn 10 has cultivated a fanbase for its simulation racing series. Now, the team has announced that there will be a special teaser for those interested in trying out Forza Motorsport 8.
Over time, racing simulators get more advanced as gaming technology evolves. While the highly reviewed Forza Horizon 4 combined arcade racing with open-world gameplay, the motorsport series focuses more on realistic driving. To encourage community input, Turn 10 has a special Forza panel for perspective from the fans. By taking part in this forum, it looks like players will be able to access some unexpected benefits.
According to Creative Director Chris Esaki, this teaser will be a closed playtest of Forza Motorsport 8. Gamers can apply to the panel, but up to this point, it has mostly been for surveys and conversation. Since Turn 10 is collecting feedback from Xbox Game Studios, the team wants to show off some of the development. Fortunately, even if players are not part of the panel now, there is still a chance to try out the game going forward. There will be more playtests like this to continue building on community input to help with Turn 10's development.
For those unaware, this entry to the Forza Motorsport series has new features and will be a reimagining of some sort. While details are scarce, previous reveals by Turn 10 provided some information on the title. Supposedly, the new game will combine the core gameplay with modern concepts and technology. What is known though is that ray tracing will be part of Forza Motorsport 8, and players can expect 4K visuals at 60 frames per second.
With this announcement, it is fairly likely that Forza fans will be flocking to join the panel. As one of the many titles Xbox Game Studios is working on, getting in at the ground level should be exciting for players. By allowing community discussion to help shape the game, Turn 10 can make an experience that plays to the fans. Since the team is reimagining the series, there is a balance of retaining the original ideas but not becoming stale. Plus, playtesting the game only requires signing up to the panel and not preordering or purchasing a pricey bundle.
However, it is hard to say whether or not this will attract more players to the simulation racer. The Horizon series managed to subvert expectations when it comes to racing games, but a simulator is far more constrained. With Forza Horizon 4 recently releasing on Steam, it is possible most Forza fans will be enjoying that game rather than testing this new one. Nevertheless, Turn 10 is offering a unique opportunity to try Forza Motorsport 8 at the ground level.
Forza Motorsport will release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. No release date has been announced.