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Forza Motorsport 6: Apex Review - Part 2

FORZA MOTORSPORT 6: APEX

Game Modes and Scenarios
In Rival races, the player goes against a racer’s ghost driver in a one-on-one challenge. The game also includes Multiplayer lobbies, full matchmaking facilities and a new League system.
Leagues are special multiplayer divisions that will group you with players that have a similar skillset to yours -- and the more you races in these Leagues, the better the player’s standing will be; and as their skillset improves, they will be able to access higher-level League types.
Forza Motorsport 6: Apex sports many Special event types like Top Gear bowling, Autocross or Overtaking challenges. There are also a wide variety of event types to participate in, many are optional, but in completing them players can challenge themselves and reap additional XP and rewards.
In Forza, the player has a chance of winning a car with each level earned. Upon gaining a level, the player is presented with a prize board and a randomly moving cursor. Hitting A will stop the cursor in its place and award the player the prize it lands on.
The prizes include mod packs, credit bonuses and even new cars. However, the player will not be able to utilize many of these in the Career, until much later in their progression; although they can try them out in free races.

Memorable Gameplay Experience

Playing Forza Motorsport 6 for the first time, I was surprised to be instantly thrown into multiplayer without the usual option to race against the CPU; you know, to practice.
This was in stark contrast to what I had just experienced prior in the tutorial race, where racing against easy AI turned out to be a silky smooth way to learn the ropes of a driving sim -- getting a firmer grasp of the main controls and overall better understanding the game’s mechanics.
In the races following, I had deliberately revised my driving style as not to slam into players and be a reckless idiot.
Until later when I found out I wasn’t in fact racing against live players online, but their Drivatar AI. This is some sort of aggregate data gathered using a particular player’s driving habits averaged over a period of time. Those gamertags were just too convincing.
I believe this is a very innovative approach, which could lead to a more favorable experience for the player for the following major reasons:
  1. Instead of the CPU following a predictable ‘best path’ in any given circumstance, Drivatars offer the subtle nuances in human ability
  2. Drivatars of similar skill level can be placed in a race -- filtered to appear based on the player’s ability and selected level of difficulty
  3. Drivatars could offer the player a greater degree of challenge during the race, while trying to find a way to get around it

A Drivatar makes for a very intelligent AI that can challenge the player to quickly adapt to change and learn to adopt new driving styles on the fly.

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