'Forza Motorsport 5' Reviews: The Most Realistic Racing Game You'll Play Yet

Microsoft / Forza Motorsport 5Forza Motorsport 5 implements a new cloud-based Drivatar system.Today's the day! After eight years, Microsoft's third console, the Xbox One, is here, and the much-anticipated console war (PS4 was released last Friday) has officially begun!

While the Xbox One's reviews have been pretty good so far, its the console's exclusive games that make it worth owning.

And one of these games, the super-realistic "Forza Motorsport 5," is perhaps one of Xbox One's best - demonstrating the new system's pristine capabilities and capitalizing on the necessity of racing games in the gaming world.

Before you go out investing $59.99 in "Forza Motorsport 5," take a look at what people are saying about the game:

The game replaces replaces the computer-controlled driver of previous games with an avatar modeled after a real player's driving habits. As a result, the new cloud-based Drivatar system allows for a lot of unpredictability - which has its pros and cons.

Gamespot

"Exactly how accurate these portraits are is up for debate, but the system does succeed in filling each 16-car grid with distinct personalities, drivers whose tendencies you can never take for granted." USA Today "The Drivatar system works well, especially since players can tailor the challenge to their liking." IGN "Racing is a lot more dynamic and unpredictable as a result." The Guardian "Human errors, poor judgment calls and random acts of aggression all make the track a much more dynamic and dangerous place to be, which in turn makes the racing feel truly on the cusp of next gen."

MicrosoftThe visuals and image quality are out-of-this-world good. Joystiq "The Xbox One game is locked at 60 frames per second and a 1080p resolution, conveying a level of clarity, lighting quality and polished material detail that I have not yet seen in a console racing game." USA Today "As usual, Forza is a feast for the eyes. The cars glimmer brightly, while the views of mountainsides in the Bernese Alps or downtown Prague are breathtaking." The redesigned career mode, with "Top Gear" hosts serving as guides, remains to be a great addition. Gamespot "Their entertaining yet informative prologues lend both context and humor to every category of car you choose to spend time with." IGN "The credibility and humour these voiceovers bring to Forza 5 really works, whether it's Richard Hammond beaming enthusiastically about classic US racing muscle or James May mildly appalled at the inclusion of a VW Beetle."

MicrosoftThe Xbox One's new controller allows for an even more realistic experience. The Guardian "The triggers vibrate independently as you brake, accelerate and career around circuits, and the increased sensitivity allows for more precise control of the car." Gamespot "Improved tire physics give you a better sense of your car's shifting weight as you barrel through sloped corners, while a clever implementation of the Xbox One trigger rumble delivers valuable haptic feedback about your current traction and stability levels." Polygon "The way Forza feels, physically, is probably the most next-gen thing about it. The controller's triggers give an incredible amount of useful, tactile feedback." This is the car game you've dreamed of playing. IGN: "Thanks to a well-chosen bunch of unprecedentedly lavish car models and the help of all three hosts of the UK's Top Gear, Forza 5 is a virtual love letter to every vehicle it contains." "It's an essential destination for the automobile obsessed." Gamespot: "... Whether you're cruising around in a Ford Focus or a McLaren P1, every car in the game's catalog looks absolutely remarkable--both in their pristine showroom forms as well as those post-race close-ups where flecks of grime litter the exterior and scratches adorn the disc brakes." Overall consensus: Rev your engines, and purchase this baby! "Forza Motorsport 5" isn't perfect - there is a notable cutback in the number of track and car options, and Turn 10 Studios developers made the game so players don't necessarily have to finish first to win - as long as they're in the top three, they'll earn gold. But, this game makes up for all that with its pristine image quality, sensitive controls, and a new Drivatar system that mimics real player's driving habits. All of these characteristics back up what gamers have always loved about the "Forza Motorsport" series - its intensely realistic and authentic racing experience. Check out the "Forza Motorsport 5" trailer below.