Microsoft has recently confirmed that the much anticipated Forza Motorsport 2 will be coming to an Xbox 360 near you sometime in May 2007. Along with the announcement of the release date, MS also confirmed the track list and some of the in game multiplayer options.
There will be 12 tracks to race on:
- Mugello Autodromo Internazionale
- Suzuka Circuit
- Sebring International Raceway
- Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
- Tsukuba Circuit
- Road Atlanta
- Silverstone Circuit
- Nürburgring Nordschleife
- Maple Valley Raceway
- Sunset Peninsula Infield
- New York Circuit
- Test Track
Multiplayer Options Highlights
Car Class: “Not only can you restrict the car class for your exhibition room, you can limit the room by the performance index number of the car. For instance, you can setup a room which allows only A class cars with a level of 610 or lower. And as you narrow the field, a notice will pop up below telling you how many cars you have in either your Arcade or Career garages available to race in this room.”
Max # of AI Players: “New to Forza 2 is the ability to race against AI cars in multiplayer races. One of the things I know I specifically wanted to do from v1 was when you’ve created a room and you’re waiting for people to get on, you just want to race and mess around. And then when you see them join your room, you can quit out and start the race proper. The inclusion of the AI wasn’t really to create a strict competitive landscape. It’s meant to be filler for a multiplayer race, to provide for passing opportunities, that sort of thing. Although we have 3 levels of difficulty for AI in multiplayer, the tuning for these AI cars were handled differently than what we did for single-player career AI.”
Spectators’ Voices: “This allows spectators to chat with those who are currently racing in-game. By default this option is off. It helps when people are watching and they can pull up the telemetry HUD and tell the players how their cars are performing, and what they need to do to drive better.”
Grid Order:”We let the host choose the grid order at the start of the race. They can choose by performance indexes, where cars with the higher index number start at the front; or choose by lobby points; or choose by Time Trials rank based on where everybody is on the Time Trials scoreboard; or by the overall Forza Rank (which we’ll talk about at another time); and finally reversed Forza Rank and random order.”
Advanced Rules: In this options tab, you set damage type, tire wear and fuel consumption, collisions, spectators’ voices, grid order, and the end race timer. It’s worth noting that we’ve upped the ante when it comes to damage and how it affects your car this time around. The “cosmetic” or “limited” damage settings give you a taste of a fender bender, while the “simulation” setting allows you to knock off everything from fenders, bumpers, sideview mirrors, windshields, and in worst case scenarios, entire engine blocks are demolished with one impact. And finally, the end race timer allows you to set a countdown after the first-place winner crosses the finish line.
Overrides Options: The whole purpose of overrides is to let the host restrict how people race on their server. Options here include the ability to force all players to use manual transmission, force the suggested line to be turned off, force STM, TCS, and ABS to be inactive, as well as force a certain camera view, whether it be hood or behind-the-car. The game also gives you the option to force stock upgrades and tuning for all cars on the track, essentially leveling the playing field for cars of the same make.
Car Restrictions: The last tab in the multiplayer options menu is all about letting the host get specific about the kind of race he wants to run. The restriction categories here include Car Class (D-R4, “no race cars”, or “any”), Performance Index (restrict the room for cars under a specific PI number), Power (restrict the room for cars in a specific horsepower range), Region (North America, Europe, Asia), Make (choose from all 50 of our manufacturers), Model, Year, Curb Weight, Drive Type, and Engine Position. Additionally, as you narrow the scope of your room, a number at the bottom of the screen tells you in real-time how many cars you have in your Arcade and Career garages that qualify for this specific room.
