izigame.me

Unbalanced $100 Million “Built from the Ground Up” Disappointment (yes, even well over a year and 20 updates after release)
Despite a massive production budget of over $100 million, a long development cycle, and a premium price tag, I cannot recommend Forza Motorsport 2023 due to several critical issues. I’ve spent over 400 hours thoroughly testing every aspect of the game so you don’t have to. I could write a novel about it, but let’s keep it “short.”
Critical Flaws:
1. AI does not mimic real racing experience:
Inconsistent AI Difficulty
The AI difficulty is highly inconsistent and varies depending on the combination of tracks, cars, performance index, weather conditions, grid positions and many others factors. One race at difficulty level 8 might feel very easy, while another at the same level could feel nearly impossible to win.
Unbalanced AI Performance
In almost every race, 1–2 Drivatars perform unrealistically well and offer a real challenge, while the rest are significantly slower and easy to overtake. It feels like you’re racing against 2 real opponents and the rest are just “background actors.”
Poor AI Starts
The AI starts very slowly from the grid and tends to remain in a two-file formation for the first few corners. If the first corner is a hairpin or tight turn, they often crash into each other.
No Tire Strategy in Dynamic Weather
The AI lacks tire strategy. For example, if the rain stops in the final laps, they all pit to change tires unnecessarily, often throwing away the race.
Weak Overtaking Logic
The AI struggles to overtake both other AI and the player. If you start at the front of the grid, your chances of winning are significantly higher.
Track-Specific Issues
On some tracks (e.g., Sunset Peninsula, Kyalami, Lime Rock) under some circumstances (e.g., all the same car model race), the AI frequently runs wide and goes off course.
Collision Behavior
When Drivatars collide with your car, they don’t attempt to avoid you or slow down — they simply keep pushing and ramming as if you’re not even there.
AI Stops Competing After Being Overtaken
Once you pass the last AI opponent, it often feels like they stop fighting and slow down, making the rest of the race feel lifeless and unchallenging.
2. The Performance Index system breaks down on specific tracks
The Performance Index (PI) concept falls apart on tracks like Le Mans, where cars with higher top speeds have a massive advantage, or Fujimi Kaido, where cars with superior grip dominate. Ideally, PI should be track-specific rather than universal, as different tracks emphasize different performance characteristics.
3. Overpowered “Meta” Cars Break Competitive Balance
Some cars—often referred to as "meta cars"—simply perform better and set faster lap times than others, even when they share the same Performance Index. These cars need to be nerfed to ensure fair competition in online races.
4. Broken Tuning Physics Enable Unrealistic Performance Gains
The tuning system allows for unrealistic setups (“meta tunes”) that enable cars to outperform what their PI rating suggests. This undermines fair online competition and breaks immersion, as vehicles behave in ways that don’t reflect their intended capabilities.
5. PI Restrictions in Online Races Undermine Upgrade Balance
Online races often restrict cars to full even PI values (e.g. 500, 600, 700), which can disrupt the balance of car upgrades. This system forces players to either leave performance potential unused or exploit the PI cap with overpowered builds, leading to uneven competition.
Welcome improvements to see in future updates/iteration of FM (in random order):
A longer and more engaging career mode
Custom championship creator
Improved penalty system
A deeper and more complex online mode, with smoother, less laggy opponents
Faster, more stable UI with automation options (e.g. auto fuel per lap, preferred tire selection)
A better and smarter auto-upgrade system
Built-in car engineer (auto-tune function)
Reduced tendency for entry-corner understeer in car physics (recommend using ForzaTune app to help balance it)
Better default force feedback (FFB) without the need for extensive fine-tuning
Improved FFB curb vibrations — currently too weak or entirely absent
More control over weather conditions in all modes (more wet/dry dynamic options)
Significantly reduced grip in wet conditions for higher realism
Driver statistics — currently completely missing
Option to reset game progress
More natural color grading (saturation, exposure, contrast) without relying on NVIDIA filters
Better game optimization across platforms (especially RTGI)
More diverse and dynamic skyboxes, with varied cloud formations and plane condensation trails
Improved grid start controls
More thoughtful track selection, considering the game's high budget and price tag (Monaco, Monza, Willow Spring)
Proper car body reflections in mirrors
A full-featured time trial mode with personal ghost lap comparison
Track mastery system — level up each track through experience
Better driver identity customization (e.g., country selection)
Team creation system
Replay system that mimics real TV broadcast style
Option to include practice and qualifying in free race mode
Real-time pit stops and no ghosted traffic in pit lanes
Skippable intro sequence 😉
No internet connection required for single-player content
Ability to pause/save during very long endurance races
Unlimited space for garage, tunes, and liveries
Easier-to-use and better-optimized livery editor
A proper racing school: tips on correct driving technique, and historical background on racing cars and circuits
Expanded camera settings
More HUD options (full race time, current day time)
Full flag system and safety car implementation
More realistic mechanical damage modeling
Realistic random weather patterns for each location (currently almost half random weather races on Yas Marina is rain)
Fix remained bugs and glitches
Final word:
Although Forza Motorsport offers impressive visuals, a strong car roster with a flexible upgrade system, solid driving physics, and intuitive force feedback, it still suffers from too many critical issues to earn a positive recommendation. I can only hope that future updates will address these problems and bring the game up to its full potential.