Overview
Forza Horizon 4 is an open-world racing game developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. Set across a fictionalized version of Great Britain, the map draws from real locations including Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District, and the Cotswolds. The result is a world that feels geographically varied and visually distinct from one region to the next, even if you're technically racing through a condensed fantasy version of Britain.
The game runs on a shared online world supporting up to 72 players simultaneously. You're never just driving alone through an empty map; other players appear as you explore, compete, and grind for new cars. That shared-world structure gives the game a persistent, lived-in quality that single-player open-world racers often lack.
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How does the seasonal system work?
The seasonal system is Forza Horizon 4's most distinctive mechanic. Every week, the shared game world transitions through spring, summer, autumn, and winter in sequence. Each season changes more than just the visuals. Winter freezes over lakes and rivers, opening routes that are physically impossible during warmer months. Autumn coats roads in wet leaves, affecting grip. Summer brings dry tarmac and clearer skies. The seasonal shift isn't cosmetic; it genuinely alters how the world plays.
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Each season also brings its own playlist of challenges and rewards, including exclusive cars tied to seasonal completion milestones. This structure gives players a reason to return each week rather than burning through the content and moving on.
Car collection and progression
The garage sits at the center of everything. Key facts about the car roster:
- Over 750 fully licensed cars available
- Vehicles span decades, from vintage classics to modern hypercars
- Cars are earned through races, seasonal events, and the Auction House
- Each car supports tuning and visual customization
- Barn Finds scatter hidden classics across the map
Progression in Forza Horizon 4 is built around influence and car mastery. Driving any car long enough unlocks a skill tree specific to that vehicle, rewarding players for sticking with their favorites rather than constantly chasing the newest addition.
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Multiplayer and social features
Beyond the shared open world, the game includes structured multiplayer through Horizon Life, which groups players into online sessions for races, stunts, and free roam activities. Adventure modes pit players against each other in team-based events across the map. The Auction House adds a player-driven economy where rare cars change hands between collectors.
The Forzathon Live events are timed cooperative challenges that appear in the open world and require groups of players to complete objectives together within a set window. These events reward Forzathon Points, a currency spent in the Forzathon Shop on rotating exclusive content.
Content and replayability
Forza Horizon 4 launched with a substantial content base and expanded further through paid DLC expansions, including Fortune Island and LEGO Speed Champions. The LEGO expansion is particularly worth mentioning because it adds a fully separate LEGO-brick-built island with its own physics quirks, making it one of the more creative pieces of racing game DLC released in recent years.
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The game is available on Windows PC, Xbox consoles, and Steam, with cross-platform play between PC and Xbox. For players who want an open-world racing game with genuine mechanical depth, a massive licensed car roster, and a world that keeps changing around you, Forza Horizon 4 remains one of the strongest options on the platform.