With Forza Horizon 2 almost in stores and this year's game earning an ESRB E10 rating rather than the original's Teen rating I want to clarify which family age group this game suits best.
To enable parents to make informed decision, here's all the rating information gathered in one place along with some background about why the game is so popular and exciting to play.
If you haven't come across the game already, Forza Horizon 2 is the latest in the Forza series of Xbox-exclusive racing games that create a high level of realism in graphics and physics, much like the PlayStation-exclusive Gran Turismo games, though Forza Horizon 2 is more accessible and focuses more on the action than pure simulation.
Forza Horizon 2 is the sequel to 2012’s Forza Horizon, and features a fictional racing event called the Horizon Festival. Where Forza Horizon took place in the USA, Forza Horizon 2 takes place in France and Italy. Races can take place during the day or at night, and Forza Horizon 2 is the first game in the whole series to have a dynamic weather system, so you can race in the rain. You can race against the AI or take on your friends online.
Like Forza Horizon, the Xbox One version of this sequel was developed by UK studio Playground Games. However, the Xbox 360 version was developed by Sumo Digital. Fans of the series will be happy to know that Turn 10 Studios, which created the Forza Motorsport series, oversaw production of both versions.
The Forza games are exclusive to Xbox platforms. Forza Horizon 2 is available for Xbox One and Xbox 360, though the versions differ. Weather effects are exclusive to the Xbox One version, as are some of the cars, as well as Drivatars. Drivatars first appeared in Forza Motorsport 5 for the Xbox One; each player has one that mimics his or her driving preferences, and you can come across your friends’ Drivatars when you’re playing online.
Once released Forza Horizon 2 will be available digitally on the Xbox One $59.99 and the Xbox 360 version will be around $50.
With the original game taking around 20 hours to complete the campaign, Forza Horizon 2 is likely to take about the same. As more reviews are published we will get a more accurate view of this number. Of course, if you play online you’ll play many more hours than that.
Along with the main campaign thread, Forza Horizon 2 includes a number of arena battle-type modes a little like Mario Kart. In King you race to collect items, in Infected you avoid contact with infected competitors, and in Showcase Events you race against opponents in planes, air balloons, and helicopters. Online modes like Online Road Trip and Online Free Roam let you enter events around the world with other players.
As mentioned the ESRB rates Forza Horizon 2 E for Everyone 10+, with content descriptors for Mild Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Mild Violence, and also mentions the online play. This differs from the original game that was rated T for Teen because of "Drug Reference, Language, Suggestive Themes".
This year the descriptors highlight in-game dialogue, voice-overs, or song lyrics, which say things like “hearing some scandalous stories… Come on, send me photos”, “If you wanna become the king, you need to hit that driver with your car”, and, “I wish I could love you down right now on the kitchen floor”. Parents may find themselves needing to explain these sexual innuendos to younger players and should be aware of this tone before letting them play.
Common Sense Media writes mentions the “scantily dressed women”, but aside from that says that “concerns with this one are the same as for all racing games”, asking, “Will its lack of realistic consequences send the wrong message about high-speed driving to kids, particularly those just learning to drive?” Due to worries that young children will see the lack of consequences for crashing - since nobody ever gets hurt - Common Sense Media recommends the game for those aged 13 and older.
In the UK PEGI rates Forza Horizon 2 suitable for all (or 3+), with no content warnings other than that the game allows the player to interact with others online. The original Forza Horizon had a PEGI 12 rating due to occasional use of swear words, but Forza Horizon 2 doesn’t have language much worse than “damn”.
Aside from potential concerns of downplayed consequences of car collisions, some parents may not want their younger children playing a game that glorifies cars and racing culture and includes a slightly sexualized tone towards women.
Older players will continue to appreciate Forza Horizon 2's quest to balance both realism and accessibility, from the graphics to the way the cars handle to the noises they make. Forza Horizon 2 offers an accessible and fun-focused first taste of racing simulation. It is the closest many people will get to how it might feel to actually drive one of the 200+ cars available in the game, and it’s definitely a safer and cheaper way to get that thrill.
Check out more family gaming guides, presented by Jordan Erica Webber.
