Recently, it was that time of the month again where we get a sneak peek at some new Forza Horizon 5 gameplay footage thanks to a new episode of the Let’s ¡Go! Video series.
So far, the Playground Games team has explained how the sky has been captured and the updated car engine sounds have been implemented, among other details, and this time around we all got to learn what the word ‘biomes’ means.
Yes, we’re not afraid to admit we’d not heard of it either. We should have paid more attention during geography lessons…
A biome is a “distinct biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to a shared regional climate.”
Or, in other words, a unique area that has its own unique geographical features. Place that within a Forza Horizon 5 context, the gameplay area will feature 11 locations that will feel significantly different from each other.
They are: the Arid Hills, a Living and Sand Deserts, Canyon, Jungle, Farmland, Guanajuato (city and previously shown off in the reveal footage), Tropical and Rocky Coasts, Swamp and the ‘Grand Caldera’ Volcano.
On the last point, the Volcano, it’s already been touted as the tallest area on the map – which is 1.5x times larger than the Forza Horizon 4 playable location – and was used to demonstrate how the seasons will work in the upcoming release.
Approaching the volcano in the Ford #14 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing GRC Fiesta, we skip two weeks (each season will last a week, as per usual) from summer to winter. The grass that lines the road is now covered in a small amount of snow, and the frozen white ice crystals are also present on the rocky hillside.
The game will feature regionalised weather this time around. So, while in Horizon 4 most of the scenery would be covered in snow during the coldest month, in Horizon 5 it seems like the snow effect would only be on the higher regions. As the team progressed up the volcano, the snow became more present.
“If it’s raining on the volcano, and you drive all the way up, it’ll actually turn to snow, which is really fun and adds to the immersion,” explained Conar Cross, Associate Art Director at Playground Games.
In previous FH5 teasers, there has been a lot of talk about photogrammetry, and in this demonstration, we can see the insane levels of detail used to create small items, such as twigs in the forest and rocks on the ground that move when you drive over them. Reminiscent of the excellent dry stone wall physics in FH4, but applied to small objects on the floor.
The game looks to be shaping up well ahead of the planned 9th November 2021 release for Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One and PC via Steam. Let us know in the comments below if this latest information has increased your anticipation.
