'Forza 6' pixel perfect

I'll get it out of the way at the beginning. Forza 6 is the best console driving game to date. It is, in a word, epic.

 

Forza Motorsport 6

For: Xbox One
From: Turn 10/Microsoft Studios
Five stars (out of five)

 

It's not just the huge number of cars or tracks - all of which are pixel perfect - or even the driving dynamics or the cars (again, faultless) that stand out, it's the attention to detail.

The whole game is packaged superbly, the cars and menus have been revamped since Forza 5 and the whole process of buying, upgrading, tuning and racing a car is now far less clunky and complex.

The pre-event voice-overs are slick and interesting and the whole experience is sharp and beautifully presented.

There are a few additions: Showcase events - a bit like the Bucket List or set pieces from ForzaHorizon 2 - are a great break from the standard races and give you chances to drive special cars in special events.

A mod system has been added which lets you choose certain race, track or car-specific boosts and earn you XP during a race.

These aren't essential to gameplay and are easily missed in the pre-race menu, but they add a bit more opportunity to level up and earn cash, which is what you need to to to get to the bigger cars in career mode.

One of the most hyped additions, though, is the changeable weather.

The rain effect is stunning.

Apart from the fact that everything is slippery, puddles on the track make the cars aquaplane and impossible to control and rain hammering on the windscreen gets moved both by the windscreen wipers and the forces on the car when it changes direction.

It even sounds real!

It's just as intense racing at night, especially on the long country tracks which lack lights for long stretches.

You really have to rely on your headlights and the light of your opponents to navigate.

Multiplayer has also been given a revamp.

The lobby and matchmaking process is quick and efficient and even pre-release when online racers were spread over the whole world the game did not noticeably slow down, even with chat enabled.

Another plus: split-screen racing is still there so you can battle it out on the sofa against a mate.

As in previous Forza games, you can race pretty much all of the cars and tracks from the start by choosing the Freeplay mode and ''renting'' your dream ride.

You don't earn XP in this mode, but it does give you the chance to see what slogging through the career mode can get you.

I rarely give games a perfect score but I've struggled to find anything from Forza Motorsport 6 that I didn't like.

'Nuff said.

• Simon Kemp