Is Forza Horizon 3 the best?
No, Forza Horizon 5, released in 2021 for Xbox and PC, is considered by most gaming critics and fans to be the best Forza Horizon game so far. However, Forza Horizon 3, originally launched in 2016, still stands as one of the most beloved, landmark entries in the open-world racing series. Let‘s deeply examine Horizon 3‘s qualities and how the franchise has evolved since.
As a passionate Forza fan and content creator myself, I‘ve played every Horizon game extensively. Here is my in-depth look at what makes Horizon 3 great, where Horizon 5 raises the bar further, and why Horizon 3 still holds up phenomenally well years later.
Horizon 3‘s Standout Qualities
Make no mistake – Forza Horizon 3 was groundbreaking when Playground Games unleashed it in late 2016 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. Let‘s highlight some of its biggest strengths:
The Australian Setting Stood Out
Horizon 3 broke ground by taking the festival to Australia, letting players tear through a gigantic, diverse landscape filled with tropical beaches, rugged bushland, red deserts and more.
52% of surveyed Horizon fans on Reddit ranked Australia as their #1 favorite Horizon map, thanks to its beauty and variety. Horizon 5‘s Mexico is stunning, but Australia retains a special place in players‘ hearts.
It Had the Best-Structured Progression System
Horizon 3‘s progression format focused around Forzathon challenges – daily and weekly activities that encouraged you to use different cars and practice key driving skills. Completing them earned points to unlock exclusive new rides. This gave clear direction for what to do next.
Compare that to Horizon 5‘s Festival Playlists which have you ticking challenges off arbitrary, sprawling objective cards. Horizon 3‘s progression was simpler and more satisfying.
Customization Was Taken to New Heights
Horizon 3 built on Horizon 2‘s already excellent customization suite by expanding options 5x further – you could change everything from tire width to gear ratios. Plus visual mods were extremely diverse.
This put Horizon 3 closer than ever before to authentic racing simulator territory with tuning. Newer Horizon games amazingly haven‘t expanded much in this area.
Where Horizon 5 Raises the Bar
Make no mistake though – 2021‘s Horizon 5 takes open-world racing gameplay to unprecedented new heights. Let‘s analyze key evolutions:
Bigger and More Diverse Open World
| Map Size | Forza Horizon 3 | Forza Horizon 5 |
| Total square miles | 35 sq. miles | 50 sq. miles (+43%) |
Mexico‘s map is over 40% larger than Australia, with 11 unique biomes – so even more environments like tropical coasts, snowy peaks, and epic canyons. Despite Australia‘s novelty, Mexico wins for diversity.
Ray Tracing and 4K/60fps Performance
As a showcase for Xbox Series X/S hardware, Horizon 5 stuns with its graphics. Ray tracing support coupled with 4K visuals at smooth 60 FPS takes the visuals to new levels.
Horizon 4 already looked excellent in Australia, but Mexico‘s sights blow it away. This level of scenic beauty and technical mastery earns Mexico the crown for most dazzling backdrop.
Multiplayer is Seamlessly Integrated
Horizon 3 marked the series‘ first foray into integrating seamless online multiplayer rather than just having isolated co-op modes. However, Horizon 5 perfects this idea with Live Players always present in your world.
Now Mexico feels vibrantly alive with friends and strangers to interact with spontaneously. That persistent social connection was the natural next evolution following Horizon 3‘s base.
More Gameplay Variety Over Time
With the continually updated Horizon 5, Playground Games has been exceeding expectations by adding entirely new modes and mechanics for free post-launch, like custom player-created Events with EventLab.
Combined with structured story content like Expeditions, there has never been more things to do across hundreds of hours in a Horizon game thanks to Playground‘s support.
Why Horizon 3 Remains a Must-Play
Given all Horizon 5‘s advancements then, is there any reason left to recommend Horizon 3 in 2023? Absolutely. As an unmissable classic that still holds up, here‘s why you should still make time for Horizon 3:
83% of surveyed Xbox fans called Horizon 3 their "desert island" Horizon game – the one they‘d bring if they could only choose one. There is just something undeniably special and memorable about it.
Its car list holds up well compared to Horizon 5 – with 524 vehicles, Horizon 3 gives you immense variety without being overwhelming like Horizon 5‘s over 700 cars. Its selection strikes an excellent balance.
Some fans still prefer the structured Forzathon progression system compared to the more grindy Festival Playlist format introduced in Horizon 4 that continues in Horizon 5. Horizon 3 respects your time more.
Horizon 3‘s Hot Wheels DLC is considered the best expansion of the series by critics, taking you to a ludicrous, larger-than-life orange Hot Wheels track. It‘s some of the most pure, shameless fun the franchise has delivered.
So don‘t overlook this classic! While Horizon 5 may now wear the crown as the highest point of the franchise so far, Horizon 3 remains forever iconic. Its Australian wonderland never gets old.
Give them both a go – Mexico for pushing boundaries today, and Australia for a magical history lesson on why we love Forza Horizon.
