I went back to Forza Horizon 3 for this review, playing it through on my own PC the way I do with every game I cover for Fever of Games – hands-on, not going off memory or what other sites say. Coming back to this one after spending time with more recent racing games, I found it held up better than I was expecting going in.
Game Overview
Forza Horizon 3 moves the Horizon festival to Australia, giving players control over the event itself rather than just competing in it. I liked that shift in framing – being the one running the festival, choosing where to build sites and expand the map, gave me more investment in the world than a typical career-mode structure usually does. The story itself is light, mostly there to justify unlocking new areas and events, and I found that appropriately minimal for a game that’s really about driving and exploring.
What struck me most on replay is the sheer variety packed into the map – rainforests, outback deserts, coastal roads, and a fully explorable city all sit within driving distance of each other, and I found myself constantly changing pace just based on where I happened to be.
PC Gameplay
Sitting down with this again, I was reminded how well Forza Horizon 3 balances arcade accessibility with a driving model that still has real weight to it. Handling felt forgiving enough that I could just enjoy blasting down a highway, but there was enough nuance in how each car handled that I noticed real differences switching between something nimble and something heavier and more powerful.
The open world design is where I think this game really earns its reputation. I found myself constantly getting distracted from whatever event I was heading to because I spotted a jump, a speed trap, or just an interesting stretch of road I wanted to try. Drivatars – AI versions of other players’ driving styles – added a layer of unpredictability to races that I appreciated more on this replay than I expected to.
Graphics
On modern hardware, I pushed the settings up and was genuinely impressed by how well this still looks. Australia’s environments are varied and detailed, and lighting during the dynamic day-to-night cycle and weather changes – I got caught in a rainstorm mid-race more than once – added a visual dimension that I don’t think I fully appreciated the first time I played this. Car models are detailed both inside and out, and I found myself just admiring vehicles in photo mode more than I expected to.
I ran the game at a smooth frame rate without pushing my hardware to its limits, which tells me it’s still well optimized even years after release, and I didn’t run into stability issues during my time with it.
Sound and Music
Engine sounds are a real highlight for me here – each car has a distinct character, and the way sound design shifts between open highway driving and tighter off-road sections added a lot to the overall feel of each drive. I found myself doing more off-road exploring than I originally planned, largely because the engine notes and terrain sounds made it satisfying just to drive rather than race.
The soundtrack leans into a broad mix of genres across in-game radio stations, and I found enough variety there to keep things interesting over long sessions, without ever feeling like I was hearing the same handful of songs on repeat.
Game Modes
My time was split between the single-player campaign, which includes a wide variety of race types, stunt events, and the festival expansion system, and a handful of online sessions where I ran into other real players sharing the open world. I also tried some of the co-op and team-based events, and even now I found people online to play with, though matchmaking took a bit longer than I imagine it did at launch.
The photo mode and general exploration ended up being their own kind of activity for me – I spent a genuinely large chunk of time just finding scenic spots and interesting vehicles to photograph, separate from any actual racing.
Controls
I found the default keybinds on PC reasonably intuitive, though I quickly switched to a controller since the game felt noticeably more natural to me that way, particularly for precise cornering at high speed. Keyboard input worked fine for casual driving, but I found myself missing some of the finer control a controller gave me once races got more competitive.
I didn’t need to adjust much in the settings before feeling comfortable – the default sensitivity and assist options felt sensible right out of the gate, which made getting into races quick and painless.
FAQs
Is Forza Horizon 3 worth playing in 2026?Â
In my experience, yes – the open world and driving feel held up well against more recent racing games I’ve played, even years after release.
Is the online community still active?
I was able to find other players and matches during my time with it, though wait times were a bit longer than I’d expect at launch.
Do I need a powerful PC to run this well?
Not from what I experienced – I ran it smoothly on modest modern hardware, though pushing every setting to maximum will naturally ask more of your system.
How much content is there outside the main races?
A genuinely large amount – I found stunt events, festival expansion activities, and exploration alone gave me plenty to do beyond the core race list.
Is this game still available to purchase and download?
From what I found, availability can vary depending on region and storefront, so I’d recommend checking current listings directly before assuming it’s readily purchasable everywhere.
