In the world of movie-adapted video games, there is often a fine line between what a developer can and can’t do to achieve success. Beenox’s 2014 release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a great example of this as the game proved to be just as disappointing as the film was.
In the case of Forza Horizon 2 presents Fast & The Furious, Playground Games and Turn 10 didn’t create a Furious 7 film adaptation but rather an experience that falls right in line with the excitement and lore of the franchise. Here is a quick overview of what you can expect from this promotional standalone expansion.
Fast & The Furious takes places prior to the events of Furious 7 and uses the exact same nice, French backdrop introduced in Forza Horizon 2. After receiving a phone call from Tej Parker, the Ludacris character from the film, players are then tasked with finding ten special cars for the crew that are located throughout various parts of France.
All of these vehicles appear in the film and bring a sense of personality and excitement to the overall experience. Below is a quick list of a few cars that you can expect to drive in this game.
- 1970 Dodge Charger R/T
- 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
- 1998 Toyota Supra
- 2015 Dodge Challenger
All of the vehicles in this expansion are earned by successfully completing various events throughout the south of France. Some of these events include bucket list challenges, showcase races against choppers, and timed speed tests against the owners of these highly coveted cars. In a nutshell, this mission structure is exactly what you would expect from a Forza Horizon game and thus there isn’t really anything new to draw you into the world. The campaign can take around three hours to complete and you can continue to race against friends and their drivatars afterward.
In terms of both gameplay and graphics, Fast & Furious employs the exact same design aesthetics as Forza Horizon 2. The only real noticeable difference here is that you are able to use nitrous boosts to better your odds in races. Tej upgrades every vehicle with this bonus after you’ve done all of the work to earn them. You also have full control over how much nitrous to use throughout the course of each race. This minimal, but vital feature is a nice touch that fans of the series will like.
Two noticeable drawbacks that I noticed about this expansion exist in both the lack of new content and a stronger Fast & Furious presence in the game. Tej is never seen in the actual title and neither are his on-screen co-stars after you have successfully earned every vehicle. Additionally, Forza Horizon 2 owners might not see the need to pick this up if they have already experienced everything that the core game has to offer. These issues are more so based on preference and what you are personally hoping to get out of the game.
With all that said, is Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious worth the $9.99 price tag attached to it? If you’re new to the series, or enjoyed all that Forza Horizon 2 had to offer and like the idea of racing in cars from the Furious 7 film, then yes it very well may be worth your time. On the other hand, you also could just buy the Furious car pack and use those exact same vehicles if you already own the core game that inspired this one.
This review was based on a digital retail copy of Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious for the Xbox One.
