6 Forza Horizon 6 Features That Make the Open World Feel More Like a Playground

The Forza Horizon franchise has always delivered an open world playground to get lost in, but things feel amped up to eleven in Forza Horizon 6.

It's not just the long-awaited trip to Japan that has people excited, but also the amount there is to see and do in the land of the rising sun. There's your races, PR stunts, barn finds, treasure hunts, varied scenery, seasonal changes, and that's honestly the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps that's why the game has resonated so well with critics as one of the best games of the year.

With that in mind, I wanted to review all the features within Forza Horizon 6 that make the game's open world playground that much better. It's not just about smashing XP boards, exploring Japan, and collecting cars. No, it's much more than that, and I'm grateful for it.

6 More PR Stunts Than Ever Before

Nothing Says "Open World Playground" Like Literally Flying Through the Open World

One of the things that originally drew me to the Forza Horizon franchise was how much fun it was traversing through its open world. Not just driving on the roads, but truly going off-road and exploring. I loved how the game encouraged me to do this, whether it was designed for off-road races or the numerous PR stunts.

Over the years, Playground Games has done an excellent job of continually upping the ante with the PR stunts. These always capture the very best Forza Horizon has to offer. In Forza Horizon 6, the PR stunts continue to up the ante when it comes to open world racing.

From drifting through the twists and turns of roads cutting through Japan's iconic Cherry Blossom trees, to the Trailblazer stunts that have you driving at breakneck speeds down the hilly countryside, these PR stunts are an absolute blast that will make you feel like a kid again.

5 Treasure Hunts

More Than Just Barn Finds

Barn finds have been a staple since the very beginning of the Forza Horizon franchise. Treasure Hunts, however, take full advantage of not just exploring Japan, but the seasonal changes as well. Here's how they work: you're given a clue as to the location of a rare car, with just a photo of its location as the hint. It's up to you to explore the open world to find out exactly where it is.

It's such a natural, organic way to explore the game's map that before long, you'll see a new Treasure Hunt hint and get excited that you're seeing a familiar location. There's far too many times we see an open world game simply give you a checklist of things to see and do. That's not to say that doesn't happen in Forza Horizon 6, but the Treasure Hunts aren't always that.

This is a reward for exploring the open world playground at your disposal. The more you experience, the more you'll be rewarded in your explorations, and that's the way an open world game should work.

4 Daikoku Car Meet

Meet Up and Show Off

One of the best ways to have an open world game feel alive is to encourage organic interaction with its players.

Forza Horizon 6 utilizes the Link system to reward players for performing stunts together, but the Daikoku Car Meets take things to another level. There are already ways to show off your car collection, particularly with all of the housing and garage options at your disposal. That doesn't let you show off your collection in public, though. The Daikoku Car Meet does just that.

Having a centralized place to show off makes it feel like you're rewarded for all of your hard work. It reminds me of people standing in Stormwind City or Orgrimmar in World of Warcraft, showing off a shiny new mount or piece of gear. I would see those people and hope I, too, could obtain something so rare. In a world where online gaming becomes more and more isolated, these car meets help make Forza Horizon 6 a more social experience.

3 Discover Japan

See the Sights!

Undoubtedly my favorite feature within Forza Horizon 6 is Discover Japan. It's so nice to slow things down and actually enjoy your time in Japan doing something other than the constant stream of events, races, and PR stunts. That's not to say I don't enjoy those things, but I'm a big fan of anything that lets me slow down, breathe, and take in the sights.

Discover Japan is just that: a slower pace of play that allows those climactic moments to stand out even more. It's easy for these types of games to continually up the ante. Sure, it's fun when a game's set pieces continue to one-up each other, but you need to let things breathe. A good roller coaster knows how not to build momentum, but also build it back up.

Think of Discover Japan like those slower moments on a roller coaster. They're smooth, relaxing, and gentle, but you also know what's about to happen next. Best of all, each Discover Japan moment does an excellent job of building to the climactic moments that exist within the event. They quickly became some of my favorite things to do for a reason.

2 The Horizon Festival Set Pieces

That Makes You Larger Than Life

It's important for any open world game to make sure it doesn't take itself seriously all the time. Look at Grand Theft Auto, for example. Its best moments are the ones that are over-the-top crazy that juxtapose nicely to its more serious notes during the main story.

Now, I'm not saying that Forza Horizon 6's story comes close to something like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption. Those are in a league of their own, and as much as I enjoy what feels like an actual campaign in Forza Horizon that isn't "complete events, earn wristbands, repeat," it's a nice and a day's difference in its tone. What isn't much of a difference, though, is how well these games lean into the more nonsensical moments. Racing against flying jets, mech robots, through baseball stadiums; all of it is an absolute blast that makes this world feel like an actual playground.

Another great comparison is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Yes, it's important to focus on the story, but Rebirth is perfectly content to not only let you have fun in its open world, but also actively encourages it. One minute you're fighting Elan and Rude, and the next you're participating in a cavalcade of mini-games. It's important for games to lean into the fun factor, and that's one of the many places where Forza Horizon 6 succeeds.

1 The Open World Itself

Don't You Dare Close Your Eyes

Of course, none of that would matter if the open world was boring, bland, and not exciting. Thankfully, that isn't the case here.

It's no surprise that Japan is as varied with its biome as you'd expect. One minute you're cruising through downtown Tokyo, and the next you're up in the mountains driving through larger-than-life snowbanks through the Alpine region. While Japan may not seem as exotic and destination-worthy as something like Mexico or Australia, I'd argue that this is, without a doubt, the best Forza Horizon location yet.

Everywhere you turn the corner in Forza Horizon 6's open world, there's something new waiting to be discovered. Something you haven't seen before. Maybe it's an essential part of Japanese culture. Or it's a fun route or PR stunt that's just fun to drive. Either way, the one thing Forza Horizon 6's open world nails the most is, well, its open world.