Every I Wish I Knew Before Starting Forza Horizon 6

Forza Horizon 6 is finally here, and it's well worth the wait.

As I mentioned in our review, Playground Games has once again delivered a fabulous open-world playground to explore. The heart and soul of Japan is alive and well, filled with so much to see and do that, at times, it can be a bit overwhelming. Where does one even begin?

While Forza Horizon 6 does a decent job of easing you into things, it can still feel overwhelming pretty quickly. So with that in mind, here are all the vital tips and tricks you need to make your trip to Japan the best it can be.

8 You Can Save Money By Buying Used Cars

As you begin your journey, it won't come as much of a shock that you'll be light on Credits. As a result, you'll have to be pretty picky with the cars you acquire for each event.

Thankfully, there's an alternative in Forza Horizon 6: You'll come across a wide variety of used cars throughout all of Japan, available for far cheaper than full retail price. Best of all, these cars aren't exactly junkers, either, and are the perfect starter car on your Horizon journey.Be honest with yourself: your first car was most likely a beater in real life, so you should be okay with the same being true here. Thankfully, it'll be a little bit easier to give it some tweaks to improve it.

7 Don't Forget to Upgrade and Tune Them, Too!

It's not Forza if you're not able to upgrade and tune up your cars.

You'll be able to take even the worst of beaters and have them compete with the big guns. Does that mean you'll be able to make your piece of junk a supercar? Not necessarily, but you'll be able to take that used car you bought for cheap and have it become respectable.

At the end of the day, it's an excellent way to get a jump start on things without breaking the bank.

6 Take Part In Everything That You Can

Of course, eventually, you're going to want to spend some money and get a fancy new car. I don't blame you, and the best part is that a new car in Forza Horizon 6 won't instantly lose its value once you drive it off the lot.

Thankfully, there's plenty to see and do that can earn you Credits. I'm not just talking about your traditional events, either. You can be a DoorDash-esque driver, for example. You heard that right. Hey, it's more fun than you'd think, and it's a super easy way to get some spending money into your pocket!

Beyond that, smashing Horizon boards and Regional Mascots is a super-easy way to progress through the game's campaigns to keep things flowing. There's always something to do in Forza Horizon 6, so make sure you do it all.

5 Fast Travel Is Your Friend

Perhaps the most overwhelming part of Forza Horizon 6 is making your way across its map. Japan is larger than you may realize, and it will take some time to get to where you need to go.

Once you've made it to a certain destination, though, Fast Travel becomes an option. It should become your best friend.

Given that you're going to be busy hopping around Japan constantly in Forza Horizon 6, don't be afraid to utilize the Fast Travel option as much as possible.

4 Be Kind, Rewind

Another key, albeit controversial, feature of Forza Horizon is the Rewind feature. Some aren't happy that it acts as a magical "undo" button that solves all mistakes. Here's the thing, though: the biggest thing you'll need to know in Forza Horizon 6 is how each course plays out.

Given the seasonal changes on top of varied terrain, you'll never know how a course will play out until you race on it. Add in the fact that each car handles differently, and you're not just racing other drivers; you're also racing a bunch of variables.

That's where the Rewind feature can come into play. There's no shame in hitting it if the car handles in a manner that you don't expect, or an opposing Drivatar decides it wants to rear-end you out of nowhere.

3 The Racing Line Is Not Gospel

Speaking of the car not handling how you'd expect, the worst thing in the world is when you follow the Racing Line perfectly, and it betrays you. Hey, it happens; we've all been there.

That's why you shouldn't take the Racing Line as gospel. It's just a suggestion, not a foolproof solution that will guarantee success. It's better to trust your gut and make the smart move rather than driving in the "preferred line."

Cutting inside corners, especially at checkpoints, is the key to victory. Sometimes you just have to ask yourself, "What would Ricky Bobby do?" He'd cut that inside corner and refuse to brake when the line says to brake. Sometimes, that's what you need to do.

2 Don't Ignore Stamps From Discover Japan

It's easy to get focused solely on obtaining as many Horizon Festival wristbands as you can. I get it; you want to rise up the ranks, tackle those over-the-top challenges, and etch your name into Forza Horizon history.

Here's the thing, though: the Discover Japan missions are just as important, and collecting those stamps is equally as vital if you want to complete the game. For example, progressing through Discover Japan missions is how you'll unlock barn finds.

Forza Horizon 6 does an excellent job of treating Japan as something just as important as the Horizon Festival itself. This is your window to fully unlock everything its open-world has to offer, so don't ignore it!

1 The Drone is Your Friend

Look, I get it. Sometimes it's fun to do open-world "platforming" in your car as you make your way through the woods, cutting down trees, in search of barn finds, billboards, and anything else that you'll want to collect in Forza Horizon 6. It's also not exactly the most convenient way to do things.

Thankfully, you'll have a drone at your disposal to give you a better look at your surroundings.

It's a far more helpful tool to search for all the hidden goodies that exist within the game, especially since it can give you a birds-eye view of your surroundings.