Once the poor factory specification cars were upgraded, we discovered that Forza 4 is a fun game to play, with many different elements in it.Īdd Microsoft’s Kinect system, and extra realism is given in the form of virtual glances to the left or right whenever you move your head. In fact, while racing on a replica of the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, our factory specification Leaf slowed from 66 to 61 mph on the slightly inclined Rahal Straight approach to the track’s infamous Corkscrew chicane - something we’re sure wouldn’t happen in real life.īetter than most, but still a long way to go In fact, our stock 2011 Tesla Roadster took an agonizing 6 seconds to reach 60 mph, a good few seconds slower than the real-life car.Īnd while game developers Turn 10 used a Tesla Roadster to create record the tire noises used throughout the game on each car, the stock in-game Tesla Roadster handled much worse than the real thing, making any kind of Tesla-based racing a tiring experience.Īs we progressed through the game, we also started to notice specific quirks about the game we didn’t feel portrayed real life.įor example, we discovered that the 2012 Nissan Leaf - while easy to handle in corners - was particularly prone to slowing down on even the most modest of hills. While the actual 3D models used for each car are truly beautiful and highly accurate, we found each and every stock car we drove had a 0-60 time of several seconds longer than its real-life counterpart. Unlike games devoted to one particular type of racing, where we’ve found realism second-to-none, Forza 4 falls short when it comes to car realism. After all, with a 0-60 time of under 4 seconds and phenomenal handling, the Tesla Roadster has long been the token electric car in racing games.īut in Forza 4, other plug-in cars like the 2012 Nissan Leaf and 2012 Chevrolet Volt put an appearance beside cars like the 2012 Bugatti Veyron, while other green, high-mileage cars, like the 2012 Chevrolet Spark and 2012 Honda Fit Sport are represented alongside the 2012 Toyota Prius.Īs for the 2011 Tesla Roadster? It’s there too - but only available as part of a downloadable add-on pack from the XBox 360 marketplace or as part of the limited-edition collector’s version of the game. Released earlier this month, it offers a huge range of over 80 different cars from around the world, as well as a huge collection of faithfully replicated raceways, drag strips and circuits to race them on.Īrmed with a suitable beverage, a high-definition television and our XBox 360, we set out to do some of the most surreal test-driving we’ve ever done.įor several years now, we’ve seen the iconic Tesla Roadster get represented on racing games. Forza Motorsport 4 is just the latest title to do just that.