Boffey's Racing Recommendations

Boffey recommends:

Forza Motorsport 4

There has been one Xbox exclusive that was the sole reason for me to buy the console. Forza Motorsport, the race series that has been taking gamers around the world's best race tracks for the last eight years. When Forza Motorsport 4 was released in late 2011 it took motor racing realism to the next level, with the integration of the Kinect Sensor and a game mode specifically to show off the depth in detail, Autovista, as well as a host of race modes with several vehicle assists that will cater for everyone, from the casual racer to Lewis Hamilton.

Forza Motorsport 4 takes what Turn 10 have learnt from the last three instalments and brings the most full and realistic console racer to date, with races on 26 courses in 500+ cars. Each car has a number of upgrade options to chose from and a tuning system that you can lose hours in, these options will make no two vehicles the same. Unfortunately, there are no options to race in the night or rain like its competition, but I can forgive that given the way the racing looks.

Because of the lack of the night and rain racing, the developers have had more chance to focus on race modes, and not how the cars reflect the moonlight. There is the normal circuit, drag and drift racing that you associate with motorsport but there are also some different modes that make Forza stand out from other games. The addition of autocross, how fast you can get around the track while weaving in and out of cones, is one. If you want a more hectic experience there are playground games,  which consist of games like car football and tag. If you don't already own an Xbox, Forza seems like the perfect reason to go out a purchase, so you can experience the ultra-realistic racing.

Alternatively, try:

Gran Turismo 5

Gran Turismo has been on our screens since the release of the original PlayStation in 1995 and has always sold itself on being "the real driving simulator". So if Gran Turismo 5 is what it says it is, surely it should walk all over the competition from Forza Motorsport and other racing games. In some ways it does, with several features that are missing in its rivals. There is nothing like flying around the circuit at night with it pelting down with rain. GT5 also puts you in the shoes of a racing driver by making you take driving tests to earn your licenses, you will need these to compete in certain events.

Gran Turismo does have options that other racing games don't but even though the idea is good, they seem a bit rushed. For instance the used car store, a place where you can buy cars that have already got some mileage on; but when buying from here the graphics become questionable, with the cars looking like they are from Gran Turismo 2. Even with the rushed parts of the game it is still up with the best racing game around, even if it is just a bit behind Forza Motorsport.

Forza Horizon

If you feel that track racing is too competitive for you, then there is the new instalment from the Forza series, Forza Horizon. Set on the tarmac of Colorado you enter into the Horizon Festival and starting at the bottom of the Festival, you race your way to become number one over the course of the game.

The whole of Colorado is open from the start for you to drive around if you don't feel like taking part in races, but without race wins you will not have any money to buy new cars and upgrades so a mixture of both is best. Horizon is the first Forza game to have night driving which makes all the familiar roads feel totally different when you're screaming down them at 200+MPH. Forza Horizon brings the intense racing of Forza Motorsport with rivals and online clubs, together with the Sunday driver feel when you're cruising though the twisty mountain roads.