Forza Horizon 2 - Storm Island - Review
Forza Horizon 2 has been perhaps the best racing game of 2014, so more DLC is always welcome, but this is not just a car pack, but an entire new place to explore and it provides a challenge unlike anything you have experienced in the game so far.
Storm Island takes place in a brand new area, completely separate from the mainland and it comes with its own Championship to compete in. Each of the new race types will challenge you like nothing the main game has ever done and while exploring this new space, I loved every minute of it. You see the name Storm Island is bestowed here because of the storms that kick up, far more often than on the mainland. In fact they really become their own when you take part in the all new Gauntlet events, races that take place at night, in the midst of the biggest storms the game has and on tracks that are less track and more dirt, with little signage to help you navigate. Conquering these gave me a smile each time, because I not only had to worry about the other racers, but for the first time, I had to worry about the landscape.
Each of the new race types are variations on what you would expect, but the only real difference to them is they rarely take place on asphalt. This is where the real challenge comes in with Storm Island, at any point the event you are in may see you barrelling across an open field, only to have to drift around and down a hill side, while avoiding crashing into the trees that line the side of the course. Not only are you challenged by the Drivatars, but the courses themselves, in many ways the courses are more the star than the island as a whole.
But you are not without help here, along aside this new playground and new race events are 5 brand new cars, my favourite being the Ford Ranger T6 Rally Raid, it has power and height, which is something you need. I took my Mustang into the Muscle car event and spent more time bouncing over hills and rolling the car, because it hit almost every bump in the ground. New cars are not all you get though, more Bucket List challenges, new showcase events, playground arenas, online race routes and more. You are getting a lot of value for your money here.
Storm Island, is pretty much what all DLC needs to try to be. It adds more to the Forza Horizon 2 experience, but at the same time feels different enough that it is not just more of the same. The Gauntlet events are the real stars here, with a level of challenge not seen elsewhere in the game. If you own the game, then you need to get Storm Island.
The Score
8.0
Review code provided by Xbox Game Studios
The Pros
+The new island location is great, coupled with the weather makes it a real blast
+The Gauntlet challenges are some of the best in the series
The Cons
-It is a bit costly to get into this DLC
-Some of the changes will test even the best Horizon 2 drivers
