Forza 3 was released a few days ago and it is very rapidly becoming the best game available on Xbox 360.

Opening the case, I am immediately greeted by the 2 disc set that Forza opponents thought was "hilarious". Well, it's exactly like I thought it would be. Disc two is the content disc. Due to the vast amount of content in Forza 3, most of it has to be downloaded onto the Xbox hard drive, less than 2 GB worth. After that is complete, disc two never has to be used again.

First impressions of the welcome screen, navigation, etc is not good. It's very confusing. The new format for "career mode" is a seasonal type set up. It's very very similar to PGR4 and the way the gamer progresses. You are prompted with a choice of 3 different series to choose from. After choosing one, you complete the competitions required. Like Forza 2, you are paid with CR (credits) and receive bonus CR as well depending on what type of assists you have on or off. My bonus it at 65%.

One new feature that was never talked about is the addition of a "manual-clutch" shifting option. Yes. Forza 3 has an actual clutch. It works exactly like the clutch would on a real life car. Relieve acceleration, engage the clutch, shift gears, disengage the clutch, resume acceleration. Very cool! Also, should you not clutch properly, it does affect and produce wear on your gearbox, thus making the shifting process slower.

The rewind feature is new. In a race, one could call it cheating; however if you're just out in free play and want to go for a lap record, it's a nice feature to have so you don't have to do 50,000 laps in order to achieve the best time because getting the perfect lap is so difficult in such a game.

Back to the game play, right of the bat I was annoyed. The "pre-race" camera introduction is something that should be deleted. 3 - 2 - 1 GO! Well, In Forza 3, we have less than a second to set our RPMs where we want them in order to achieve an ideal launch. This is the MOST annoying on the drag strip. It's impossible to hook up consistently because there is so little time to prepare for the launch.

The graphics truly are incredible. The environment, the cars, the interiors, the detail is immense. Compared to Forza 2, it's like night and day. The only graphical issue is the lighting on the cars. Turn 10 claimed to have improved the lighting issues, but clearly did not. It's unfortunate, however, it doesn't change the "fun factor" at all as far as I'm concerned.

The physics are still top notch. Improvements were made and they are noticeable. The driving feels much more solid and less spontaneous at times. With the new clutch feature, it greatly enhances the driving experience due to the added difficulty. If you can find an effective method for downshifting while braking going into corner 1, let me know.

The AI still sucks .. AI in every racing game I've ever played sucks. It's not realistic and never has been.

Car selection is awesome! Although, I'm not sure if there are 400 :/ doesn't seem that way as I scroll through the mfg's. However, one thing I'm pissed about is the 5 cars that cost $20 on the marketplace. Yup, that's right. Only the "VIP" members have access to the Gallardo Superleggra, 430 Scuderia, Corvette ZR1, DBS, and some other car I can' think of. Stupid if you ask me. The Veyron is very cool! Ran it through the standing mile in 24.7 seconds :) that was definitely fun. The trucks/SUVs are a lot of fun. Nothing like racing around the Ring in a Cayenne Turbo S with a Mustang GT on my tail :) Speaking of which .. no 2010 Stang and no GT-R. Slight let down to be honest, although I'm sure they will become available on the marketplace before too long.

One thing I noticed that I'm not sure how I feel about yet so far. Some of the engine sounds don't sound real? Forza 2 nailed it with every car. In Forza 3, it seems like every car has the exhaust upgrade already installed. The CTS-V is just as loud as the Z06, which we know just isn't the case. The V is fairly quite for the most part. Not in Forza. Very loud!!

One thing the guys at Turn 10 forgot about was actually making the guy on the inside fo the car reach down and shift gears... ooops. I guess every car in Forza 3 is the "automatic" version... if there ever was such a silly thing.

All in all: incredible game! I didn't think it could get this much better than Forza 2. I give the game an A- for obvious reasons. There are several issues. While they don't affect the fun factor, they are still issues.

Sounds great. Nice review. Do you know if there is a demo on xbox live?

Yes. But the demo has a few querks.. so beware.

It should be ok. TBH i've never had the pleasure of playing Forza and it's been more at the back of my mind since Forza is a GT competitor and GT bored the hell out of me. But I really like trying demos on xbox live, so I'll probably try it out this weekend. =)

The demo really doesn't do the game justice. I don't just say that because I am partial to Forza, but because it's the truth.

Overall, Forza 3 is incredible! Like i stated before, there are several minor issues with the game, however, none of them have really turned me off thus far.

When I played the demo, I wasn't too excited about the game. I kept reading about it and it all sounded good. The demo for me was a bust and it really doesn't do justice. Most demos suck, and Forza 3 is one of them.

I would stronly suggest and recomend Forza 3 for purchase. The level of customization is unparalled. Upgades in FM 2were emense. But in FM3, it's even greater. For example, aspiration can be swapped between, single turbo, twin turbo, twin screw supercharger, and centifugal supercharger. Beyond that, it can be upgraded in the engine section of the upgrades. Almost every car has drivetrain swaps. You can make a Ford GT AWD. You have the option to make a Ford Focus RS RWD or AWD. It's very cool.

There are more upgrades because they simply made them more specific. Pistons and rods is now an upgrade option, and there are more.

It's very cool! I can promise that you will not get bored because you can do whatever you want in this game. You can pick and chose events or go through the calendar. More assists. All cars are already unlocked and available to drive. Even in free play, you don't have to unlock certain cars in the career mode in order to just have a blast with them is free play.

Great game. Can't go wrong. Yes, there are numerous complaints of the FM3 forums.. but nobody has said they have just given up on the game because they don't like it. The overall experience.. graphics, physics, fun factor, variety.. it's all there.

maybe I'll rent it first. Since it's just that even if it's a good game, it may not be for me.

well I played the demo a couple days ago. And well I like the demo more than I have liked GT in general, lol.