Forza Horizon 5 has a large number of options to customize the game to each player's liking. As one of the highest-rated racing games of 2021, it makes sense that the game is accessible to all sorts of players. Among the Xbox exclusive title's expansive options menu, there are a few that players will definitely want to set before they begin.
Forza Horizon 5 will prompt the player to check the options before they begin the game for the first time. There are some general options that can be toggled, such as specific sound levels and brightness settings. However, one thing that sets Forza Horizon 5 apart from the pack is how in-depth the options go, providing possibilities that several games do not delve into. With Horizon 5 already fixing Forza's past problems, these deep options feel like a natural escalation of the game's improvement. This lends even more reason for players to adjust the game as they wish.
One option in the menu is whether to toggle ANNA on or off. ANNA is a computerized assistant in the player's car who speaks to them in a manner similar to Siri. When the player has a destination marked on their map, ANNA will announce their directions each time that a turn comes up. It provides a decent bit of immersion, being reminiscent of following instructions on one's phone in real life. However, with the game already showing the path on the minimap, ANNA does not feel incredibly necessary. While her voice can be pleasant for some, others would prefer driving across Forza Horizon 5's beautiful recreation of Mexico at their own pace. If one feels that they may be annoyed by her calling out directions, then her assistance can be turned off in the options menu.
Settings That Make Forza Horizon 5 Better
One of Forza Horizon 5's more laudable moves is the ability to adjust the game to for multiple forms of colorblindness. The game features adjustable filters for deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia, and each will adjust the game's color palette in order to make the visuals more pleasant for players with these varieties of colorblindness. If a player has any of the three mentioned forms of colorblindness, then turning on the appropriate filter will likely be the first thing that they will want to do upon starting the game. With the news that a sign language interpreter for Forza Horizon 5 is coming in a future update, it is clear that accessibility was one of Horizon 5's priorities.
Finally, one vital thing that players will want to adjust is the camera. By default, the camera will follow closely behind the player's car, like in many racing games. However, there are also options for alternate camera angles, most notably a hood-mounted camera and a point of view from the driver's seat inside the car. In particular, driver's-seat cameras have proven to be rather popular among fans of racing simulators, leaving little wonder why the developers of Forza Horizon 5 decided to implement them. Players who prefer the simulation side of driving games will likely wish to switch their camera angle before beginning the game. With Forza Horizon 5's deeply customizable car liveries, it's not unreasonable to expect players to want to sit behind the wheel of their creations.
Forza Horizon 5 is one of the most accessible racing games to be released, and every player should take the opportunity to tune the settings to their liking before getting behind the wheel of their first car in-game. With so many options, hopefully, almost every player can get the game running just the way they like it. The automotive party that is Forza Horizon 5 should reach more players than ever before.