I suppose it’s inevitable, so I’ll get the comparison to Gran Turismo out in the open straight off. Because hardware limitations aside, Forza Motorsport is what Gran Turismo 4 really should have been, and then some.

In fact, it’s only the obsessive compulsive in me that will keep me playing GT4 every now and again to finish it off. And like some kind of guilty love rat, I’ll still be thinking about Forza when I’m with my long adored Gran Turismo.

If you’re new to XBox driving games, you’ll notice right off that the AI-controlled opponents don’t ‘drive on rails’ – they play to win. I don’t know if it’s just me being paranoid, but I’m sure they bear grudges too – shunt another car out of your way and he’ll come straight back at you and give you as good as he got.

Another thing which adds to the realism and depth is the fact that if you hit a wall at 80 then you are more than likely going to damage your car – steering starts pulling to one side, your engine makes some decidedly dodgy sounds…You even leave paint on the central reservation if your driving is a little over-zealous…In other words, Forza forces you to drive not just fast, but well - if you’re ever going to win any races.

In the early stages, the game paints the best racing line on the track for you, with a clever colour-coding system that adapts to let you know you’re driving way too fast. I thought this was going to put a hardened driver like me off, but it’s actually very useful as you learn the tracks. Later in the game, you’re going to be travelling a lot faster as your vehicles improve – so knowing what lies after the next blind corner is going to be vital.

If you’ve played any of the GT games on the PS2 (and if you haven’t where have you been?) then you’ll recognise locations like Tokyo, New York and Laguna Seca. Forza’s superior physics, and greater 3-dimensional undulations of the tracks lend them a whole new feel though, so don’t be alarmed if you go off on some of the corners to begin with.

Look out for other track styles like the hill-climb too – this is where you’ll really notice how flat Forza makes other racing games look. Needless to say that while you’re not likely to stop that often to admire the scenery, if you do then you won’t be disappointed…even simple detail like trees and foliage are lovingly rendered, and the buildings and landmarks are simply spectacular.

As with many driving games, the more races you win, the more cash you make and the more bits you can bolt on to your car to make it go faster. Forza has taken a leaf out of Need for Speed Underground’s book too…If you’ve got more money than sense and/or a penchant for Burberry garments, you’ll be respraying your car, sticking on huge spoilers and bodywork, and covering it with the most garish decals you can get your hands on.

Like so many XBox titles these days, Forza comes to life when you go online. Trading cars and trash-talking at your mates provide an excellent backdrop to the real meat and potatoes – and that’s thrashing them on the track. The offline AI in Forza is great to practise against, but you’ll never beat the rush of kicking some righteous ass on the tarmac. As I was saying, Forza Motorsport is everything that Gran Turismo 4 should have been, and then some.

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