Automotive Fantasyland: What Makes Forza Horizon 5 So Compelling?
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- Опубліковано 29 лис 2021
- This is a video essay ruminating on why Forza Horizon 5 resonated with me so much, and speculates about how some of those things might have led to it being XBox Game Studio's biggest hit of 2021.
This video made with production assistance from Nate Greene.
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If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: / noahcaldwellgervais - Ігри
![Elements of CONTROL [Spoilers]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tZUpLtil8_U/mqdefault.jpg)
THAT INTRO
fuuuck I'm so happy this channel is catching the eyes of bigger channels more and more.
Right? I cant remember the last time I felt the effort of an intro like that.
Wtf why are you here?
Was annoying
Harris!!
Oh jeez here we go, another video essay starting with an anecdote about how the love bug destroyed a psyche
Hey there Jacob, looking forward to how other things can destroy people's psyches in your future videos!
Jokes aside, it's awesome seeing that you and Noah are aware of each other. Two of my favorite channels on YT, bar none.
Two legends, i'm in the presence of immortality, my psyche can't handle this.
Oh shit the legend is here watching another legend
@@zeroblue720 how pathetically sad…simping to two youtubers. Fucking yikes…
@@charlesthoreson4162 found a contrarian
“I’ve taught a lot of people how to drive manual, and the first question I like to ask is if they’ve seen the movie Snowpiercer.”
Never change, Noah.
It's so odd to read about changing to manual. As a Brit, manual gears are a given; automatics are for disabled people.
@@BongoBaggins It's only a matter of time before the automotive industry takes that away from y'all, too. Cherish it while you can.
@@BongoBaggins i mean, manual is used throughout whole of europe, and even most of asia and africa
automatics are mostly american thing
@@Cheezmonka nah dont think manuals are going anyway any time soon, i dont think you are accustomed to third world standards
@@Bleilock1 In most of Europe and North America everythint new will be electric within the next twenty years, and I'd guess that nobody will be making fake stick-shifts for normal electric cars. But I get what you mean. Of course people can still get older cars with manual transmissions, and places that won't be forcing electric cars will still sell whatever they always have sold.
Got to love the poetic nature of the commentary combined with the absolute refusal to brake for corners in nearly every part of the footage.
We all know that wall riding is king in Forza Horizon anyway. :D
I laughed way harder at this than I should have
The dichotomy of man.
At least as I sit in the awe at the knowledge, wisdowm and time it takes Noah to produce these videos and that I could never, I can at least convince myself I'm better at videogames than he is. I consider it a service to the audience
With the absolute mad dedication to read all names at the end for 15+ minutes!
I've always loved the intros, but you've really outdone yourself this time
This Ricky Gervais Caldasak guy sucks
I know right? Totally unique style., 👍
Peak youtuber artistry
I KNOW! RIGHT!
I came to comment this
0:31:42 "Among all the things that fall away in the transition to adulthood, the ability to exist only(!) in the present tense is one of the most significant losses. In childhood, the fantasy of racing is one of growing up and becoming powerful. In adulthood, the fantasy of racing, is one of finding something that has been lost. Somewhere, beyond the red line, is a place where one can be themselves purely, absolutely, in a childish, animalistic way that becomes so distant as time goes on."
This got me. Thank you Noah.
Great video. As a fellow mediocre racer, this video has given me a newfound perspective to getting beat in multiplayer. Thank you for that. Also that intro was insane.
Man, the fast food lasagna guys love Noh? My life is complete.
A cameo I did not expect in these comments
The OG
Does this mean Noah is gonna be on Epic Meal Time now? Cause that would be wild.
never in a million years did I expect this...
"Others outgrow it the same way you forget the names of all the dinosaurs."
That's one childhood fascination that I certainly never got rid of!
Also, gotta say Noah, love that your Forza screenname is SoilErosion, it's so delightfully fitting for you.
Even after smokin weed for 6 years like a madman and drinkining more and more, I still remember parasaurolophus, iguanodon, gigantasaurus, carcharodontosaurus, galimimus,........
I only needed to google the spelling lol.
That opening was the highest budget thing I've ever seen from you. I feel like it's going to be the start of a new era for this channel, and I am excited for it.
Sounds like a new mic too
@@richardm6985 yeah he's hired nate as a sound guy
Noah will slowly but surely transform this into a automobile channel. Like Top Gear, but funny.
"...a screaming golem made out of spinning metal and controlled explosions."
Nobody does it like Noah
I love the way a Noah video isn't just a review. It's an in depth critique, a history of game design trends, insights on popular culture, deadpan humour and engaging anecdotes. It feels less like man reviews game on UA-cam, and more like a lecture in a prestigeous uni crossed with a conversation at a comfy village pub.
He's basically the Susan Sontag of Video games.
Yeah. I come here less for the "is this good?" and more "what is interesting about this?"
comfy village pub
That last line is indeed a great description of a Noah video essay!
Yyyup, love in-depth analysis with personal flare.
Noah is one of the greatest in the field, but Whitelight is my absolute favorite.
There is something so charmingly anachronistic about the way Noah speaks. Not that he seems detached from this time but barely anyone carries themselves quite like him on this platform.
It‘s like listening to a Walt Disney nature documentary that is paradoxically about a video game and I love it.
He almost has that old timey radio voice with a trans atlantic accent. Its pleasant to listen to.
Seeing Noah tackle a game that happens to connect with some part of him and unfurl into something strange and specific like a baroque pearl is always magical - I continue to adore these really fascinated, personal looks into games and the ways they can captivate.
That intro, the way you summarize everything regarding cars as a symbol of social status and the issues of right to repair, can make even a guy like me who isn't into cars or racing completely engaged with this.
Actually, I think the best quote that summarizes the joy of cars for me is from Pirates of the Caribbean, funnily enough.
"Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs but what a ship is... What the Black Pearl really is... Is freedom."
This applies not to just new-world-era wooden ships, but to cars. And to yachts. And to planes. And even to intergalactic spaceships.
The irony is that I don't care about any of the reasons he talked about. Never have. All I like about cars is, well, going where I please in a manner that's pleasing. I never could understand the association between cars and status; just the idea that a car loses value merely from being driven off the lot is absurd to me when there's no conceivable mechanical difference within that first ten minutes.
And yet, despite that and the fact that I'm an unspeakably poor racer, I do love racing games and cars for the aesthetic and the feeling of it. I suppose it really is just the same sort of childlike wonder Noah has for powerful, fast, aesthetically pleasing machines.
"Among all the things that fall away during the transition to adulthood, the ability to exist *only* in the present tense is one of the most significant losses."
Fantastic quote, Noah, thank you. Sums up my personal feelings on the difference between children and adults in a way I could never really put into words.
Ha, yeah, brilliant quote, and also an extremely good explanation of while I am a failure of an adult... but still a relatively happy one: I never really suffered that loss.
I find that becoming a parent definitely brought that ability back… But then again, it is still ties to childhood in some way: just not your own
I discovered your channel after a friend suggested the RE retrospective, and I’ve fallen absolutely in love with your way with words and your insight! Stellar work, UA-cam is a better platform by having you on it.
His travel videos are incredible, I'd suggest checking out William least-heat moons 'blue highways', I found it through Noah, and they have a similar writing style
I love the progression of this channel from strange niche to widely respected and beloved. You've got creators of all kinds popping up in the comments to let you know how much they love your stuff. Its fantastic to have watched this happen as it's well deserved.
Noah Caldwell Gervais: your favorite critic's favorite critic.
And not just here. One of my favorite channels on UA-cam mentioned Noah's work during a Let's Play, so I had to come check it out. Next thing I know, I've torn through his back catalog at least twice, shared some of his funniest observations with friends and coworkers, and waited patiently for this.
So, thank you, Dan Floyd from Playframe, for telling me about this
As a side note, kudos to Nate for the increased production values. As someone who's been following your channel for a while the improved audio quality was indeed noticeable, and helps your already excellent work be just that little bit better.
Same, I watch almost everything with headphones and with how audiobook-esque Noah's content is, the jump in quality is super appreciated.
As someone who's been turning wrenches professionally for the last decade, I can corroborate the sentiment that you need to love it. It's painful, tedious, frustrating, uncomfortable and soul sucking. You will ache, strain, pull, smash, and bleed. But even with all of that, I wouldn't trade my skill set for anything else. There is so much to learn and endless (hard earned) satisfaction when it clicks.
All this is to say that I loved the vid and I applaud you for following another passion. Even if you decide you don't dig the auto industry, you will definitely use what you learn after you move on. Cheers
33:22 Funnily enough, FUEL was made by Asobo - the people behind the 2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator. After more than a decade, and two console generations, they finally achieved the dream of a true 1:1 open-world Earth, with not a foot of it empty.
I saw Forza Horizon 5 and clicked so goddamn fast on this. Holy moly, this is exactly what I need right now!
Why am I not surprised that you’re here?
Take the time to talk slower and enunciate your words better. Very difficult to understand your accent sometimes and subtitles are your friend.
@@charlesthoreson4162 I have zero trouble understanding him. His accent isn't thick at all.
@@charlesthoreson4162 subtitles are readily available on all my videos. Take the time to turn them on and shift the video to 0.75 speed if you have such trouble parsing my accent.
@@charlesthoreson4162 small brain find perfectly normal accent difficult and somehow makes this everyone else's problem. My GUY
You put a fair bit of effort into that intro and I feel like that needs to be acknowledged
I was really confused why you were talking about ‘the love bug’ over footage of the car from ‘Herbie fully loaded’ only to find out that not only was Herbie the car in both films, but also in a handful of others.
All this is to say that Herbie walked so iron man could run
I like cars. Don’t like car games. Guess I’ll be watching this video 10 times this week anyway! Intro was so tight.
Oh man forza horizon is a car game actual worth playing
@@PunishedDad It looks pretty great. Gonna try it out.
@@timandfin good move mans, I actually don't really like cars but I adore the forza horizon games, maybe I was suckered in cause I played 3 first and it's set in Australia and I gotta represent
no harm in checking it out anyway it's on xbox's gamepass thing and you can get a trial thing of that for like $1
I know!!! I'm jealous of where he lives.
I had a friend who's grandmother gave her Roomba a funeral. she was shintoist and strongly believed that her love of the object and bonding with it, gave it a soul and a will of its own.
That's honestly heartwarming.
@@iulus6851 I like to think this is one of the reasons god gave us empathy. So we can share it with everything around us
@@iulus6851 I am glad I could make your day better
I think every mechanic is a shintoist whether they realise it or not.
@@darkchild130 totally lol
This video might not convert me into a racing game fan, but it is such a mind-blowingly exhaustive explanation of why someone would enjoy the genre. I feel like I've learned a lot about a genre I don't really have it in me to get into myself. Fantastic work as always, Noah!
As a game designer by trade, I really enjoy the more literary reviews from Noah. It's very refreshing to hear someone speak about the impressions a game left on them and what they feel while playing, more than just describing mechanics, story, level design and graphics. It's good study material.
It's unfortunate that a lot of the systems implemented in today's games are designed less around this core feeling that the player should have and more around base "standard" considerations like player convineince, progression and learning curves and consistency and compatibility between systems (and monetization of course..). I'm still hoping for that "Pathologic 2" Noah review..
As a non game designer, the standard stuff you mentioned seems like fairly good things to have (except for the monitization).
Is the problem that too much focus is spent on this standard stuff and not much else?
@@SWProductions100 The problem is that a lot of times stuff is implemented in the way it "works best". And it leads to a lot of uniformity, since people are too afraid to deviate or break certain "rules".
In my oppinion, at the core you should have an idea of the experience you want to offer to the player, and then design around that, whereas most modern games don't really have it. Even if you start with something like this, a lot of changes will be made that go against the original idea because "they fit better", "they offer better clarity" or "they don't alienate a portion of the playerbase".
@@doruscatalin1600
I'm all for better clarity so to not needlessly confuse the player (in tutorializing at least). Though I can appreciate if an idea feels watered down to fit certain ideas of convenience.
It reminds me of Noah's comments on No Man Sky, how the AI to create planets was tweaked to make sure the player had access to resources at all time; Noah wondered what would happen it they just let the AI go crazy with the planet creation (like creating a planet with nothing but mountains).
With Codex Entry's recent video taking the crown for "longest Pathologic-centred runtime" at 4.5 hours (and featuring a sizeable number of other UA-camr essayists), the thought of Noah tackling Patho2 sounds equally compelling as it does daunting lmao.
The animism idea of cars speaks to me. I recently bought a 1929 Ford Model A, and damn, that car is alive. It has moods, it talks through its sounds, it feels happy when it's healthy, and it's sad when it's sick. And driving it is something you do together with the car.
One of the other things I absolutely love about the difficulty settings the Forza Series (both Motorsport and Horizon) is that driving without some of the assists has the potential to allow you to go much faster. I worked my way all the way up from one of the lowest difficulties for the drivatars all the way up to unbeatable. And at a certain point I got skilled enough to realize the traction control and stability control were actually significantly limiting my potential cornering speed. So not only does the game incentivize you to work your way up the overall difficulty, at also incentivises driving without many of the assists because it is nearly impossible to beat the AI on the highest difficulty without doing so. I've gotten really into motorsport and actual sim racing over the last couple years and its been great to see how much my understanding of actual racing physics translates over into Forza Horizon and Motorsport.
That's one of the really exceptional things about Forza Horizon's "Arcadey-ness". The fact that it is still rooted in the actual physics of the car. The suspension geometry, tire grip, weight distribution and stiffness of the suspension along with many other factors is actually taken into account with the physics of each individual car. That's how they are able to have every car feel different. Because the physics of the car are an emergent property of the attributes of the car itself.
If you want to see the extent to which the granular details of the physics are computed, turn on the telemetry overlay (you just press T on PC, I'm not sure what it is on console) and you can see all of the various factors that the game is constantly simulating. The arcade feel of the game comes from the game "smoothing out the rough edges" for lack of a better phrase. They take the physics model from Forza Motorsport and filter it in a way that still feels authentic to the car, but is far more forgiving with the handling.
I didn't know you could look at telemetry stats, definitely gonna check this out next time I boot the game up (probably after dinner). Thanks for that tidbit!
@@witchfynder_finder no problem! I find it super cool, there are multiple pages you can go through and you can keep the entire overlay with the telemetry up while you drive. It tracks the suspension compression on each wheel in real time, the lateral g-forces, car damage per location, tire temperatures (inner,outer,middle), as well as percentage of maximum grip on each tire and the direction of that friction as well. Once you see the variables that are being tracked it's pretty clear how the car physics model functions. They've done a really good job with it and if I recall correctly, all those metrics are refreshed 1000 times a second so the physics model remains constant regardless of the framerate the game runs at.
Game gets the mix of realism and arcade down perfectly imo. A true simcade some might say.
Also from the footage it seemed he was driving some pretty wild cars, the game has to work overtime trying to keep you in the right direction that its gonna have to slow you down a lot, the AI never really goes to the limit so even though the Drivatars are also driving stuff with crazy horsepower, they're using it a lot better than a human by virtue of being slow in a sense,
HELL yes. 30 seconds in and already worth five times the wait. Love it.
HAHA that intro killed me! I'm only 5 minutes in but it's already another bit of quality work from you so far. I'm constantly amazed at your ability to take something that's so simple on the surface like a racing game and really get under the hood (sorry, I had to do it) and make me see the philosophical side to it.
Thanks for uploading!
The way you talk about car choice, customization, and growth from failure remind me so much of fighting games and character choice there it's almost uncanny. Truly phenomenal insight into a genre I love from a genre I thought I had no interest in, compelling as always Noah
the improved production and audio aside, this is your best video yet.
your outlook on automobiles and the thrills of driving are true for any young kid who had a collection of loved and abused hotwheels, or shiny supercar posters in their bedroom.
i've always enjoyed your automotive/road trip vids and fully support your idea to make a channel entirely focused on that side of your life. keep up the great work!
I've never liked racing games - to a degree that made me quit certain games when i was forced to complete a racing section. But once again you've managed to make me see what makes people love these types of games, and what i could even begin to get out of the genre myself.
Loved the intro I think everyone did lol. Fantastic video, the way you can draw out and expound on an idea never ceases to amaze me. "Forza Horizon 5 is a feel good game designed to be fun and satisfying for everyone and does it very well." You took that basic idea and turned it into over an hour of entertainment of an extremely high quality. Thanks man, I love your work.
I love your take on the competitiveness between the lower placed ranks. Where you can have just as exciting of a competition as trying to mingle with the first place. I have to admit, I'm one of those people, that kind of forgot how it felt to just play, try to race/compete with people who made very obvious mistakes (as did I), but it also almost always felt like there was a chance. And if you run into someone really good a couple of times, and you lose 20 times, but win once, that one time is just amazing
Thank you for the reminder, I feel like I needed that
Honestly, I am not interested in racing games at all... But you kept me fully hooked so far, and I love your presentation
Props to your new producer for some very snappy & clean editing, the quality is pretty self evident. And ~of course~ an enjoyable watch as always!
Driving through the banners was the single greatest introduction to a video essay I have ever seen. 11 out of 5.
Racing games aren't usually my thing. But I'll absolutely (and repeatedly) watch an over-1-hour review about one from Noah. Thanks again for the good work.
The AI is a big sticking point for me personally.
I'm a long-time sim racer, but I do like more arcadey racing too, cos it's fun. The thing is, once you've played against a *good* AI, you notice all the bullshit that a poorly made AI does. Specifically, game devs program their AI to cheat.
Now, all AI is going to 'cheat' to some extent, because it's not a real person behind the wheel, and the game probably isn't running all the same physics calculations as on a player car. However, it is possible for the AI to do bullshit like, say... gain a speed boost to artificially make a race closer.
This is bad because once you've seen the AI do this, you lose all confidence in it. You never know whether you beat the AI because you drove well and put in a better time than the AI, or whether the AI just decided to let you win. Maybe you lost because you're a little slow... or did the AI pull some bullshit on you? You'll never know. And it feels really unsatisfying.
Good AI like in iRacing (a top-tier simulation) makes its drivers more or less difficult by changing how accurately they drive, and how many mistakes they make. A low difficulty AI will not be so good at hitting apexes, and they're more likely to run off onto the grass. Maybe they'll make a mistake and mis-shift gears, or spin. To my knowledge, iRacing doesn't use artificial methods - and if it does, it hides them so well that you don't feel cheated. THAT is a good racing game AI - it's always going to be artificial competition, but it should feel fair, like you're racing against humans.
I really appreciated the end in which you went over your feelings of feeling like a hypocrite in your love of cars but agreeing with a lot of anti-car sentiment. I find myself in the exact same boat and hearing someone explain it so eloquently was very nice to hear. Thank you
That intro was amazing! Also, massive improvement in sound quality. Not that it was necessary, but noticeable all the same. I really love that no matter how much or little interest I have in a topic (and I cannot tell you how little I care about cars) I can always trust that Noah Gervais will have something thoughtful and insightful to offer :)
Nate! This was so good, welcome to this amazing space. The consistency and quality are noticeable thank you!
This video got me thinking about how I always play car games. I seldom took the "best" ones and always took those that felt or looked good to me.
What would make me even more exited is a adding a second hand car market to this game or a game like it. Second hand cars, with imperfections from the moment you start driving, have always grabbed my heart much more than new cars do. They have personalities and quirks that every driver needs to get accustomed to and grow to love, or to fix.
This is something that would make car game really work for me: a randomly generated "market" of different cars with procedurally generated worn out components.
I think for many people, this is what car ownership looks like, and one that connects you to your vehicle far more than most games do.
I appreciate the workflow improvements, I can tell that you’re tripping over your words less.
It feels like you’ve still kept that warm, professorial feel that initially attracted me to your channel. Excellent work, both Noah and Nate. Can’t wait to see what’s next. 💛
Always a highlight when you upload. Any chance we ever might see you cover Outer Wilds in a video? I feel like that game is right up your alley in aesthetic and innovation.
I got myself an Xbox Series S for Christmas as it came with six month of GamePass and looked at games to try. I downloaded Forza Horizon 5 because it won lots of Game of the Year and because I saw you had made this video. I didn’t enter it with more expectations than “it’s supposed to be good”.
Good is an understatement. It is an absolutely amazing game that has me completely hooked. Like you say, it’s because it captures that joy of playing with toy cars as a child. So it’s no coincidence that I as a Bond-fan spent so much time trying to get an Aston Martin DB5, first to get the credits so I could just afford one at the auction house and then finding one I could afford. Because it was my fantasy car as a kid and I got to live in this utopia of driving.
Man you make me remember why I love racing every time I rewatch this video. You’ve got a way with words that helps me understand myself better. Thanks for sharing your love of cars and gaming with us!
Noah, you always come off so well-spoken and thought out in your videos that by the end I always feel the urge to go dive into whatever game you're talking about, and this time is no exception; Guess I'm going to get lost in Forza Horizon for half a year now
I appreciate the Vonnegut reference, Noah. Also, that musing on the universal loss of being able to live in the present really hit me, as I’m reading The Power of Now currently. It’s very hippy, but potent
Gods, you're the only person who could enthrall me talking about a racing game when the last one I played was probably one of the San Francisco Rush titles on the N64-and leave me so enthralled that I almost wish I had an Xbox to play this, because I was that kid, too, even if other factors in my life led to me leaving my love of cards behind as I grew into an adult. This was great, and I'm looking forward to more!
Well, I don't think there's any competition now over "Best Noah video intro".
Honestly Noah, I believe you could post all of your analyses on Spotify or any sort of podcast site. This might take a long time since you may have to rerecord/revamp some of your previous videos, but there really is something here.
Unexpected release topic and timing, but i’m not complaining. Also, rad intro, noah!!
You are the single best thing on UA-cam. Thanks for uploading
A video where Noah Caldwell-Gervais is happy, joyous and enthusiastic about something is a video that makes me happy by proxy
I always appreciate the rare times when racing games get this kind of attention to be talked about and analysed in a way beyond just "is the game good". I do think there is stuff to talk about with them, and they sometimes get unfairly overlooked. But at the same time I can see why they have. Racing games for a long time haven't really done much to make them seem worth the attention. The genre has been in a lull for a long time, and Forza Horizon is one of the few examples of where it's actually doing something compelling. It is true that most of this stuff can also be applied to older games in the series, but I don't think that makes it any less valuable to say them about this one too. It's still true this time around as well. So it makes sense that in a sea of games that don't do much to stand out, one might glance over at this series and think it's just another one. But that also has resulted in this phenomenon that each time a new one comes out, there is a new wave of new people coming in and saying how they're surprised to discover how great this series is after not giving it a chance before.
I'll say the PS1 may have had a lot of racing games yet the PS2 had some of the most legendary with NRS Underground 1 and 2. Then all of Burnout. Eventhough I can 100% say Forza 5 isn't for me at all. Since I like smaller racing games. Since these modern ones are too vast to the point I won't finish them
Recently finished reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and for some reason my normal internal reading voice was replaced by Noah's. Honestly made the experience a better, he'd make a great narrator, flubs and all.
I never had a problem with any of your previous videos' presentation, the content is what I come for. That said, the step up in audio and editing was noticeable, so props to Nate Green for the work and props to you for making it happen, your already fantastic content has been improved.
This is really, truly incredible. Your efforts toward once again making video games an art form deserving of deeper reflection is notable, appreciated, and necessary.
I never expected this channel to cover a racing game. Amazing essay, more from the same genre are very welcome
3:40 It's an interesting question why corporations focus on nostalgia intelectual property so much. I think corporations recognize people like stuff that is familiar but just slightly different. Nostalgia IP provides that - they're like a pre-packaged, pre-tested battering ram for getting through peoples' aversion to knew things. Emotions from our childhood might be similarly useful, but it's harder to put that in an add. The danger these firms run is in changing the IP too much, especially if the version of that IP people remember doesn't quite correspond to what it actually was.
You have hands-down my favorite openings on UA-cam, but this one completely takes the cake. It doesn't hurt that the rest of the video is deep and observant and smart as always - even though it's about a game I have little interest in, I'm here for it.
"Somewhere, beyond the redline. . . " Jesus what a phrase
I enjoyed your story about the Red Mountain pass. I grew up in Durango for a while, and my grandparents lived in Montrose, so I'm quite familiar with the drive. I never knew how treacherous it was until later, because my dad is a fantastic driver, but yes... it's an amazingly beautiful drive and at certain times of the year in certain cars would be a straight up blast, but I certainly feel empathy in white knuckling a goofy ass bus down that road.
Thank you sir. Also, Fuck the naysayers. Your production values were just fine to begin with. Although, if your new producer is the same Nate from previous videos; then good for you guys. Working together with an old friend is a very rewarding experience. Keep up the good work
You, sir, are the replacement for Extra Credits the gaming community needs. I've watched perspectives on games I couldn't care less about simply for your in-depth and interesting commentary. Keep it up.
This is honestly one of your better videos in a while I think. The intro was fun, your opening was captivating, you covered a lot of interesting angles in a way that flowed really well, and it felt generally very well edited and paced. Excellent work!
I would be immensely interested to hear what Noah would think of the F1 games. I love both Forza Horizon and F1, and for totally different reasons. They both fall between arcade and simulation, for starters, but Horizon is all about trying a whole bunch of different cars and upgrades, and racing a bunch of quick events, whereas F1 is about learning your specific team’s car and mastering the track prior to the actual race. And just like the real sport, unless you’re racing for a top team, the goal is not to come in first place every race, the goal is to place better than your nearest rival teams.
Both models are extremely compelling but they’re almost at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Hell yeah. I remember playing the first Forza Horizon in like 2013 and being completely blown away by the perfect mix of arcade and simulation, and the sense that everything is just this huge party. The games have gotten bigger and more technically impressive since then, but it's interesting how the basic idea hasn't changed at all. It's a sim-ish racing game that wants you to actually have fun. I was kind of amazed the first one didn't seem to get much attention, so I'm psyched it's become such a massive hit.
It is pretty annoying that they basically stop selling each entry after a few years. I think this is because of licensing issues, but it's a real shame that the only way to re-experience those incredible maps people spent hours and hours on is piracy.
this Noah dude is kinda inspiring, it's a future goal of mine to have a really good perspective on things and look at everything from an interesting point of view which is what this channel is all about.
I can't tell if he's really educated on what he talks about or he just naturally knows these things.
It also takes a lot of work. Writing up your views on something *is* thinking.
I love your videos so much. You go into so much loving detail about games I adore, games I've wanted to play but never gotten into, and games I've never even heard of. And you do it in such a way that is more relatable than anything I've seen on UA-cam. You never come across as a staged personality or over the top or looking for attention, but you always come across as a real person. I really respect that honesty and frequent vulnerability in your writing. You're by far my favorite content creator, and I wish you all the best!
The one racing game I really enjoyed back in the day was Ridge Racer Type 4 on the original Playstation, but what i remember most fondly about it was its aesthetic and soundtrack, and less so the actual driving mechanics. I'm always half-interestedly looking for another racing game to pick up but always end up blowing off the genre year after year. Maybe.... maybe now is the time.
I was recently starting to get interested in cars thanks to Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead so this video was right on time. Another banger, Noah!
I've sometimes described C:DDA to my friends as the world's greatest turn-based driving sim. What a game.
Ahh, CDDA. There's nothing like driving a murder-RV clad in military armor with a mounted M249 and spiked rams on the front.
Hell yeah! New Noah Caldwell-Gervais!
I know what you mean about the Brave Little Toaster! I'm 32, and that damn scene with the Radiator or AC Unit still haunts me till this very day.
I don't really have any interest in cars or driving games personally, but I could listen to you talk about either subject for just about any amount of time and feel like a smarter and better person for it at the end of it.
Once again you transformed something of little interest to me into something nuanced and fascinating - and with your signature, grounded and compelling prose.
You are so utterly unique among your fellow reviewers.
I like your videos but ANY fan would tell you that 5 is THE WORST horizon game. Horizon 1 had a true motorsport culture atmosphere, 5 is fortnite with cars, childish and lost its edge. You get handed lambos left and right, is dumb.
I love how much you get into things and are so informed as to sound authoritative but also everything you talk about you discuss in such a personal way from such a personal frame of reference and it’s not like you’re even a little bit hiding that
I tend to be the fussy type who wishes UA-camrs would put just a bit more thought into their writing. But Noah blows me away every time. The closing observation here is perfect and beautifully written:
“Forza Horizon 5 and Mario Kart 8 are equally unrealistic, equally fantasy. Experientially, though, Mario Kart reminds me that I am an adult playing a child’s game, where Forza lets me inhabit-for a moment-the kid who would find a toy car in the mud, take it home, wash it off and delude himself into thinking he had rescued it and given it a good home. I haven’t seen that person in so long; I think I’d forgotten he was even in there. Thanks for watching.”
Thank you for making these Noah, seriously. These videos mean a lot to me and get me through hard times.
I come back and listen to your commentary often, and this video is amongst many favorites. Thanks for your thoughtful words!
It's fun and funny to think about that for you, the rewind offers a more relaxed experience while for some other players (myself included) it's something that drives them mental. A rewind means there's NO EXCUSE for a less than perfect lap, that's an OCD nightmare for perfectionists or players who gain enjoyment from skill checks and difficulty.
It's a double edged sword.
I have never turned rewind on in nearly 1000 hours of fh4. Hate it. I don’t intend to use it in 5 either
What an exceptional wordsmith. I often listen to videos over again because they are fun to listen to.
The magic of your writing is your ability to connect games to normal life and relatable shared experiences, examining the enjoyment of such media as a reflection of those who created and play them. It never ceases to entertain me. I don’t consider myself a car guy, yet now you have me considering getting the latest Gran Turismo (as I have neither a strong enough PC nor xbox to play this game on). Bravo as always, keep up the amazing work
I absolutely adore the mental image of Noah sitting in his cozy home, hunched over desk, editing a video, and blasting Dua Lipa's Future Nastalgia with that little smirk on his face
I recently lost my 1980 Datsun 280zx to a drunk driver. That car was the vessel I felt safe pouring unfettered dedication into. I washed, waxed, sanded, pet, begged, cajoled, complimented, and even hugged that car. I thanked it for running well. I thanked it for pushing through, when it ran poorly. When a guy in a brand new Dodge Challenger ran it up over a street sign onto a curb, leaving part of his front end in my rear hatch and technically "totaling" it, it started right up. The tow truck driver rode it right up onto the ramp.
"If it's any consolation, this car's got a lot of heart," he said.
It's taken over a month for me to really grasp that it's gone, and I'll never see it again. It's sure something to grieve an inanimate object. No modern safety features. Most mechanics wouldn't touch it. I loved it. Thanks for this video, I feel a little bit less like a frivolous crazy person.
If im honest I didn't expect to be very interested in a video by you about a racing game but as always you completely out did yourself and put together an amazing masterpiece of a video that gives me a whole new perspective on this game and thats why I love your videos so much
Shout out to Nate for bringing a new level of production value to things - there wasn't a single slip up left in the video this time, nice! Great work as always Noah. Excited to play this game whenever I next upgrade my GPU.
"I had these plastic trays that stacked into a box shaped like a garage" SAME BOX. Though I honestly didn't know (or retain, at least) much about real world cars until I was introduced to the first Gran Turismo. Haven't picked up FH5 yet but I'm still poking away at stuff in 3 and 4, easily one of my fave racing series.
I've been watching your videos for years, keep the content coming my man. You're unmatched.
Another great video Noah. Your work is always a joy to watch and the analysis so perceptive. Never change sir.
New Noah video: Instant click. Thanks as always for the awesome content and well tought points. Your analysis are always a joy to watch.
I am so, so pleased for you that your creations have grown to this point. I remain excited to see what you make next.
This video is not just an obvious synthesis for viewers but an obvious synthesis for you. Your true joy to really and truly talk about your love of games and cars together really comes through here
I tend to like every video you make… but this was really good. Such great and thoughtful ideas in this video. Thanks you for your great work
It's a testament to how much I enjoy your content that you got me interested in a racing game. Thanks for another quality video Noah!
I've wanted to say this for a while now, but your travel videos inspired me to go explore Idaho for a bit, specifically the craters of the moon area, and that was one of the most fascinating places I've explored in recent memory. Thanks for showing me it existed!
I absolutely love your intros man they're so amazing
The polish of the producer involvement was noticed and appreciated! Amazing work as always