My first 20 hours on Forza Horizon 6

If you’ve been wondering whether Forza Horizon 6 is actually worth jumping into, I’ve officially crossed the 20-hour mark, and I’ve got some thoughts.

Short version, yeah… I’m probably going to sink an unhealthy amount of time into this game.

There’s still an insane amount of map left for me to explore, events I haven’t touched, and builds I haven’t even started testing. But after 20 hours behind the wheel, I feel like I’ve got a pretty solid first impression of where Forza Horizon 6 shines and where it still feels a little rough around the edges.

As someone who’s ranked in the top 1% globally on previous Forza releases, I came into this one with pretty high expectations.

And for the most part, Playground Games delivered. This is easily already a favorite of mine compared to previous releases.

What Is Forza Horizon 6?

Forza Horizon 6 is the latest open-world racing title developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. As the sixth Horizon title and fourteenth main installment in the Forza franchise, the game expands heavily on customization, multiplayer interaction, events, and world-building systems.

You can check out the official game page here: Forza Horizon 6 Official Site

Forza Horizon 6 still feels like Forza. Fast cars, ridiculous customization, huge maps, and enough racing content to completely consume your free time.

But there are definitely some new systems here that immediately stood out to me.

My First 20 Hours in Forza Horizon 6

I’ll be honest, this feels like one of those games where 20 hours barely scratches the surface.

There are so many events, race types, collectibles, builds, and progression systems happening at once that I already know this is going to be one of my main games during this release cycle.

The amount of content feels massive.

The best part being that different events require and encourage mastering different builds. You’re not just tuning one overpowered car and calling it a day. There’s incentive to experiment, build around race types, and create vehicles for completely different situations.

What I Love About Forza Horizon 6 (The Pros)

Time Attack Events Are Finally Here

One of my favorite additions so far has to be the new Time Attack races.

If you’re competitive at all, these feel incredibly rewarding. Chasing cleaner lines, shaving milliseconds off laps, and tuning for precision scratches a very specific itch for racing players.

This alone has already eaten more of my time than I expected.

Drag Racing Feels Better

The drag strips are a huge win for me.

Being able to ready up in individual tree slots makes races feel cleaner and more intentional instead of chaotic, and prevents unfair advantages. If you enjoy tuning drag cars and testing builds, this is a solid improvement that makes the experience smoother overall.

Customization Is Absolutely Insane

This might honestly be one of my favorite parts of the game.

The customization options feel way deeper.

You’ve got:

• Candy paint options that look incredible

• More aggressive and versatile body kits

• Different wheel setups for front and rear

• Individual wheel painting

• Highly customizable new cars

• Expanded garage customization

For players who love spending hours building unique cars, tuning aesthetics, and making something feel personal, this game absolutely delivers.

To be fair, I’ve already spent way too much time just messing with paint and wheel setups.

Community Car Meets Are Actually Fun

One thing I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I do are the community car meet areas.

Being able to pull up, check out other players’ builds, connect with people, and jump into convoys directly from the meet area adds a really cool social layer to the game.

It makes the world feel more alive.

Instead of just driving around solo, there’s an actual sense of community happening.

Estates & Property Building Add a Cool Twist

This one surprised me.

The new estate and property systems add another layer of progression beyond racing. Building personal properties and essentially creating racetrack-style setups in your own yard is honestly pretty cool.

It gives the game more personality and makes progression feel more rewarding outside of pure competition. I personally love the cutscene leaving the property because each customized car gets a chance showing off unique highlights.

My Biggest Cons So Far

Now for the stuff I’m not completely sold on yet.

Character Customization Feels… Weird

I’m just gonna say it.

The character customization feels scary at best.

Right away, the models felt oddly expressionless and lacking detail. It almost feels disconnected from how polished the cars and environments are.

It’s not game-breaking or anything, but it definitely stood out immediately.

Driving Feels Different (And I Can’t Fully Explain Why)

This one is harder to describe.

As someone who’s played a lot of Forza and ranked high in previous releases, something about the driving feels different to me this time around.

I genuinely can’t pinpoint exactly what it is yet.

It’s not bad. It just feels… different.

Maybe it’s weight transfer, traction, steering feel, or handling balance. I’m still figuring that out as I put more hours into the game, but longtime Forza players will probably notice the change too.

Dirt Roads Still Aren’t My Thing

This one’s purely personal preference.

I know some players absolutely love off-road and dirt racing, but I’ve never been a huge fan of dirt roads in Forza Horizon.

If you love rally-style racing, you’ll probably enjoy it way more than me.

But personally I’ll take clean asphalt and high-speed cornering all day.

My Least Favorite Event...Launch Control

So far, my least favorite event type has been Launch Control, specifically the event on May 16th, 2026.

The heavily squared turns combined with the lack of fluid track flow just didn’t click with me.

I found myself wanting smoother racing lines and better pacing throughout the courses instead of constantly hitting awkward turn setups.

Again, totally personal preference, but definitely not the mode I’m rushing back to.

Is Forza Horizon 6 Worth Playing?

After only 20 hours?

Absolutely.

Especially if you’re into racing games, tuning, competitive events, or car culture in general.

There’s an absurd amount of content here already, and I honestly feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface.

The customization systems alone could keep me busy for weeks, and between Time Attack events, drag racing, community meets, convoy systems, and new builds, there’s always something to do.

Is it perfect?

No.

There are definitely things I think could be improved.

But overall, Forza Horizon 6 feels like a game I’m going to spend a majority of my gaming time in this year, simply because of how much there is to explore and how many different builds the game encourages.

If you’re on the fence, I’d say it’s worth the drive.

Follow 404Haven for More Forza Horizon 6 Gameplay

I’m still early in my Forza Horizon 6 grind, which means there’s a lot more map to uncover, builds to test, drag setups to dial in, and races to dominate.

If you want to hang out while I keep pushing through the game, catch me live on Twitch or follow along on YouTube and TikTok at 404Haven for streams, clips, builds, and gameplay updates.