5 Best Forza Horizon Openings, Ranked

Forza Horizon is like a fine wine, in the sense that it only gets better with age. Its worlds are beyond revolutionary, and its stunning visuals are anything but subpar and flat. And, thanks to its increasingly vibrant and mesmerising opening sequences, the series itself has been able to maintain a foothold on the racing podium for almost a decade now.

But anyway, speaking of opening sequences, we do have to question which of the five is hands down the greatest of all time; the absolute staple on the Forza subdomain. Because let's be honest — those opening five minutes in every game are perhaps the most memorable moments in the whole journey. From the British countryside to the Mexican jungle, the Australian outback to the Colorado mountains — Horizon basically dominates when it comes to teasing its drivers on what's to unfold over the four seasons. But which of the five ranks the highest? Well, let's see.

5. Forza Horizon 2

Before we steam ahead and risk the possibility of shedding dirt on Forza — it is worth pointing out that, despite being embedded in the fifth slot on the list — Horizon 2 is not a bad game. Of course, it might have missed the mark ever so slightly, but that isn't to say that its opening sequence wasn't loaded to the brim with clippings of raw talent and compassion. Because it was. Just not as much as other entries, sadly.

Nevertheless, Forza Horizon 2 was an absolute delight to toy with — especially during those opening moments as we hit the Italian and French playground in a glimmer of twinkles and tarmac. But compared to other entries in the timeline, it just sort of dropped to the back of the line. Again, that isn't saying that it's bad. Not by a long shot. It's just that, well — it soon became overshadowed by Turn 10's evolving creativity and determination to one-up every previous component. We can't really argue with that, to be honest.

4. Forza Horizon

There was something truly elevating about hitting the open road in a Dodge Viper with an audience anticipating our arrival at the newly formed Horizon festival grounds. It was unlike anything we had ever seen before in a racing game, and quite simply a masterclass in motion as it paved out the foundations of something much, much more elegant than your bog-standard racing series.

Like all chapters that followed suit, the first Forza Horizon game relied heavily on style in order to break the ice with the player. Just an open road, a flashy car with all the lavish bells and whistles, and a smooth journey through some sunken hills scorched in a blood orange sunset. Basically everything a car enthusiast would want encompassed in a video game, all capsulated into one glorious opening.

3. Forza Horizon 3

Looking back, Horizon 3 just hit differently compared to the other entries in the series. Something about it just popped — sort of like an oil painting with oceans of layers and lashings that oozed three-dimensional components. Australia was one heck of a playground for the 2016 festival and, quite frankly, one of the most geographically diverse to date.

Unlike later entries that opted for massive opening circuits and amplified soundtracks, Horizon 3 simply settled for a more elegant approach. Although not exactly subtle, the first drive across Byron Bay was still one of the most pleasant journeys we've taken to date. It was breathtaking and extraordinary, refreshing and stimulating all at the same time. And, in all honesty, a debut that will unlikely budge from the top three at any stage in the future.

2. Forza Horizon 5

If you want to make a memorable entrance, then hey, why not launch yourself out of an aeroplane and hit the tarmac running? What is this, you ask — Fast & Furious? Well, no, not exactly, though you can probably see where the inspiration came from, right? Fast cars, high altitudes, adrenaline-fueled soundtracks. It's basically all the ingredients one would use to concoct a Hollywood blockbuster, to be fair.

Forza Horizon is known for being stylish and showcasing all its goodies in the first few minutes of gameplay. And Horizon 5, as we predicted way before launch, was exactly the same. It glossed over four different types of terrain, as well as showed off four classes of vehicle, giving us that sneak preview of what was to follow the moment we crossed the threshold into the festival. A memorable entrance, for sure. But just a few turns away from the peak of the podium, unfortunately.

1. Forza Horizon 4

Yes, it is Forza Horizon 4. Nudging just a single car length past the latest instalment, the British chapter swoops in and takes home the gold for the best opening sequence in the series to date. But what is it that's made us vote for the UK mainland over the jaw-dropping Mexican deserts? Well, it all boils down to the changing of seasons, funnily enough.

Where Mexico lacked in multiple layers and smooth transitions, it made up for in stunning design and blood-curdling courses. But the UK, on the other hand, had this certain something about it. From crisp autumn leaves and dirt roads to snowy mountaintops and blood orange sunsets — the first ten minutes told an entire story without ever breaking the immersion. It was clean and collected, rich and vibrant. It was, in all honesty, one of the best openings to any racing game ever made.

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