Forza Motorsport: 5 Best Tips for Beginners

Forza Motorsport certainly isn’t the easiest racing simulation game in the world — especially for those who’ve never had a chance to experience the series in the decade or so it has been on the block. Not to worry, though, as a few quick tips can easily help you along your way, and even assist you on your journey to the apex of the podium, both offline and online. Care to join us for the ride? Here’s everything you need to know before starting out in Turn 10 Studios’ latest Forza Motorsport episode.

5. Embrace the Authenticity

Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room for a second: Forza Motorsport is not an unrealistic Vin Diesel-type racing game, and therefore, not an invitation to get overly frisky with the clutch and handbrake. In other words, drifting and popping two-wheel donuts doesn’t really apply here, which means you’ll need to forget what you know from playing the likes of Need for Speed and Mario Kart — and focus on learning how to, you know, drive a car. Truth is, driving in Forza Motorsport is made to feel a little weightier than your average racing game, which means you’ll need to figure out how to anticipate each corner and navigate the track in a sensible manner.

To put it out there, you can drift in Forza Motorsport. That said, it isn’t the smoothest maneuver, nor is it the easiest to pull out of the bag, either — especially in a relatively new car that’s short on most, if not all specialist tyre compounds. So, for the sake of keeping yourself on the track, and not, for example, in the dirt, then you’re going to want to stick to that race line like glue.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Rewind

One of the key features in Forza Motorsport is its rewind ability—a tool that lets you, well, rewind to a previous point in the race. And while using said ability does have its disadvantages, such as a loss in rewards, it can give you an opportunity to rewrite your wrongs and get ahead of your opponents. So, if you’re running the final lap, and happen to make a mistake on the track, then don’t be afraid to hit the rewind option and take a small loss for the sake of earning a podium finish.

To whittle down those potential losses, aim to use the rewind ability during the Practice Laps, and not in the actual race itself, as you’ll end up losing more points. You can also enter the Free Play mode and take a few practice turns to get a feel for each of the available tracks. If you’re feeling comfortable with the twists and turns, then you should try your luck in the events.

3. Consider Ramping Up the Difficulty

It may sound strange, but if you can, aim to knock the Drivatar difficulty up a few notches in the earlier stages of the Builders Cup. As you’ll come to learn early on in the career, most upgrades for each car are hidden behind a set amount of CXP, or Car Points. To earn more of the in-game currency, you’re going to want to attempt each event with a higher difficulty setting enabled, as the tougher the race, the more rewards you’ll come to unlock with each win.

Of course, races are only going to get harder as the season progresses, so you’ll want to squeeze those initial rounds of all their extra points and challenges as much as you possibly can. If you can, aim to beat a few races with the highest difficulty enabled, as you’ll earn up to 41% more CXP than with the lowest setting.

2. Lower the Fuel Load

An adjustable option that most newcomers will overlook is the fuel load—a slider that allows you to reduce the weight of your vehicle, but at the cost of having less fuel in the tank. Not that this is much of an issue, mind you, as the slider itself will tell you exactly how many laps you’ll be able to complete with the chosen amount. So, if you’re only running the few laps, then there’s no real reason why you should go OTT on the fuel intake.

It is worth pointing out, on another note, that having enough in the tank to cover an additional lap is more or less expected. For the sake of keeping yourself out of the pits and on the track at all times, aim to keep a reserve, if only to cover that extra mile or two.

1. Grind CXP

Lastly, there’s the case of dealing with the CXP, or Car Points, as it’s often referred to as. To get a leg up on the competition, you’ll need to secure parts for each of the vehicles you purchase, which means having to drive them for extended periods of time across a multitude of events. To get the most CXP out of an event, you’ll ideally want to start from the back of the grid, which means you’ll need to overtake every other rival on the track to reach the podium. Easier said than done, but if you can pull it off, you’ll wind up earning quadruple the amount of XP.

You can earn CXP in many different ways, from overtaking other players to completing laps in the set time given at the beginning of each event. You can also earn a hefty sum of XP from completing the bonus objectives that are outlined at the top of each race. If, however, you find yourself unable to overtake the other drivers and come out on top, then be sure to lower the Drivatar difficulty down a few levels. Ideally, you’ll want to work towards being at the back of the pack in each event, as the tougher the goals you set for yourself, the higher the payout you’ll receive on completion.

So, what’s your take? Do you have any useful tips for Forza Motorsport newcomers? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.