United Kingdom (now sans Northern Ireland)
Year: 202X

Devastated by the economic fallout of Brexit, the UK is bailed out by an international consortium of racing fanatics. In exchange, they are forced into a 99 year lease of the English countryside to an unending race festival

"Taking back control" means the racers have taken control of a significant portion of Leave territories. Displaced farmers and townsmen now working concession stands at Horizon Festival content themselves by muttering about unelected Brussels bureaucrats.

This is really the most wild setting for a /racing game/ I think I've ever seen.

Starting cars to pick from: A Ford Focus RS, Audi TTS, and a retro early 1970s Dodge Charger. Hmm. I have an irrational disdain for the Focus despite its performance so probably one of the other two.

You can customize your license plate? Hmmm, many possibilities.

Or maybe

Could rep the wife

Game developers: Give me lots of customization choices but also know that I'll spend /hours/ on this stuff before I even play your game.

OK, I like this one as it encompasses both

Need to go camp in those mountains

Here's my virtual car. Here's my real car.

Had to get the one in Forza with the black hood/trunk stripe because it's the only way to get the red Veleno mirrors and airdam strip with white paint. Not that the stripes look bad, I just prefer it without.

I've turned off all the driver assists and such because it's more fun. That also means I'm racking up lots more credits and rep than I imagine you're supposed to at this point. Going to buy several cars now I think.

Also bought the ancestor to my actual car. Much safer on one's bank account to own a virtual version of a 1970s FIAT, as beautiful as they were.

I think a big part of this for me is going to be the ability to simply drive freely through the world whenever you want. It kind of captures some of the joy of actual driving.

There's several radio stations in-game. Nothing amazing stood out to me in most of them. Mostly kinda genre:bros stuff but there is a classical station so I'm listening to that on my drive like the stuffy, tweed-wearing dork I aspire to be.

Had to climb up here for a barn find, might as well take a picture with Edinburgh in the background.

Going to put these RCR stickers and the (surprisingly fewer available than expected) anime ones together for when I make a track or drift car.

Good design

Probably going to make my own design but I think a Subaru BR-Z is probably a good platform for slap stickers and memery.

Someone made a Kanamori sticker so I knew what I had to do.

Keep Your Hands Off Eizoucar

The show logo title is another sticker I found in the community. I just did the composition and putting all the vinyls and paint together.

Would you like to git gudder?

I'm still getting used to being able to use the replay and photo modes just right, but here's a decent action shot of the my Eizouken itasha.

I also went and bought the Scottish farmstead house. I wish you could go into first-person human view and walk inside. Or even decorate the inside. But that would be too many of my interests for one game to encompass.

Most people in Forza: Look at all these hypercars! I want to drive these exotics I could never afford!

Me in Forza:

This 1950s Ford Anglia I won as a prize is surprisingly fun though, for real.

Something I love about this game is that it matches the events and random racers against whatever you're driving. I think I could go this entire story mode and never have to drive anything I'm not really into (except in the scripted special events.)

Debated whether I should try newer cars when picking something for this Nissan-only event. I should give newer cars a shot, I told myself.

Then I reconciled with the fact that Nissan has made one (1) fun, interesting car in the past 20 years and I went and bought a 1992 Silvia.

And I'm not even into the 370Z nearly as much as the Silvias and the older generations of Zs. The GTR is too good and thus boring to me. Only real decision was choosing between an S13, S14, and S15 Silvia.

Thanks, Carlos Ghosn

Need to search for Watamote stickers next time I make a street racing car.

Edinburgh Classic Roadster Club

I'm hesitant to ever turn on online play. But I wonder if there are any cool, specialist slow-car-fast clubs you could join if you enable multiplayer?

Found a 1970s Range Rover to go with my Scottish farm house.

In a strange aspect of this game, you can dress your avatar in all kinds of clothes...but you can only win the clothes from the gacha rolls you earn from winning some events. That's such a strange bit of the game to lock behind rng with no way to purchase.

*no actual way to purchase. You can earn super special credits from daily challenges. But the stuff available in the shop is only ever four things, two of which are cars, and the clothing in it is really expensive. What a weird game design decision.

The game continues to be beautiful. The miniaturized version of rural Britain (with Edinburgh as the only city) to drive around in, the weather effects, it really makes the game a lot more fulfilling than if I were just doing the racing.

Haven't played in a bit. Forza time

Some Edinburgh street racing

Something I really appreciate is the change of seasons and time of day. I just went to a nighttime street racing event in Edinburgh and now it's just before dawn as I drive back to my Scottish farmhouse. Captures that release of realizing that you just survived an all-nighter

and home. Got this Renault Clio as a prize and it was a fun drive back from the city.

Neat little car. I hadn't known about the MG GT before now but it's something I liked pretty quickly.

Bought this seaside cottage-style house for a change of pace instead of living all the way out in the wilds of Scotland. I think this and the Scottish farmhouse are my two favorites in the game.

Had wanted to get a luxury car for more relaxed driving, so I got a 1990 Jaaaaaaaaaaaaag XJS in all of its unreliable V12 glory.

Pictured: Leaving the scene after stealing the house's good silverware and wine.

Jaaaaaaaaaag

I'd heard that the inside of the glove box is the only place in the car with a mirror for your face in the XJS.

It was detachable because wink wink, sniff sniff 1980s.

Clothes in this game can only be won by the wheelspin gachas, or there's two every day available in the special points shop. You can't buy them, which is bizarre.

And I keep winning good women's clothes. Though the game does let you wear either gender clothing.

You can switch you character model at any time though so maybe I'll be that guy who plays as a female character because I have more options to dress one up.

Got the ur-Jag from a barn find. *Paradise Kiss intensifies*

Really enjoying this Renault Clio I won a bit ago. Never paid much attention to Renaults but this is fun and has the look of the classic 1990s hot hatches that I like.

And that's it for tonight. Just did the street racing "The Marathon" race and it was a lot of fun. I wish more of the races in this game were that long. Most of the events in this game are fairly short compared to what I'm used to from the Gran Turismo & Wangan Midnight games

Was able to get my 124 Spider Abarth in same exact colors as my IRL one. A red vinyl was able to fill in the spoiler lip after changing the overall paint color to not have the black hood/trunk lid. Can't eliminate the extra Abarth badges forward of the doors but otherwise exact.

There it is, the enemy of all that is good.

Name a more iconic duo

Good triumphs over evil. As it was written.

Found a nice stretch of road along the Scottish coast just south of Edinburgh. Great backdrop.

Some glamor shots of the old generation FIAT 124 Spider around Edinburgh

Been using a Subaru BRZ for street racing and god is it too good in this game. The pickup isn't nearly as good irl, it feels like it has 50 more lb/ft torque in the game. Still, the rest of it is modeled accurately to my experience with it.

Today in Forza, I was absolutely floored the first time I noticed a full moon in this game. It was perfect covered by some thin clouds and seeing it behind a bare oak tree in winter.

I really can't emphasize enough how beautiful this game is with its four seasons of British countryside terrain.

The seasons change it seems like very other day or so of IRL time. Today was winter.

My car game photography has deep roots. I still have lots of photo mode pictures from Gran Turismo 4 like these.

Gran Turismo 4 still looking pretty decent considering it's a 16 year old game.

Been trying out some new cars this time. A 1958 Morris Minor in the classics category, and I got a 2006 Lancer Evo IX for the dirt racing series I've been playing more of recently.

God the system to get clothing for your driver in this game is so dumb. Everything is gacha. I kind of don't mind gacha cars. It makes you try out new stuff that you win. But please, I need pants, I'm dying.

Today in FH4, there was a daily challenge with the BMW M1, which I'd happened to win in a gacha. Racing it wasn't my thing but the final part of the challenge was to just chill out and take it on a long 15 mile drive, which was neat.

Took some others out for a drive in the nice, simulated spring weather.
2018 Mazda Miata (ND)
1959 Jaguar Mk II 3.8

Had one of those magical moments that illustrate what a well-made game can do. Was heading home as it started raining. You can hear the rain on the roof when the engine is at low RPM. I just turned off the music, laid off the gas, and enjoyed a soothing rainy night's drive.

Rain tapered off and the sun rose as I got home. There was even a flock of seagulls that took off into the daylight, cawing as they did. That attention to detail is just stunning.

The game made me emotional for real. Driving and cars are something I love irl and this really does capture some of the magic of those real experiences.

In the funnier side of this game, someone made an entire cat food sponsorship livery for the Abarth version of the classic FIAT 500.

It's still cherry blossom season in virtual outside

Played with a decent number of new cars I won lately today. Got this 1980s Ferrari 288 GTO for one. It's not the Testarossa but it's still very Outrun aesthetic.

Was driving my irl car in Forza earlier. Tried wearing my driving gloves for the novelty of it but they make my already large hands too bulky for accurate gamepad use.

I need to get a wheel and pedals someday.

I won an NA Miata. You know what time it is...

The NA only seems to come with the hardtop in this game. But fortunately someone made some custom vinyls you can apply to cover the roof area to make it at least mostly look like the original soft top.

Virtual driving tour of Edinburgh as I went around to the city circuit and street racing events in the NA Miata.

Nightly Forzaposting: Took an Abarth modified FIAT 500 past some pretty spring fields...

...and raced the FC Mazda RX-7 through a beautiful dusk rainstorm.

Uh oh, won an AMC Gremlin.

Gotta make it BROWN. As hideous and BROWN as it was in the 1970s

Starting to get an R35 Nissan Skyline GTR together to make it into a modern version of a Wanga Midnight style highway runner. Gotta weeb fast.

Hadn't really done much tuning in this game at all, but I started working with a 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z to try and overcome its aged handling. And with a 2017 Nissan GT-R as a high speed focused all purpose. Had fun with both today.

I love the looks of the Morgan Aero Supersports and its old 1930s-but-make-it-modern feel but dear god does it slide around everywhere if you're not careful. Granted I play with traction and stability controls off but still. Took a bit but eventually got the hang of it.

Did some hatchback stuff too. I love the 1979 Civic RS. I never knew Honda made a sporty Civic that far back. And mmmm, that woodgrain dash and steering wheel.

In more modern, tried out and like a Vaxhall Corsa VXR and ended up liking that too. Front end is a little odd tho

The game world has switched to summer this week. Spent a bit of time in the northern England/southern Scotland area of the map with some classic cars.

And bought a new house. Now the only two I don't own in the game are Bamburgh and Edinburgh castles.

A lot of times I catch up on podcasts while driving. Going to try that while virtually driving in FH4 today and see how that goes.

Got at least one episode a piece of Bombshell and Undiplomatic Podcast that I've been eager to get to.

Virtual driving with podcasts working quite well. Taking out some new to me cars.

Mmmm, Honda CR-X with those familiar Honda parts in the interior. Just like in my old 1988 Accord.

Surprised to be enjoying this 80s Ferrari 288 GTO. It handles nicely and not out of control like a lot of supercars. Aesthetic is certainly VERY 80s teenage boy's bedroom poster but it has character. Finding cars I never paid attention to is one of my fav parts of racing games

Speaking of, I've liked the 1993 and 2010 Renault Clios I've been using too. Never paid attention to French cars at all, though granted that's mostly because they haven't been sold here in my lifetime.

Between that and a Voxhall it's nice to know there's still fun, modern hatchbacks out there. They're just not sold in North America :(

"Oh but EO, what about Volkswagen?"

What about Volkswagen?

Drove the new wagon from town to the beach.

I can actually enjoy this car in a game because you shift the same regardless. IRL it's sadly one of those paddle shifter only false manuals.

At least I can enjoy the RS4 virtually @Daftossan