Open-world campaigns are a cornerstone of any successful video game. PvP is thrilling and fun, but a game with good story progression is unmatched. This is exactly what Playground Games is trying to achieve with its latest information rollout regarding campaign progression in Forza Horizon 6.
To keep things simple, they have completely replaced the campaign progression system with a mechanic similar to the first Forza game. Join me as I take a deep dive into everything that was discussed.
Forza’s New & Improved Campaign Progression System
Playground Games has ditched the campaign progression system from the previous iteration and instead opted for the Festival Wristband mechanic that we saw in the first Forza game. This was teased last month on the back of Xbox Developer Direct, and developers have finally gone into detail about what this means for players.
Festival Wristband Mechanic Is Coming Back
With the Wristband mechanic being introduced, players will start as tourists in Japan, aspiring to join the Horizon Festival. However, to get there, players must compete in a series of races such as the Horizon Qualifiers and Horizon Invitationals to make their way up. As you win these races and progress your story, you will earn Wristbands.
Players must earn a total of seven Wristbands to get to the final Festival races, where they’ll be allowed to use all sorts of cars (including hypercars). This creates a linear progression system where you need to win races one by one and progress through the campaign. You will receive various rewards along the way that will aid you in creating the perfect car for better races.
Races won’t just feature different tracks, but rather specific car themes as well, as stated by Playground Games. So you’ll need to have a good grip on several cars if you want to get to the top. Keep in mind that there are other ways to gain XP than just winning races. Activities such as PR stunts and Skills will also progress you further towards your next wristband. Once you’ve collected all seven, you’ll be hailed as a Horizon Legend.
Discover Japan Mechanic For Casual Players
Not all players like linear progression, and Playground Games kept that in mind. In Forza Horizon 6, there is a second way to earn rewards and progress the campaign. This is called the Discover Japan mechanic.
Rather than playing specific races and moving around to complete objectives, players can simply roam around at their own pace and do some sightseeing. Here, you’ll need to collect Stamps from all around Japan by doing random tasks: going sightseeing, playing through stories, collecting new rides, or just delivering food to hungry Japanese citizens. All these sidequests will reward you with XP that will progress you towards your next Stamp.
Racing isn’t banned in this mode, though. Take your newly acquired cars for a spin on the streets of Japan as part of night races and Touge battles. This gives you the perfect blend of casual and competitive gameplay.
This is definitely a top-tier change, considering Forza Horizon 6 now caters to both types of gamers. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer who is laser-focused on linear progression, or a casual gamer who likes to ride around Japan, taking in the scenery. You can choose either mechanic to progress your campaign and get some exciting rewards along the way.
