Beginner's Guide to Forza Horizon 5: Tips for Exploring the World, Adjusting Difficulty and Upgrading Your Car

If you're new to the franchise or haven't played a Horizon series race in a while, don't worry, we're here to help you navigate the gameplay features of the project. Here are some tips and tricks for beginner players in Forza Horizon 5 that will help you get the most enjoyment out of this year's best arcade racing game.

Forza Horizon 5 features an extensive campaign with a plethora of races and challenges. As in previous games in the series, to progress through the story, you need to earn reputation points. The game awards them for any action, whether it's a race or a simple drift in free mode. So, take your time! The new Horizon has many races that aren't part of the story campaign. The map is scattered with hundreds of experience and fast travel boards that you can smash.

If you start worrying that you're spending too much time away from the story campaign, don't fret. Various characters will call and remind you of what needs to be done to continue the festival's development. The further you progress in the story, the more activities will appear on the map. Complete all available races at the moment and don't clutter the map with hundreds of icons.

Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 is boundless. When exploring the open world, don't get into the habit of sticking to the road. Driving through rough terrain, jungles, and meadows is a great way to stumble upon a free car or a new home, find picturesque spots for photo mode, discover rare challenges and quests.

For this reason, it would be wise to invest in a good off-road vehicle, even if you bought the game for the sake of expensive racing cars. Trust us, buying a jeep will more than pay off with a couple of rare cars found and will come in handy for racing through the jungle.

Don't forget to upgrade your car from time to time, especially if you've just received it and plan to use it at the moment. Even if you don't want to drastically change the basic settings of the car, which the main physical model relies on, take care of changing the engine and wheels. Even such small changes can significantly help in battles for first place.

If you're hesitant to upgrade your ride because you're saving up for a more expensive car early on, cast aside that miserly thought. Upgrading your car isn't that costly of an operation. A couple of races will easily cover the cost of several top-notch improvements. An upgrade is necessary to boost your vehicle's rating. If you don't have a suitable car, you can rent one, but you'll earn less experience for doing so.

The festival playlist is a collection of what you've done over the season and what's still ahead. Unique events and rewards appear in different seasons, so be sure to check the seasonal challenges. You might find something fun you didn't know about before, and it's a great way to get rare cars that can't be bought in the usual way.

Forza Horizon 5 has a flexible difficulty setting system. Play around with the difficulty options before each race to find the ideal level at which you can beat the AI.

Optimal difficulty setting for beginners.

When your level of play noticeably increases, try raising the difficulty. In addition to a more challenging task, you'll earn more rewards and overall experience.

After acquiring your first personal home, Forza Horizon 5 turns into a game with an endless world where you can spend a lot of time discovering new activities and participating in any races. By this time, you should have enough credits to buy a car that you wouldn't be ashamed to drive. Going forward, resources and experience will be abundantly awarded after each race or performing stunts on the road.

Try to check out Horizon Arcade as soon as possible — a set of time-limited tasks, usually involving destroying something. Horizon Arcade events are marked with a purple drop and a blimp icon on the map. Drive to them, wait for the event to start, and follow the instructions at the bottom of the screen. Horizon Arcade is a productive way to earn a lot of money, experience, and rewards.

Whether you're participating in events or just aimlessly traveling around the open world, performing stunts like drifting, jumping, or destroying objects, you will earn experience points, which are necessary for leveling up and earning skill points. The more stunts you combine, the higher your score multiplier.

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In reality, Forza Horizon 5 is easy to get into. Thanks to the updated story mode, you will be taught all the basic mechanics and helped to get your bearings in the terrain. The main thing the game requires from you is to be able to have fun, enjoy yourself, and not get too stressed without good reason.