Forza Motorsport 2
Encyclopedia
Forza Motorsport 2 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios
for the Xbox 360
console. It is the second title in the Forza Motorsport series
, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport
(2005) and is followed by Forza Motorsport 3
(2009).
The box art features a tuned Nissan 350Z
drifting.
Forza Motorsport 2 is a realistic racing simulator on the Xbox 360
, the sequel to Forza Motorsport
which was released for the Xbox
in 2005. The Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
was developed in alongside Forza Motorsport 2 and is designed to work with the game.
Most cars in Forza 2 can be visually customized with both aerodynamic parts as well as graphics. 1,000 layers of graphics can be created with the livery
editor to draw shapes, letters and pictures onto a car. According to the developer, it is preventing possible copyright conflicts, also reducing loads in online races. Paint schemes can be auctioned online to other players for in-game credits. Many players reproduced paint schemes appeared in real world, or creating Itasha
s through this system.
The game supports split-screen
, System Link and Xbox Live
multiplayer gaming. Split-screen allows two player head-to-head racing, while both System Link and Xbox Live allow up to eight players to participate in a single race. Using Xbox Live 'Silver', players can also buy in-game cars through the game's Auction House. A 'Gold' account is needed to sell and 'gift' cars.
Forza Motorsport 2 concentrates on circuit racing; point to point races which were featured in the original Forza Motorsport have been removed. Real world tracks Road Atlanta
, Silverstone
, Laguna Seca
, Tsukuba
, Mugello Circuit
, Sebring International Raceway, Suzuka Circuit
, and Nürburgring Nordschleife
are licensed and included. Forza 2 is also one of the first racing games to prominently feature cars from the American Le Mans Series
in both the game and downloadable content.
The damage and physics in the game have been revamped over the previous game, allowing for multiple settings: "simulation," which is the most severe, allowing for damage that can take a car out of commission; "limited," which scales down the severity of impact of crashes; and "cosmetic," where the damage is merely visual. The damage ratings for each part of the vehicle can be seen on the HUD (heads up display) accessed from the in-game menu.
Professional racers playtest
ed the wheel to aid the development in trying to achieve realistic features and settings. Forza Motorsport 2 features force feedback with the use of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel.
Forza 2 runs at 60 frames per second
in 720p
resolution (HD
), with replays running at 30 frames per second to accommodate additional after-effects.
, Formula One
and Le Mans Series
will appear in exhibition races if the player selects racing cars for the race. Some drivers include Allan McNish
, Pedro Lamy
, Johnny Herbert
, Max Papis
, Kamui Kobayashi
and Christophe Bouchut
.
Christophe Bouchut
Dominik Farnbacher Wolf Henzler
Kazuki Hoshino Kamui Kobayashi
Robin Liddell Alessandro Zampedri
Tom Coronel
Naoki Hattori
Yuji Ide
Peter Kox
Pedro Lamy
Anthony Lazzaro Satoshi Motoyama
Manabu Orido
Johannes van Overbeek
Juichi Wakisaka
Peter Zakowski
Andrea Bertolini
Terry Borcheller
Christophe Bouchut
Fabrizio de Simone Eric Hélary
Mike Hezemans
Franz Konrad
Allan McNish
Max Papis
Pierre-Henri Raphanel
Johnny Herbert
Stefan Johansson
Tom Kristensen
Marco Werner
. Each user can log into the official website for Forza 2 using their Xbox Live account. In addition to leaderboards, features included are online auctions for in-game cars. Cars purchased through auctions will come with all statistics related to that car such as mileage, total repair cost incurred, number of previous owners, etc.
Other features include tournament scheduling and the ability to take in-game photos and upload to and view five at a time on the Forza 2 website.
On September 20, 2007, the second downloadable content was available, containing 11 individual cars.
On October 26, 2007, the third downloadable content was announced in the form of a new downloadable track, Twin Ring Motegi
. The track is playable in the form of four variations, including three road courses and an oval.
On December 7, 2007, the fourth downloadable content was announced in the form of a new track, Road America
, along with a pack of 11 cars.
On March 19, 2008, the fifth downloadable content was made available, in the form of 13 individual cars.
. Various online game stores also offered a bonus code to unlock the Nissan 350Z
featured on promotional pictures with preorder purchase.
The Limited Collector's Edition was available in Australia, Asia, Canada and Europe, but not in the United States.
A special edition titled Forza Motorsport 2 Platinum Hits was released for the North American market on August 19, 2008. This edition includes a bonus disc containing the cars and tracks available as downloadable content at the time of its release, the cars of the Limited Collector's Edition and the Nissan 350Z
originally offered as a preorder bonus.
s Dirk Watch commends the game for its "excellent handling and fantastic customisation". However, he criticises it for "not being particularly user friendly and feels almost identical to Forza".
an unrealistic and unbalanced performance advantage over other vehicles. A patch which aimed to resolve this issue introduced a second bug which again could be exploited to gain an unfair advantage.
On September 9, 2007, in an attempt to address these issues in the context of an extremely large scoreboard database and limited tool set, Turn 10 Studios began wiping accumulated scoreboard times and online rankings for players who had:
There was also a glitch that allowed a certain car to be sold for billions of dollars, going past the 999,999,999 limit the system registers.
Turn 10 Studios
Turn 10 Studios is an American video game developer located in Redmond, Washington. It was established in 2001 by Microsoft Game Studios to develop the Forza Motorsport series for the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles.-Games developed:...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console. It is the second title in the Forza Motorsport series
Forza Motorsport (series)
Forza Motorsport is a popular and critically acclaimed series of racing simulation video games for the Xbox and Xbox 360 developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios....
, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport's received rave reviews from such media outlets as 1UP.com, IGN, Eurogamer and more.The game was also featured in the June 2004 issue of Popular Science.- External links :*...
(2005) and is followed by Forza Motorsport 3
Forza Motorsport 3
Forza Motorsport 3 is a racing video game developed for Xbox 360 by Turn 10 Studios. It was released in October . It is the sequel to Forza Motorsport 2 and the third installment in the Forza Motorsport series...
(2009).
The box art features a tuned Nissan 350Z
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...
drifting.
Overview
Forza Motorsport 2 is a realistic racing simulator on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, the sequel to Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport's received rave reviews from such media outlets as 1UP.com, IGN, Eurogamer and more.The game was also featured in the June 2004 issue of Popular Science.- External links :*...
which was released for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in 2005. The Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
The Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel was developed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 and was introduced at E3 2006. Released in November 2006, the force feedback steering wheel controller includes the standard gamepad buttons along with floor-mounted accelerator and brake pedals...
was developed in alongside Forza Motorsport 2 and is designed to work with the game.
Most cars in Forza 2 can be visually customized with both aerodynamic parts as well as graphics. 1,000 layers of graphics can be created with the livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
editor to draw shapes, letters and pictures onto a car. According to the developer, it is preventing possible copyright conflicts, also reducing loads in online races. Paint schemes can be auctioned online to other players for in-game credits. Many players reproduced paint schemes appeared in real world, or creating Itasha
Itasha
, literally "painmobile", is a Japanese term for an otaku fad of individuals decorating the bodies of their cars with fictional characters of anime, manga, or video games . These characters are predominately "cute" female. The decorations usually involve paint schemes and stickers...
s through this system.
The game supports split-screen
Split screen (computer graphics)
Split screen is a display technique in computer graphics that consists of dividing graphics and/or text into non-movable adjacent parts, typically two or four rectangular areas. This is done in order to allow the simultaneous presentation of related graphical and textual information on a computer...
, System Link and Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
multiplayer gaming. Split-screen allows two player head-to-head racing, while both System Link and Xbox Live allow up to eight players to participate in a single race. Using Xbox Live 'Silver', players can also buy in-game cars through the game's Auction House. A 'Gold' account is needed to sell and 'gift' cars.
Forza Motorsport 2 concentrates on circuit racing; point to point races which were featured in the original Forza Motorsport have been removed. Real world tracks Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
, Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
, Tsukuba
Tsukuba Circuit
The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to...
, Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit is a race track in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is . It has 15 turns and a long straight.Grand Prix motorcycle racing host an annual event here . Also, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters hold an annual event. The track is property of Scuderia Ferrari which...
, Sebring International Raceway, Suzuka Circuit
Suzuka Circuit
, Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:...
, and Nürburgring Nordschleife
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
are licensed and included. Forza 2 is also one of the first racing games to prominently feature cars from the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
in both the game and downloadable content.
The damage and physics in the game have been revamped over the previous game, allowing for multiple settings: "simulation," which is the most severe, allowing for damage that can take a car out of commission; "limited," which scales down the severity of impact of crashes; and "cosmetic," where the damage is merely visual. The damage ratings for each part of the vehicle can be seen on the HUD (heads up display) accessed from the in-game menu.
Professional racers playtest
Playtest
A playtest is the process by which a game designer tests a new game for bugs and flaws before bringing it to market. Playtests can be run "open", "closed", "beta", or otherwise....
ed the wheel to aid the development in trying to achieve realistic features and settings. Forza Motorsport 2 features force feedback with the use of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel.
Forza 2 runs at 60 frames per second
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
in 720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
resolution (HD
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
), with replays running at 30 frames per second to accommodate additional after-effects.
Cars
There are 349 cars available (including downloadable content) in Forza Motorsport 2. They are divided into six production classes and four race classes. A car's class can limit races for which it is eligible. The final list of cars was revealed on April 20, 2007.Production cars
Production cars include stock cars, as well as cars tuned by aftermarket tuning companies. Production cars can move between classes, but cannot enter the "R" classes.- Class D: Standard production cars including the Ford Focus SVTSpecial Vehicle TeamSpecial Vehicle Team, also known as SVT, is an arm of Ford Motor Company responsible for the development of the company's highest-performance vehicles, much like Mercedes-AMG, BMW M, Chrysler's SRT division and GM's Performance Division. SVT is the successor to the SVO division.The current SVT...
and the Volkswagen Golf GTI - Class C: Sport production cars including the Audi S4Audi S4The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan...
and the Nissan Fairlady ZNissan 350ZThe Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...
. It also includes classic sport production cars such as the 1982 Audi Sport Quattro. - Class B: Performance production cars including the Porsche Cayman S and the Aston Martin Vanquish
- Class A: Above average-performance production cars including the Chevrolet Corvette Z06Chevrolet Corvette Z06Chevrolet Corvette Z06 refers to three different models of the Chevrolet Corvette:* Chevrolet Corvette C2 Z06 * Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 * Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06...
and the TVR Tuscan RTVR Tuscan-Engine:Five different inline six engine options were offered to customers. Four of these were variants of the 4.0 L Speed Six making different amounts of power and torque, depending on the trim level selected... - Class S: High-performance production cars like the Koenigsegg CC8SKoenigsegg CC8SThe Koenigsegg CC8S is a mid-engine sports car, the first produced by Swedish automaker Koenigsegg and the first production car to use dihedral actuation doors, a feature that has become a trademark of the brand...
and the Porsche Carrera GTPorsche Carrera GTThe Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Porsche in Leipzig, Germany.- History :The development of the Carrera GT can be traced back to the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racing cars. Due in part to the FIA and ACO rule changes in 1998, both designs had ended. Porsche at... - Class U SupercarSupercarSupercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...
s. Only two original U-Class cars are available in stock: the Chrysler ME Four-TwelveChrysler ME Four-TwelveThe ME Four-Twelve is a concept car produced by Chrysler under the Chrysler brand in 2004. It was based on a Mercedes chassis. There were two ME Four-Twelve vehicles produced. The first, strictly an auto show property with very limited operational capabilities, was designed in great secrecy during...
concept car, and the TVR Cerbera Speed 12TVR Cerbera Speed 12The TVR Cerbera Speed 12, originally known as the Project 7/12, was a high performance concept car designed by TVR in 1997. Based in part on then-current TVR hardware, the vehicle was intended to be both the world's highest performance road car and the basis for a GT1 class endurance racer...
. The Koenigsegg CCGT, Ferrari FXXFerrari FXXThe Ferrari FXX is a high performance race car built by automobile manufacturer Ferrari in Maranello, Italy. The FXX is based on the street-legal Enzo. Production of the FXX began in 2005.- Overview :...
, Ferrari F50 GTFerrari F50 GTThe Ferrari F50 GT was a derivative of Ferrari F50, intended for use in the BPR Global GT Series. However, Ferrari decided not to put the F50 GT into production, and only three cars were sold to the public; the prototype and two assembled specially for prominent customers...
, Maserati MC12 Corsa and Ferrari F40Ferrari F40The Ferrari F40 is a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door coupé sports car produced by Ferrari from 1987 to 1992 as the successor to the Ferrari 288 GTO. From 1987 to 1989 it was Ferrari's fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car...
competizione become available after downloading extra-cost game content.
Race cars
Cars in these classes cannot be upgraded, and none of these cars can enter another class. Likewise, they cannot leave their respective class.- Class R4: Heavily modified production cars and low-end purpose-built race cars including the #77 Subaru Cusco Advan ImprezaSubaru ImprezaIntroduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be...
and the numerous Porsche 911 GT3 CupPorsche 911 GT3The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
cars. - Class R3: High-end purpose-built race cars including the Dodge Viper GTS-R and most Super GTSuper GTThe Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association...
cars. - Class R2: Ultrahigh-end purpose-built race cars including the Porsche 911 GT1Porsche 911 GT1The Porsche 911 GT1 was a car designed for competition in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street legal version for homologation purposes...
and the Chevrolet Corvette C6.RChevrolet Corvette C6.RThe Chevrolet Corvette C6.R is a grand tourer racing car built by Pratt & Miller and General Motors for competition in endurance racing. It is a replacement for the Corvette C5-R racing car, applying the body style of the new C6 generation Chevrolet Corvette as well as improvements to increase the...
, among other GT-class American Le Mans SeriesAmerican Le Mans SeriesThe American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
cars. - Class R1: Le Mans PrototypeLe Mans PrototypeA Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
race cars including the Peugeot 905CPeugeot 905The Peugeot 905 is a Sports-prototype racing car introduced for Sportscar racing.The car was initially unveiled in February 1990 and was developed throughout 1990 before making its race debut in the final two races of the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season .The car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
.
Famous drivers
Famous racing car drivers from racing series such as Deutsche Tourenwagen MastersDeutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
, Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
will appear in exhibition races if the player selects racing cars for the race. Some drivers include Allan McNish
Allan McNish
Allan McNish is a Scottish racing driver. He is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, most recently in 2008, and two-time American Le Mans Series champion.- Early life :...
, Pedro Lamy
Pedro Lamy
José Pedro Mourão Lamy Viçoso, OIH, better known as Pedro Lamy , is a professional racing driver from Portugal. He is notable for being the first Portuguese driver to score a point in a World Championship event, in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, for Minardi...
, Johnny Herbert
Johnny Herbert
John Paul Herbert is a British racing driver from England. He competed in Formula One, winning three races, and also in sports cars winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda 787B...
, Max Papis
Max Papis
Massimiliano "Max" Papis is a racing driver who has competed in several top-level motorsports events such as Le Mans 24 Hours, Formula One and Champ Car. He has three Champ Car victories. He is the son-in-law of Emerson Fittipaldi. His son's godfather is fellow Italian Alex Zanardi...
, Kamui Kobayashi
Kamui Kobayashi
is a Japanese racing driver. He has competed in the GP2 Series, won the GP2 Asia Series, and made his Formula One debut with Toyota in the final two races of when he replaced Timo Glock after the German was injured in a crash during qualifying for the...
and Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut is a French race driver. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1993. He currently drives in the FIA GT1 World Championship...
.
R4 class
Max AngelelliMax Angelelli
Massimiliano Angelelli is an Italian race car driver.His career begun in Italian Formula Alfa Boxer in 1987 and continued for 15 years. His only championship win as the 1992 Italian Formula Three title...
Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut is a French race driver. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1993. He currently drives in the FIA GT1 World Championship...
Dominik Farnbacher Wolf Henzler
Wolf Henzler
Wolf Henzler is a German racing driver known for his success with Porsches. He began racing in 1991 with a win in the German Junior Kart championship...
Kazuki Hoshino Kamui Kobayashi
Kamui Kobayashi
is a Japanese racing driver. He has competed in the GP2 Series, won the GP2 Asia Series, and made his Formula One debut with Toyota in the final two races of when he replaced Timo Glock after the German was injured in a crash during qualifying for the...
Robin Liddell Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri is an Italian race car driver. He started three Indy 500s .Zampedri was seriously injured in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, suffering severe foot and leg injuries on the last lap of the race. While running fourth, Zampedri was collected in a crash with Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo...
R3 class
Miguel Ángel de Castro Christophe BouchutChristophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut is a French race driver. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1993. He currently drives in the FIA GT1 World Championship...
Tom Coronel
Tom Coronel
Tom Romeo Coronel is a Dutch auto racing driver. Tom's twin brother Tim is also a racer, just like their father Tom Coronel Sr...
Naoki Hattori
Naoki Hattori
is a motoring journalist and racing driver from Japan. After being Japanese Formula 3 champion in 1990, he failed to pre-qualify for two Formula One grands prix with Coloni in 1991 as a late-season replacement for Pedro Chaves...
Yuji Ide
Yuji Ide
is a Japanese racing driver who graduated from 2005 Formula Nippon to Formula One with the Super Aguri team in 2006, but lost his FIA Super Licence during the season due to erratic driving....
Peter Kox
Peter Kox
Peter Kox is a racecar driver from the NetherlandsKox began racing in karts in 1978, winning five titles until 1982. In 1983 he moved to automobiles, winning the Marlboro Formula Ford Challenge and was second and third in the Benelux and Dutch Formula Ford 2000 Championships, respectively, the...
Pedro Lamy
Pedro Lamy
José Pedro Mourão Lamy Viçoso, OIH, better known as Pedro Lamy , is a professional racing driver from Portugal. He is notable for being the first Portuguese driver to score a point in a World Championship event, in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, for Minardi...
Anthony Lazzaro Satoshi Motoyama
Satoshi Motoyama
Satoshi Motoyama is a Japanese racing driver.-Career:He gathered an impressive résumé of results in his native country, winning the Formula Nippon championship in 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2005. He also competes in the Japan GT Championship and won that series title in 2003 and 2004...
Manabu Orido
Manabu Orido
is a Japanese racing driver who currently competes in the Super GT series for Toyota Team Tsuchiya in a Lexus SC 430 sponsored by Eclipse and AdvanOrido began his racing career as a street racer and then progressed to touge racing...
Johannes van Overbeek
Johannes van Overbeek
Johannes van Overbeek is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He currently drives a Ferrari F430 for Extreme Speed Motorsports.-Career:Johannes raced go-karts as a child, and began racing sedans at eighteen...
Juichi Wakisaka
Juichi Wakisaka
is a Japanese racing driver who was a 2002, 2006 and 2009 champion in Japan's Super GT series in the GT500 category. In 2002, Wakisaka raced the Toyota Supra GT with Akira Iida, in 2006 and 2009 Wakisaka raced the Lexus SC 430 with Andre Lotterer....
Peter Zakowski
R2 class
Luc AlphandLuc Alphand
Luc Alphand is a French former alpine skier and race car driver.- Skiing :Born in Briançon , Alphand made his World Cup skiing debut in 1984...
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
Terry Borcheller
Terry Borcheller
Terry Borcheller is an American professional racing driver who races in the Grand American Road Racing Association Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series....
Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut is a French race driver. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1993. He currently drives in the FIA GT1 World Championship...
Fabrizio de Simone Eric Hélary
Eric Hélary
Eric Hélary is a racing driver from Paris. His career has encompassed single seater formulae, endurance sports car racing, and touring cars...
Mike Hezemans
Mike Hezemans
Mike Hezemans is a professional racecar driver from the Netherlands. He was born in Eindhoven in 25 July 1969 and is son of Toine Hezemans.Hezemans has been a regular driver in the FIA GT Championship since its inception in 1997, having also driven for its predecessor series, the BPR Global GT Series...
Franz Konrad
Franz Konrad
Franz Konrad is a former race driver and founder of Konrad Motorsport in 1976.As a driver, he won the 1983 German Formula 3 Championship in an Anson SA4-Toyota. In 1990, he took a career best 2nd in the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Jaguar, then followed this with an overall victory in the...
Allan McNish
Allan McNish
Allan McNish is a Scottish racing driver. He is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, most recently in 2008, and two-time American Le Mans Series champion.- Early life :...
Max Papis
Max Papis
Massimiliano "Max" Papis is a racing driver who has competed in several top-level motorsports events such as Le Mans 24 Hours, Formula One and Champ Car. He has three Champ Car victories. He is the son-in-law of Emerson Fittipaldi. His son's godfather is fellow Italian Alex Zanardi...
Pierre-Henri Raphanel
Pierre-Henri Raphanel
Pierre-Henri Raphanel, born 27 May 1961 in Algiers, Algeria, is a former French racing driver.He participated in 17 Formula One Grands Prix for Larrousse, Coloni and Rial, debuting on 13 November 1988...
R1 class
Eric HélaryEric Hélary
Eric Hélary is a racing driver from Paris. His career has encompassed single seater formulae, endurance sports car racing, and touring cars...
Johnny Herbert
Johnny Herbert
John Paul Herbert is a British racing driver from England. He competed in Formula One, winning three races, and also in sports cars winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda 787B...
Stefan Johansson
Stefan Johansson
Stefan Nils Edwin Johansson is a former Formula One driver from who drove for among others both Ferrari and McLaren during his Grand Prix career. Since leaving Formula One he has raced in a number of categories, including CART, various kinds of Sports car racing, and Grand Prix Masters...
Tom Kristensen
Tom Kristensen
Tom Kristensen is a Danish racing driver. He has won many championships in auto racing but his most famous achievement is being the only person to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times, six of which were consecutive...
Marco Werner
Marco Werner
Marco Werner is a professional racer from Germany.In his early career, Werner was Formula Opel vice-champion in 1990 and German F3 vice-champion in 1991 ....
Web integration
New for Forza 2 are scoreboards similar to those found in Halo 2Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
. Each user can log into the official website for Forza 2 using their Xbox Live account. In addition to leaderboards, features included are online auctions for in-game cars. Cars purchased through auctions will come with all statistics related to that car such as mileage, total repair cost incurred, number of previous owners, etc.
Other features include tournament scheduling and the ability to take in-game photos and upload to and view five at a time on the Forza 2 website.
Downloadable content
On August 1, 2007, the first downloadable content for the game was released in the form of a free Nissan car pack, also available was a paintable Peugeot 908 race car.On September 20, 2007, the second downloadable content was available, containing 11 individual cars.
On October 26, 2007, the third downloadable content was announced in the form of a new downloadable track, Twin Ring Motegi
Twin Ring Motegi
is an automobile racing track located at Motegi, Japan. Its name comes from the facility having two race tracks: a oval and a road course. It was built in 1997 by Honda, as part of Honda's effort to bring the IndyCar Series to Japan, helping to increase their knowledge of American open-wheel...
. The track is playable in the form of four variations, including three road courses and an oval.
On December 7, 2007, the fourth downloadable content was announced in the form of a new track, Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
, along with a pack of 11 cars.
On March 19, 2008, the fifth downloadable content was made available, in the form of 13 individual cars.
Special editions
Forza Motorsport 2 was released in three editions: the regular edition, the Limited Collector's Edition and the platinum hits edition. The Limited Edition features a 157-page booklet containing insider details on the game as well as tips on how to obtain the game's Achievements. Car manufacturer detail is also provided along with three Limited Collector's Edition-exclusive cars. The three cars are the Subaru Impreza S204, Saleen S281E, and Challenge StradaleFerrari 360
The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine midsize two-seater sports car produced from late 1999 until 2005. The 360 replaced the Ferrari F355 and was itself replaced by the fairly similar Ferrari F430...
. Various online game stores also offered a bonus code to unlock the Nissan 350Z
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...
featured on promotional pictures with preorder purchase.
The Limited Collector's Edition was available in Australia, Asia, Canada and Europe, but not in the United States.
A special edition titled Forza Motorsport 2 Platinum Hits was released for the North American market on August 19, 2008. This edition includes a bonus disc containing the cars and tracks available as downloadable content at the time of its release, the cars of the Limited Collector's Edition and the Nissan 350Z
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...
originally offered as a preorder bonus.
Reception
HyperHyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...
s Dirk Watch commends the game for its "excellent handling and fantastic customisation". However, he criticises it for "not being particularly user friendly and feels almost identical to Forza".
Ongoing game balancing
A series of exploits and physics engine bugs have affected the fairness of online multiplayer and competitive hotlapping since the game's launch. A bug in the initial release gave the simulated Lotus ElanLotus Elan
Lotus Elan is the name of two convertible cars and one fixed head coupé produced by Lotus Cars. The original Type 26, 26R Racing version , 36R Racing version , 36 Fixed Head Coupe, 45 Drop Head Coupe, and the "Type 50" +2 Coupe, circa 1962 to 1975, are commonly known as the '60s Elans...
an unrealistic and unbalanced performance advantage over other vehicles. A patch which aimed to resolve this issue introduced a second bug which again could be exploited to gain an unfair advantage.
On September 9, 2007, in an attempt to address these issues in the context of an extremely large scoreboard database and limited tool set, Turn 10 Studios began wiping accumulated scoreboard times and online rankings for players who had:
- A top 5000 scoreboard time using a Manual Transmission vehicle before August 25, 2007;
- A sub-10 second laptime;
- A top 2000 scoreboard time using a Lotus Elan.
There was also a glitch that allowed a certain car to be sold for billions of dollars, going past the 999,999,999 limit the system registers.