10 Video Game Spin-Offs That Surpass The Original
3. Forza Horizon (Forza Motorsport)
Since Gran Turismo is a Sony-exclusive, Microsoft director, Kiki Wolfkill (awesome name) wanted the Xbox to have its own driving franchise, which led to the creation of Forza Motorsport. Though Forza received positive reviews straight out the gate, it still found itself eating GT's dust.
However, all that changed with the 2005 spin-off, Forza Horizon. Rather than burning rubber on locked-in racing tracks, Horizon takes place in an open world, allowing drivers to travel wherever they want (within reason).
Although there's plenty of missions, there's nothing better than going for an aimless wander, zooming through flourishing forests, urban towns, and colossal canyons.
Just when it feels like the series couldn't get any more accolades, Horizon 5 revved things up to a whole other level. The raytracing tech makes the already photorealistic graphics look truly eye-watering. No matter how fast the cars move or how much content is on-screen, it never makes a dent in the frame-rate, letting players admire every pixel.
And with 2023's Forza Motorsport receiving mostly negative reviews from Steam players, it further highlights how far this spin-off has come. Not only has Horizon surpassed Motorsport, it's set a new benchmark in what a racer can be.