Forza Horizon 4 Review: 6 Ups & 3 Downs

3. Seasons Are An Awesome Addition

Though Horizon 4 doesn't innovate all that much as mentioned, one wonderful addition is the new inclusion of changing seasons, allowing players to experience the U.K. in summer, autumn, winter and spring.

This adds an unexpected level of diversity to the game not only visually but also difficulty-wise: in the winter cars are far more challenging to handle, and when the spring comes, you'll still need to be mindful of those dew-soaked roads.

Impressively, the cosmetic changes aren't just shallow surface flourishes: for instance, lakes will freeze over in the winter, and sections of the game will open up that can't be reached in other seasons.

Once you've made your way through the surprisingly lengthy introductory year, the seasons become fixed and will rotate on a weekly basis, ensuring that no matter when you sit down to play the game, there's something different just around the corner.

It's not exactly a complex gimmick, but it is one that works splendidly well without overtly trying to railroad the player into a specific mode of play.