The Best Xbox Game Every Year 2001 - 2024
4. 2021 - Forza Horizon 5
Realistically speaking, Microsoft had two exclusives launch in 2021. One of these was Halo Infinite which, whilst it can be argued is a great total package now, wasn't exactly warmly received at the time. The other was Forza Horizon 5 which, in a series that regularly scores extremely well on MetaCritic, became one of the highest-praised entries in Xbox's most consistent franchise and opened up to 10 million players in its first week.
Forza Horizon 5 was all about refining an idea to its sharpest point. It was the (so far) logical endpoint for a side-series that took Forza's racing sim mechanics and put them in a more arcade-y setting. You couldn't drive more than a few minutes across the game's huge map without encountering some sort of objective, ranging from off-road races to finding rare cars in barns; from drift challenges to wreckage events that see players destroying piñatas.
Everything was optional and, brilliantly, all equally viable, as players consistently earned adventure points towards their completion and the rewards of new vehicles from the game's absurd collection of over 800 came thick and fast. Forza Horizon 5 was more about freedom than ever.
This also included the freedom to ignore it all and simply enjoy the game's refined driving mechanics whilst exploring one of the prettiest open worlds released this generation.