The Best Xbox Game Every Year 2001 - 2024
20. 2005 - Forza Motorsport
Since 1997, Gran Turismo had been the last word in racing sims. Many had tried and failed to topple PlayStation and Polyphony Digital's titan franchise but hadn't ever really come close to the same reaction or staying power. With every new iteration, Gran Turismo pushed the genre ahead to craft the most complete racing experience.
Forza Motorsport's developers directly set out to be the next competitor to the throne and, considering both its consistency and brand value in the decades since, it's fair to say they succeeded.
What truly set Forza a step ahead of its contemporaries was car customisation. Greatly expanding what the Gran Turismo series had done before, players could now swap an engine out of one machine into another and experience relatively realistic results. More than this, the game allowed 100 layers of cosmetic customisation, giving racers a chance to decorate their many vehicles with very authored designs and take them online with Xbox Live.
Despite the Xbox 360 launching in late 2005, the most important Microsoft exclusive of the year, without question, is Forza Motorsport on the original Xbox.