Update, 5/5/2016, 10:38 a.m. PDT: The beta for Forza Motorsport 6: Apex is now available for free on the Windows store.
Turn 10 Studios’ Forza Motorsport series is one of the best-selling titles on the Xbox One. Its exclusivity status also helped convince customers to buy an Xbox One instead of the PlayStation 4. Five months after the release of Forza Motorsport 6, the developers are back at it again with a new installment in the franchise called Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, and it’s making its debut on the Windows Store on PC for free.
Apex is Turn 10 Studios’ first step in what it called a “commitment to PC games.” The new game, which is targeted towards newcomers to the series, will use DirectX 12 and can display up to 4K resolution. Players will have to compete in various events to gain race points, which you can use to gain medals, and ultimately, buy more cars.
What’s In Store
The races are split into two sections: Showcase Tours and the Spotlight Series. The Showcase will have 12 multi-event installments. The Spotlight Series will show off cars of a certain make, year or type in various events, and Turn 10 Studios intends to add more content to the Spotlight Series over time. To gain points in each race, you’ll have to complete a series of objectives, such as making a clean pass next to an opposing racer, driving without certain assists, or simply winning a race.
Unlike Forza Motorsport 6’s immense roster of cars, the developers hand-picked a smaller selection of vehicles for Apex. Players will have access to 60 cars at launch as well as 20 tracks across six locations. Some custom designs for the cars will be available when the game comes out, but we still don't know if the game will support full visual customization.
Even though Apex has a few real-world transactions available for those who can’t wait to drive a particular vehicle, the developers assured us that you can obtain every car in the game with the use of the in-game currency.
Caution
What might be a concern for diehard racing fans is the fact that you can play with a controller or the keyboard and mouse only when the game comes out. This means that you won’t be able to use your racing wheels with Apex, at least in the beginning. Turn 10 is currently working on getting support for various racing wheels, but it’s unknown as to what brands and models will work with the game.
With high-end VR HMDs coming in less than a month, I also asked about VR support for the game. For now, it doesn’t seem like it’s on the to-do list for the developers, but that doesn’t mean it couldn't come as a future update. The main focus at the moment is to finish development on the game.
Go, Go, Go
The release date for Forza Motorsport 6: Apex wasn’t specified (Microsoft lists the release window for Spring 2016). Even as a free title, Apex is a significant milestone for Turn 10 Studios. For years, the company made games solely for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. By adding a PC game, we could see future iterations of Forza simultaneously release on both the Xbox One and PC. The series already has a large following on the console, but it could grab an even bigger crowd on the PC. That is, if Apex turns out to be a success.
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