By combining open-world thrills with simulation racing and letting you customize the experience to your liking, Forza Horizon 2 is an excellent entry in the series.

Southern Europe is gorgeous in game; Driving is constantly exciting; Experience is hugely customizable

Eventually runs out of new stuff; Story is ludicrous

Forza Horizon 2 ($59.99) is the Xbox One 's first major must-have title. Microsoft's answer to PlayStation's Gran Turismo series cuts its own path through a fenced backyard into the lane between the simulation and arcade genres.

Gorgeous 1080p/30fps graphics; Huge open world; Great music; Tons of cars, content, and customization options

Long load times; Steep learning curve; Finicky Kinect voice controls

Great multiplayer racing enhanced by a glorious celebratory tone.

Forza has always been synonymous with sim-oriented racing, from tuning cars to finding that best line to shave off 1/10th of a second of a lap of the track. Two years ago developer Playground Games broke the traditional Forza gameplay model by introducing open world racing on the Xbox 360.

Shut up and drive.

+ Open World setting; + Diverse events; + Free roam multiplayer; + Looks great; + You race freakin' fighter jets

- AI traffic isn't great; - Xbox 360 version is pointless

There are still a few rough edges to be driven over, but as mild as the improvements are this still makes Forza Horizon 2 one of the best racers of recent years.

Fantastic scenery and Forza's customary attention to detail; The open world areas are great fun, especially off-road; Much improved multiplayer options and skill points system

The new setting isn't as varied as the first and the track design isn't always that inspired; Too little variety in terms of race types, and Drivatar still needs some tweaking

If Forza Horizon 2 managed to continue its momentum past those electrifying opening hours it'd have easily skyrocketed into the 10 category. And even if it drops down a gear or two as familiarity with the open world and its events starts to grind the experience from sublimely eclectic to...

One of the best racing series of all time gives its spin-off another chance at the wheel.

Everything you love about the Forza series; some new additions to spice up the formula; tons of cars to drive and tune; crazy computer drivers

Really do not care for Cross Country races; radio stations are terrible; so much talking

We were allowed to actually run this review last week when embargo lifted, but something kept getting in the way of us publishing it -- I was stuck in the bloody driver's seat and couldn't steer myself away. Forza Horizon 2 is fantastic.

Some guy is standing next to my Lexus LFA at the end of my racing triumph. He doesn't seem to be as excited as I am, even though he apparently represents me. He's the generic guy behind the wheel, the catatonic crash-test dummy whose presence at the end of every championship win mystifies me.

Festival atmosphere is easy to get swept up in; Wide variety of cars that require finesse and skill to master; Online road trips can be a hoot; Gleeful showcase races

Unnecessary perks system; Environmental obstacles can put the brakes on