Horizon Lands in the UK
I'll start out by stating that my expectations for this game were moderately high, given how much I enjoyed the last installment in Australia. I figured the game would adhere to mostly the same structure and overall design but possibly feature something to keep returning fans happy; that's basically what the game is. At its core Horizon 4 is much like previous iterations but a new map w/ dynamic seasons and weather, new cars, and new progression model stand out among the list of added variety. Unfortunately, the game does suffer from some setbacks.
For one, the AI is still pretty lousy and computer drivers will likely drive you nuts when trying to place higher in races. This is, of course, somewhat configurable with difficulty/assist settings but is still annoying to some degree. Granted, there aren't as many fielded cars as in the main Forza games, however the narrow streets and sharp corners become much harder to navigate when there's mindless traffic fodder mucking things up; the street races are particularly cruel because of the additional "pedestrian" traffic. It's not a deal breaker though, because there are many different ways to progress and you can cherry pick event conditions to some extent.
The showcase events are starting to become more over-the-top and possibly indicate that the developers are running out of ideas. Like the GB review states, they are more spectacle than anything else--with clear rubber band mechanics being painfully present. You can still fail these events, but I feel like you'd almost have a harder time doing so that just passing them on the first go. You'll probably have to play the events to see what I'm talking about but they're aren't to be taken very seriously. If I didn't have to enter them in order to progress, I would likely ignore them altogether. There's another "special" type of event but I won't mention it here...
Overall, FH4 is (to no surprise) much like the previous titles with some tweaks and a fresh coat of paint. It's very colorful and looks fantastic, with plenty to do, however some returning players might need to adjust back into the more "arcade-like" feel of it all. It's worth noting that I've been playing Forza Motorsport 7 prior to jumping into Forza Horizon 4; I had a hard time getting a feel for the controls at first. I am enjoying the game however, and despite a few annoyances, it's easy as ever to recommend. If there is another Horizon on the... horizon... I would opt for less flash and more substance but beggars can't be choosers. I also think it would be nice for the series to visit Japan at some point...