TGS: Hands-On and Hands-Off with Forza 4
Options
We put both the controller-free controls and the new Wireless Speed Wheel to the test.
The gang at Turn 10 has never shied away from putting everything but the kitchen sink into each Forza game, so it's no surprise that the Redmond-based racing team has embraced both Xbox 360 Kinect and the brand new Wireless Speed Wheel and enabled both for support in Forza Motorsport 4. The question is – will you use them?
Let's start with just the Kinect itself. In Kinect mode, you're able to virtually walk around your cars in your garage prior to getting behind the wheel and rolling out onto the tarmac. I say 'walk', but I really mean lean, as tilting your upper body from side to side shuffles your perspective around your shiny new Ferrari or whatever it may be – although you can take steps towards your TV to get a closer look.
You can also swipe your hands across certain touch points on each vehicle to open doors, examine individual parts more closely or even change the paint job, and once you're ready to race you can physically move into the driver's seat and activate the ignition with another move of your hand.
Yeah, it's gimmicky, but it works well enough. It's only when you go to actually race using just your fists as a steering wheel that you'll quickly be digging out your Xbox 360 controller, because it's here that the Kinect-only mode essentially becomes Joyride with nicer graphics – you can't break or accelerate and you can only steer, albeit with noticeable lag for each of your hand movements. Hmm, no thanks.
A happier medium for motion-based controls for Forza 4 is the Wireless Speed Wheel, which despite looking more like U-shaped handlebars for a mountain bike than a steering wheel, works surprisingly well in conjunction with the Kinect sensor. There's no lag to speak of, and you've got full freedom to brake and accelerate using the wheel's left and right triggers, with handbraking and view-switching comfortably under thumb thanks to the face buttons and d-pad.
Doesn't exactly scream Ferrari, does it?
Of course, aside from the controller vibration there's no force feedback due to the absence of a steering column – with the wheel just floating in air with your hands attached it at times feels difficult to judge how hard you should be steering. I also wonder if your arms would get sore holding the wheel up for extended racing sessions. Lastly, the game was only being demonstrated on Easy mode with brake assists turned on, so it was difficult to judge how well the Wireless Speed Wheel would perform on the more realistic game settings.
Still, the Wireless Speed Wheel seems like a pretty good option for Forza fans who want the feel of a steering wheel without sacrificing the closet space to store a traditional gaming wheel and pedals in. For me personally, I think I'll stick with the Xbox 360 controller.
The gang at Turn 10 has never shied away from putting everything but the kitchen sink into each Forza game, so it's no surprise that the Redmond-based racing team has embraced both Xbox 360 Kinect and the brand new Wireless Speed Wheel and enabled both for support in Forza Motorsport 4. The question is – will you use them?
Let's start with just the Kinect itself. In Kinect mode, you're able to virtually walk around your cars in your garage prior to getting behind the wheel and rolling out onto the tarmac. I say 'walk', but I really mean lean, as tilting your upper body from side to side shuffles your perspective around your shiny new Ferrari or whatever it may be – although you can take steps towards your TV to get a closer look.
You can also swipe your hands across certain touch points on each vehicle to open doors, examine individual parts more closely or even change the paint job, and once you're ready to race you can physically move into the driver's seat and activate the ignition with another move of your hand.
Yeah, it's gimmicky, but it works well enough. It's only when you go to actually race using just your fists as a steering wheel that you'll quickly be digging out your Xbox 360 controller, because it's here that the Kinect-only mode essentially becomes Joyride with nicer graphics – you can't break or accelerate and you can only steer, albeit with noticeable lag for each of your hand movements. Hmm, no thanks.
A happier medium for motion-based controls for Forza 4 is the Wireless Speed Wheel, which despite looking more like U-shaped handlebars for a mountain bike than a steering wheel, works surprisingly well in conjunction with the Kinect sensor. There's no lag to speak of, and you've got full freedom to brake and accelerate using the wheel's left and right triggers, with handbraking and view-switching comfortably under thumb thanks to the face buttons and d-pad.
Doesn't exactly scream Ferrari, does it?
Of course, aside from the controller vibration there's no force feedback due to the absence of a steering column – with the wheel just floating in air with your hands attached it at times feels difficult to judge how hard you should be steering. I also wonder if your arms would get sore holding the wheel up for extended racing sessions. Lastly, the game was only being demonstrated on Easy mode with brake assists turned on, so it was difficult to judge how well the Wireless Speed Wheel would perform on the more realistic game settings.
Still, the Wireless Speed Wheel seems like a pretty good option for Forza fans who want the feel of a steering wheel without sacrificing the closet space to store a traditional gaming wheel and pedals in. For me personally, I think I'll stick with the Xbox 360 controller.