Turn 10 have been busy show off Forza 4 at E3. The lengthy demonstrations show off all facets of the racing game, including Kinect features such as head-tracking, the car showroom, controller-free driving and voice control.
The car-showroom, an idea specifically created for Kinect, lets players walk around a virtual car; opening doors, looking at the engine and even getting inside. It is full of narrated facts and information and unedited commentary on each individual car written and recorded by Top Gears' Jeremy Clarkson specifically for the game.
Head tracking works during races, not only for subtler head turns, but for tilting and leaning of the head and body, resulting in a much more immersive experience, and genuinely helpful hands-off camera control.
Kinect steering might not necessarily improve on a wheel or a controller, but it makes the game instantly more accessible. As an option, it opens the game up to a much wider audience -- those that own Kinect who might be otherwise intimidated by such a deep racing sim. Breaking is automatic, but you can override it if you feel the need to break by putting your foot forward.
If you want to see more, Gamespot have put up a fantastic 24 minute long video must-see video demonstration with Turn 10 game director Dan Greenawalt, detailing and demonstrating traditional and Kinect control. It also shows off a bit of the voice control for menu navigation, which is particularly useful as it allows players to jump to deeper hyperlinks rather than just the options available on the screen, letting them dig deeper or back up a few steps with one voice command instead of multiple button presses.
It really seems like Turn 10 have thought long and hard about Kinect and implemented it where they genuinely feel it can expand the game. It can complement or replace the most complex and simple controls, and offer completely unique ways of viewing some of the best cars in the world. It's brilliant to see such brilliant developers approach Kinect with such enthusiasm.
Forza 4 Kinect Video Demonstrations
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Glen
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