Forza Horizon for Xbox 360 is the original open-world entry in the Horizon series, developed by Playground Games and set in a condensed version of Colorado, USA. The game combines casual street racing with open-road exploration, allowing players to drive across deserts, mountains, farmland, and small towns while progressing through the Horizon Festival by winning races and earning popularity. Its event structure includes circuit races, point-to-point races, off-road events, speed traps, and showcase challenges such as races against helicopters and planes. The Xbox 360 version supports an array of cars and lets players compete in online playground games, leaderboards, and multiplayer events during its active period, though those services are now offline-only. Compared with later Horizon games, this release is more compact in scope but was praised for its freedom, music-festival atmosphere, and accessible handling that blended arcade racing with Forza’s characteristic car detail. Since the title was delisted in 2016 and the online services were shut down in 2023, it remains only for players who already own it and want to revisit the game offline.
Open-world street racing across a fictionalized Colorado map.
Horizon Festival progression based on racing, drifting, jumps, and popularity.
Day/night cycle and full open-road exploration.
Multiple race types, including circuit, point-to-point, off-road, and showcase events.
Showcase races against planes and helicopters.
Online playground games like cat-and-mouse and tag during the game’s active period.
Custom radio stations and festival soundtrack atmosphere.
Car tuning, customization, and barn-find-style exploration elements.
Offline play available for existing owners after delisting and server shutdown.
6 questions
Still have a question?
Browse all FAQs