Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island Review - Kangaroo in the Rain

Forza Horizon 2 is my personal game of the year, so when I learned that Playground Games would be tackling the release-light month of December with a new expansion I couldn’t help but get excited. Even then, it brought more than I anticipated.

Storm Island might have been announced only a day before release, but you shouldn’t take it lightly. I personally walked in expecting a small DLC pack that would keep me occupied for a day or two, but it’s much more than that. It really should be treated as a major expansion, as it includes a new area, vehicles, events, and even intensified weather effects. The content is certainly rich, but is it any good?

Take a Vacation

The most meaningful element of Storm Island’s offerings is, well, Storm Island. This is a new area separate from the original map that requires a boat trip to travel to. Its size is moderate, roughly equal in size to the region of Sisteron. Though, it’s very off-road oriented, more similar to the southwestern side of San Giovanni.

As great as it is that a new area has been added, it doesn’t deviate far from the original map. Most of its assets come from what you’ve seen before. So, you aren’t necessarily vacationing to a whole new world. That said, the topology of the map is hazardous with many fluctuations, providing challenge for intermediate and advanced players. These fluctuations in terrain not only mean that you’ll need solid brake points to avoid steering off course, but have ample opportunity to catch air. Storm Island‘s natural ramps make for huge moments during races where leaders lose their top position, and racers with finesse are able to overcome deficits. They also make for some good Photo Mode captures, too.

…fluctuations in terrain not only mean that you’ll need solid brake points to avoid steering off course, but have ample opportunity to catch air.

The harsh terrain has been born with off-road vehicles in mind. Although the original experience provided several championships for rally and off-road vehicles, the entirety of Storm Island is fan service for these vehicle types. As a matter of fact, a new rally suspension, tires, and transmission have found their way to the upgrade shop. No matter how interested you may be in off-road vehicles, chances are you’ll find yourself happily growing your garage with four wheel drive beasts.

As the name suggests, Storm Island has some rough weather. While Forza Horizon 2 has rain, both mild and moderate, Storm Island ushers some of the most intense rain you’ve ever seen in a video game onto the track. You can feel the bitter cold of the storm-struck environment as trees tremble, lightning strikes, and windshields are decimated by the pounding rain. The storms don’t only service the presentation, but also the gameplay. When it’s raining hard, visibility and traction are challenged beyond what you’ve experienced before. It’s worth noting that it isn’t always raining in Storm Island, but when it is you’ll struggle to retain traction on muddy track surfaces. Traction control is a must unless you’re a veteran.

Content Island

Storm Island is content-rich with 90 new events that provide about 10 or so hours of new races for fans to hop into. The event list mixes things up, too. Five new event types make mild to moderate adjustments of the original modes, tailoring them for the off-road style of Storm Island.

For example, you’ll hit chokepoints during laps that are filled with smashable chicanes that punish those who crash into them, and provide quite a spectacular sight as cones and pads are thrown into the air mid-race. You’ll also dive into a few Gauntlet events, which place you and your opponents in the harshest weather available, at night, with little to no on-course instruction to tell you when to turn. Gauntlets are as difficult to handle as Forza Horizon 2 gets, and are rewarding to conquer.

Gauntlets are as difficult to handle as Forza Horizon 2 gets, and are rewarding to conquer.

All five new modes are taken advantage of in Storm Island‘s campaign, which has learned a lesson from the original. It’s similarly free-form in that you have several championships to choose from, but the tier system is a huge improvement. There are no more routine road trips, and instead you get to focus on racing in specialized tournaments that tend to focus on rally and trucks, although there are others featured including muscle cars.

These new modes extend to the multiplayer experience. As a matter of fact, Storm Island‘s structure is well-suited for online play. The map isn’t obscenely large like the original, and as such tends to keep players near one another. The rally style does a great job of mixing things up from what tends to be a more European Supercar oriented franchise. You’re sure to experience more collisions as online players battle for traction.

Further Reading: Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island Map and Car List

The island has also been buffered with new side content, most of which is familiar to what you’ve seen before. There’s a new Barn Find, several Bucket List challenges that take advantage of Storm Island‘s topology, as well as hidden boards to smash that reduce the cost of upgrades. As this alludes to, there are new vehicles to acquire, a couple of which are sure to be fan favorites.

Conclusion

Storm Island represents how DLC should be handled for a AAA game. What it brings is substantial, strengthening an already dense game with over 10 hours of additional content. Its new weather is the highlight of the presentation, while the extreme topography is perfect for those looking for deviation from the more hospitable original map. At $19.99, or $9.99 with a VIP Pass, Storm Island is a great addition to one of 2014’s best games.