Forza Horizon 5: 10 Essential Tips to Get You Started

Forza Horizon 5 can be a seriously intimidating beast at first glance. Hundreds of events, races and challenges to take on, in-depth tuning and car upgrading mechanics, it can all be a bit overwhelming. The thing is, if you break the game down into manageable parts, and keep some key tips in mind as you play, you'll be an expert racer in no time. That's why we've put together these 10 Essential Tips to get started in Forza Horizon 5. They range from collecting rewards to tips on exploring the map. Let's get started!

Read More: Forza Horizon 5 Review

Redeem Wheelspins

As you play Forza Horizon 5 you will earn Wheelspins and Super Wheelspins. These can be redeemed in the main menu, and absolutely should be used as soon as you get them. Not only will they grant you heaps of CR currency, items and cosmetics, they also contain cars. Some cars can only be found via Wheelspins or by Auction House, so make sure to make the most of the rewards.

Break Early

Cornering is one of the most challenging aspects of racing, and should be treated with patience and care. Try breaking early for corners, turning into them before hammering on the throttle once your car had lined up with the next stretch of road. It is always better to take corners too slow than too fast. Races are won and lost by how well players keep their cars gripped to the road and make use of careful cornering.

Use Your Drone

Drone Mode can be accessed in the Creative Hub menu. You can then explore freely and quickly. Use this feature to look for Barns, hidden XP Boards, and more.

Consider Increasing the Difficulty

You'll progress more quickly if you play on higher difficulties. A bonus is applied at the end of races depending on what difficulty you're playing on, which means more CR and faster progression. Try out slightly higher difficulties if you can, as you'll earn more for upgrades and new cars. Above Average is a good place to start, then see how you do. Remember that even if you don't finish first, you will still earn progression points.

Unlock PR Stunts

By playing through races and events in Forza Horizon 5 you will accumulate Accolades. Every now and then these will unlock a point that can be used to unlock your next main expedition. Consider spending them on the Horizon Rush section as soon as you can. This fills the world with PR Stunts, a really easy way to earn Accolades as you explore the world. Getting these in early makes it easier later on, so consider taking on these challenges first.

Focus On Driving At First

While there's a wide range of tuning and upgrading options available from the get go, don't feel like you need to engage with them at first. It's totally fine to wait until you've completed the main campaign before drilling deeper if you wish. You can get by using the stock versions of vehicles, relying on automatic upgrades if you need an extra boost.

Buy the Buenas Vistas House

Some of the houses that you can buy come with special unlocks. The Buenas Vistas property unlocks Fast Travel anywhere on the map. This allows you much more freedom to get around. Check out our Fast Travel guide for more information.

Explore Freely

There's so much to do in Forza Horizon 5 that sometimes you forget that there's a whole open-world to explore. We recommend taking some time to drive across it, taking on challenges as you go. You'll accumulate Skill points, discover landmarks and roads, and get a better feel for different driving conditions. Make sure to visit the volcano for some absolutely breath-taking views of Mexico.

Spend Skill Points

You'll earn Skill points as you drive. Generally, going fast and drifting will earn you a steady stream of Skill points, as will destroying and breaking things in the environment. These Skill Points can be spent in the Car Mastery section of the main menu. Spend them when you can, as they often grant boosts, further allowing you to earn even more Skill Points.

Complete Seasonal Challenges

Each week, Seasons change and refresh their set of challenges. Be sure to check them often, as they can be easy ways to earn rare cars. This can generally wait for after you've spent a decent chunk of time with the game. Make sure to drive around in Free Roam in the featured car of the week. You'll find yourself earning points passively as you play.

So there you have it, 10 essential tips to get you started in Forza Horizon 5. For more help with the game be sure to check out our guide on the Soundtrack. Elsewhere we've got a page on How Seasons Work.

Our friends over at RacingGames.GG already have some great guides up for Forza Horizon 5. They're sure to be drilling much deeper than most, so head on over for some expert tips on playing the game.