With Furious 7 in theaters, there’s no better time to get revved up over the Fast and Furious franchise. On that note, Microsoft recently teamed with Universal to bring the driving experience to the world of Forza Horizon 2 with a special Fast & Furious tie-in that’s available for download free of charge. You’ll need to hurry, though, because starting on April 10th it goes up in price to $9.99.
This expansion offers quite a few racing events around the city of Nice, France, as well as the opportunity to pick up different vehicles from the Fast & Furious movies, like the 1970 Dodge Charger and the 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
That said, here are some tips that will help you get up to speed with the game, although it helps to have a heavy foot on the gas pedal.
Using the Overworld Map
Like Forza Horizon 2 before it, Fast & Furious uses a helpful overworld map that shows you all the unlocked racing events around town. You’ll want to use this to see what activities open up, whether it’s a challenge for a specific car or a racing tournament that will move you up the ranks.
Simply press the Options button on your controller and you can access this at any time. You can also pinpoint a route to the next event by highlighting it, or if you prefer, activate Fast Travel to reach most of them right away. Note: this will rob you of the chance of exploring the areas of the city, so make sure you take a little time to explore. You may discover a few signs to break or other collectibles, which will expand your garage even further with bonus items.
Owning the Speed Zones
Similar to Forza Horizon 2, there are speed checkpoints littered throughout the city. The main goal with these is to get the fastest speed possible and compare your racing times with friends. This can be a little tricky if you’re racing casually, so it helps to prepare.
What you’ll want to do is pinpoint the speed trap locations (maybe using your overworld map, as you can set up a checkpoint), then go back a ways to get a good distance from it. From there, floor the gas pedal and make sure you avoid collisions so you achieve a proper speed. It may take a couple of tries, but soon you’ll accomplish 100 MPH plus runs that may put your friends to shame.
Say Hello to Tej in the Garage
One benefit to Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious is that you have movie character Tej (portrayed by Ludacris) by your side, acting as a guide through a majority of the racing events. He also hangs out in the local garage in Nice, where you’ll be able to switch out vehicles as they become available.
It’s always a good idea to visit the garage, as you can tweak a number of options on your ride, including how it looks, and see new vehicles that become unlocked. Although Fast & Furious doesn’t have as many as the original Forza Horizon 2, there are some great rides here, including the Nissan GT-R, the Plymouth Road Runner and more.
Tej will also help you find hidden vehicles, such as the Road Runner, which is tucked away in an off-site barn. It helps to do a little exploring in the area, even if it means running alongside the highlighted circle where the car is located. It may take a couple of laps, but eventually you’ll find it and he’ll fix it up for you.
Challenging Friends
Another feature brought over from Forza Horizon 2 is the ability to challenge friends for the best racing times. Find them on the streets (you’ll locate their Drivatars roaming around) and signal to them that you are ready for a challenge. From there, achieve the best time possible and they’ll see your best time passed over, and will be able to retaliate by trying to get a better time.
Challenges also pop up during certain events, with an opponent ready to go depending on your completion time. It’s up to you if you want to take them on right there, or come back later if you feel like you want to tackle another event.
Building Style Points
Finally, as with the original Forza Horizon 2, you can earn additional XP and power up your rides by performing stunts within the world. This includes spinouts, drifts around corners and even destruction, as running over everything from street posts to restaurant equipment can build your multiplier and increase your score.
In fact, some events will require you to reach a high score by showing off with stunts, so make sure you get some practice on the main streets before doing this. Look for open areas or streets littered with stuff you can run over, and test these skills to see how you fare. Remember, avoid objects that can end your ride, like trees or fences. Hitting these not only ends your run, but also takes away any points you accumulated while performing these stunts. Try to stay in open areas while performing and you should be fine. Watch out for other cars as well.
Good luck, and enjoy the ride!
Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious is available now for Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Published: Apr 3, 2015 09:09 pm