Have you always wanted to be part of Dom Torreto's crew of maniac drivers? Well now's your chance. The standalone Fast & Furious expansion for Forza Horizon 2 is available now for the low, low price of $0. The downloadable Xbox One and Xbox 360 game is built off Forza Horizon 2, but you'll be able to download and play it for free whether or not you own that game.
Like Horizon 2, Fast & Furious is an open-world racing game. Ludacris' character from the films, Tej Parker, will task you with tracking down the rides needed for the team's next big mission as you drive around the south of France. In the process, you'll get behind the wheel of 11 or more classic cars from the series, which includes a few vehicles from the latest Furious 7 film like a ’98 Supra, a ’70 Road Runner, and a ’70 Cuda.
A cross between a demo and an ad — but it's still a good time
The game has the unwieldy official title of Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, but that name is a fairly accurate description. We gave it a quick spin and perhaps it should come as little surprise that it feels like a cross between a demo for Forza Horizon 2 and an ad for Furious 7. The experience opens with an extended montage of clips from the film series, there's an ad in the menu to buy Horizon 2, and you'll immediately unlock an "achievement" encouraging you to donate to Ludacris' charity.
And, of course, the whole thing does feel like Horizon 2 with a dash of Fast & Furious paint slapped on. The south of France setting is the same as Horizon 2, but you'll be limited to Nice and environs — just one of the cities in the full game. And you'll drive around competing in street races and various other events like destruction derbies that seem like a fine match for Fast & Furious but aren't explicitly tied to the film franchise in any meaningful way (other than the addition of voiceover work by Ludacris himself).
But, fortunately, Forza Horizon 2 is a fantastic racing game in its own right, and getting to enjoy a good chunk of that game for free is hard to complain about. It's a beautiful game with stunning cars and fantastic core gameplay. Driveatars, competitions with your friends, and even full online races are all included as well. Like the films, then, it's sure to be a good time even if it's lacking in depth. And the price is certainly right — at least until April 10th, after which the game will jump to $10.