Forza Horizon 5 – Hide & Seek Mode Impressions

Forza Horizon 5’s latest game mode is here, and I am pleased. This mode involves four players chasing another player and attempting to catch them before they can reach an endpoint. Both sides are given a power-up to help tilt the pursuit in one party’s favor versus another.  So, let’s examine the pros and cons of this new game mode…

The Good

Hide & Seek works very well as a co-op experience. When the team is synchronized, they can make quick work of the hider with almost frightening efficiency. Conversely, when the team isn’t as well coordinated, players won’t randomly abandon game sessions.

On the hider side of things, I adore how that role isn’t entirely defenseless. Thanks to the mini-map the seekers’ whereabouts are present and with some smart driving, you can easily avoid detection. That’s before using the “Chase Breaker” ability to immobilize seekers for a short period. While the marketing is a bit exaggerated, Playground games have delivered here.

The Bad

The car selection is quite limited, especially for hiders. I hope they can give players more options with the car roster over time. Hiders should have a dedicated selection, while seekers should only have class-based restrictions.

Sparse maps expose Forza Horizon 5’s low levels of traffic and the simplistic AI of the “pedestrian” cars.  Having NPC vehicles running around as red herrings could help elevate things occasionally.

The Ugly

In one match I was a seeker, and the hider spawned on the map, seemingly out of bounds. Only for my team and I to have the hider pop up at the End Point. Whether it’s a bug or an exploit; it should be patched out. Things like this should not undermine player experiences. Hopefully, that experience isn’t widespread because it could demoralize a whole team.

In Conclusion

Hide & Seek is a solid pallet cleanser. While it won’t transform anyone’s perception of the title or even elevate it, the addition is noteworthy.  Both of Forza Horizon 5’s longevity and a bit of a glimpse into the future of this franchise.