In every Forza Horizon game, there are a bunch of set-piece events that take players through some of the most spectacular locations, driving some of the most exotic vehicles, and racing nearly anything that has wheels, and sometimes even wheels aren’t obligatory. These showcase events are a breath of fresh air among the usual races littered across the world map.
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And while some fans think that too much of the game’s budget is spent on these one-offraces, it can’t be denied that showcase events are a running trend in the Horizon series and people can always look forward to playing them.Forza Horizon 4has a total of five showcase events, and here are all of them ranked.
5The Horizon Motocross Showcase
Forza Horizon 4’s Showcase Events thrive on spectacle, and few deliver as much chaotic energy as the Horizon Motocross Showcase. Pitting a high-performance rally machine against a squadron of daredevil motocross riders, this event is a whirlwind of off-road chaos, high-flying jumps, and razor-thin overtakes.
Players get behind the wheel of a custom-built Ford Fiesta as they chase down a crew of motocross stunt riders who refuse to stay on the ground. Throughout the race, the riders pull off synchronized mid-air tricks, leaping over the player’s vehicle and carving through the dirt with impossible agility. The unpredictable terrain of the British countryside makes handling a constant battle, forcing players to adapt as they slide through tight corners, hit jumps at full speed, and desperately try to keep their car steady while their airborne opponents mock gravity itself.
But players will eventually catch up to their two-wheeled rivals during the final stretch that sees players neck-and-neck with them, leading to a photo finish that feels scripted but is entirely player-driven.
This showcase event shows the capability of the game and the engine to support motorbikes as well, and I hope we get a Forza Horizon game in the future that also adds licensed motorbikes into the gameplay loop.
4The Behemoth Showcase
Bigger Than a Monster Truck
Few things in the Forza Horizon series scream “over-the-top” quite like racing against an absolute giant of a vehicle. The Behemoth Showcase takes that idea to anextreme, throwing players into the cockpit of the Toyota Baja Truck as they go head-to-head against one of the largest land vehicles in the game: a military-grade hovercraft.
This Showcase Event takes place across a treacherous off-road route, where the Baja Truck’s 360-horsepower engine gets put to the ultimate test. While players barrel down dirt paths and splash through rivers, the hovercraft ignores all of that, gliding effortlessly across the landscape, cutting corners where cars can’t, and making the player’s best attempts at keeping up feel almost futile. The final moments of the race push players to the absolute limit, with a last-second jump serving as the difference between victory and a narrow defeat.
3The Flying Scotsman Showcase
A Race Against Steam
Classic British engineering meets modern horsepower in the Flying Scotsman Showcase, an event that sees players racing one of the most famous steam locomotives in history. Taking place in the scenic hills of Edinburgh, this race is about outmaneuvering a train that has the luxury of never needing to hit the brakes.
For this showdown, players take control of the Ariel Nomad. The challenge here isn’t just keeping up with the Flying Scotsman, it’s dealing with the tight turns, elevation changes, and narrow passes that make this one of the trickiest Showcase Events in the game. Meanwhile, the train thunders along its tracks, perfectly maintaining its pace as it blows past small villages and scenic landmarks.
But perhaps the most cinematic moment in this event comes right at the finish line. In true Forza Horizon fashion, the final stretch leads to a dramatic climax where the Ariel Nomad and the train hurtle toward the finish line side by side, with players needing perfect execution to claim victory by the slimmest of margins.
2The Halo Experience Showcase
The Best Crossover in Gaming History?
Forza Horizon games often celebrate the best of gaming culture, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Halo Experience Showcase in Forza Horizon 4, a crossover event that brings the world of Halo crashing into the festival.
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Unlike other showcase events, this event is all about immersing players in the role of Master Chief himself. The iconic UNSC Warthog, a vehicle that’s been a staple of the Halo series since 2001, is the star of this event, complete with its signature off-road handling and heavy suspension that allows it to take jumps with ease. But what truly makes this one of the best Showcase Events in Forza Horizon 4 is the world around it.
The British countryside transforms into a Halo-inspired battlefield, complete with Banshees soaring overhead, Pelicans flying in formation, and Cortana providing mission updates in the player’s headset.
1The Delta Wing Showcase
The Fastest Race That Feels Unfair
The Forza Horizon 4 Showcase Events thrive on pitting cars against unconventional rivals, and the Delta Wing Showcase takes this to the extreme. In this event, players get behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Vulcan, a track-only hypercar with a monstrous 7.0L V12 engine, and are tasked with taking down a vehicle that shouldn’t even be on the same playing field: a jet.
This is one of those Showcase Events where the odds feel ridiculously stacked. The Delta Wing jet, a high-speed stunt aircraft, effortlessly soars through the sky, mocking the player who is forced to navigate the winding roads below, dealing withsharp turns, elevation shifts, and unexpected obstacles.
Yet, despite the apparent mismatch, the event remains one of the best Showcase Events in the Forza Horizon series, thanks to the adrenaline-fueled nature of the race. The constant near-misses as the aircraft swoops overhead make every second of the race feel like it could end in disaster. And then there’s the final stretch, which delivers an unforgettable finish with the jet diving one last time as players push their Vulcan to the absolute limit, barely scraping out a victory in a moment that feels straight out of an action movie.
This showcase event is a subtle nod to Avro Vulcan, the strategic bomber jet after which the Aston Martin Vulcan is named. However, due to licensing issues, the developers couldn’t use the Avro Vulcan’s model and instead, went with a generic jet model for this showcase instead.
Forza Horizon 4
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