Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 338 sampled Steam reviews (267 positive / 71 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Visuals & art6% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Bugs & crashes17% mention it
- Story & writing15% mention it
- Progression & loot11% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
59%
61 reviews
5-15h
82%
71 reviews
15-40h
87%
68 reviews
40-100h
80%
76 reviews
100h+
85%
62 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 92 | 83 |
| Creator reviews (3 tracked) | – | 94 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1447 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 85 | 311 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 89% | 83 | 652 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 1862 total reviews in window · weighted 192.7 up / 17.4 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (213)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 100
“FH5 soars high as a masterpiece in the sky of racing games, combining depth of content with the brilliance of driving in a vibrant open world. It captivates the player with the beauty of Mexico and the variety of its environments, offering a solid system in performance and customization, supported by an incomparable diversity of activities. Despite the slight variation in some graphical details, the quality and splendor of its craftsmanship make it worthy of the strongest expressions of praise; it is a love poem to car driving, recited on a stage of creativity, and is almost flawless.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Forza Horizon 5 is probably the best arcade racing game of recent times, and one of the most prominent releases from this year. Even if cars is not your thing, there is plenty to love in this new Microsoft exclusive.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A great improvement over last entry in the series. As usual, it's hard not to immerse yourself in Forza Horizon for days, weeks or even months.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Playground Games has managed to create an incredible masterpiece that left me shaking my head in a good way. Forza Horizon 5 has surpassed itself in every way, as well as other similar racing games. The game offers players absolute freedom and an unforgettable experience. Without a second thought, I’m giving it nine and a half out of ten.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Playground Games can offer up an iterative experience and rake in the money, because Forza Horizon 5 is in a world of its own. It's wonderful, but it's also sad.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“From the diversity of its events to the number of cars you can collect, this game is massive in every sense of the word.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“You can whine about the lack of revolution, but when everything works perfectly fine, maybe there is no reason to change it. Forza Horizon 5 is definitely the best racing game out there and has no competition. This is, by far, the biggest car adventure you can have on your screen.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“At this point in time, this is the pinnacle, and it’s clearly the culmination of years of work and iteration. I say with absolute confidence: Forza Horizon 5 is the most complete racing game ever made.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Even when you pull it all together with Horizon Arcade missions like hitting piñatas just work so well. It's clear that a lot of love went into Forza Horizon 5. You can see it in the car selection. You can see it in the environmental design. You can hear it in the playlists. This game thrives on a culture of love that is baked into every gameplay element. In every way, Forza Horizon 5 is a love letter to Mexicans, and it's one I'm thrilled that I opened.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Forza Horizon 5 has finally landed on PS5 and it opens the roads for new players to experience this fantastic racing game. While it has a few visual hiccups, they are minor and never distract players from the gorgeous, high-speed experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I won’t lie: Forza Horizon 5 is just reiterating what made parts 3 and 4 great. But at the end of the day, good sequels just keep the core game intact while adding way more to draw both driving veterans and newbies alike. With a gorgeous new setting and racing scenario, a ton of places to race and trash, and refined controls for both joypad and driving wheel users alongside accessibility options aplenty, Playground nails it once again and with more feeling.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I’m not sure how to further perfect this series, but one thing is certain: the next Forza Horizon really needs to come after a longer break and be a game made exclusively for the next generation, so we can at least get a bigger leap in graphical quality, especially if we can’t draw much more from new environments within this phenomenal concept. Forza Horizon 5 is a beautiful game full of content and fun, the absolute pinnacle of the simcade genre, with virtually no competition. However, it will likely be most appreciated by players who haven’t played the previous installments.”
read full review ↗
Eternal Games
GameMAG
3DNews
Gaming Professors
Gadgets 360
eXputer
GRYOnline.pl
Seasoned Gaming
Paste Magazine
The Nerd Stash
Kakuchopurei
EmuGlx.org…and 201 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- FH5 Release Notes: February 17th, 2026Feb 17, 2026