Game Review: Forza Horizon 3 – Blizzard Mountain (DLC)

Release date: 2016
Version played: Xbox One in 2018

The first of two new areas available with the Expansion Pass for Forza Horizon 3 is Blizzard Mountain. Based on the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, this new area will require players to slip and slide through the snow and silt and contest with blizzard conditions in order to win enough stars (in place of “fans” from the main game) to progress through the events. At the finish line awaits the Kingmaker, a Goliath-like track across the entirety of Blizzard Mountain.

I reviewed the main game here, and I have played it almost every single day since then.

+ the new area, Blizzard Mountain, is very different than the main game. The inclusion of blizzard weather conditions does make for some new and interesting gameplay, with limited visibility. The ascent/descent race types are a similar, but new take on the standard sprint races
+ a selection of cars can now equip ‘snow tires’, making them best suited for the new condition. Whether these cars will satisfy your urges is entirely subjective, but there was enough variety for me. I had the most fun, however, using my go-to Lambos or Mustangs without the new tires, and turning every race into a drift challenge

– the price is really steep (hilarious mountain pun intended). At ~ $30 AUD alone, frankly I expected more from this. This felt like it should have just been another area of the main game (Please note, however, that I got this and Hot Wheels both as part of the Expansion Pass, which was ~$55 for both, but my point still stands)

Should you play this game: Of the two expansion areas, I very much preferred the other one. Blizzard Mountain had a fantastic aesthetic, but the events were still too similar to the main game, and the barely altered gameplay (snow tires, blizzards etc) was not enough to justify purchasing this, at least at it’s standalone price.