There are four camera angles to choose from--two that are above the car and two that are from a first-person view. True cockpit views would have been welcome here, as they are in any racing sim, but all four cameras present a nice sense of speed, and the addition of a rearview mirror in the two first-person cameras is a nice touch. By using the right thumbstick on the Xbox controller, you can look behind you, to the left or right, or you can swing the camera at angles both in front of and behind your car. These additional views are a handy tool to have at your disposal when setting up turns or braking points, especially when there is an opponent's car in your blind spot. Pressing the white button brings up two car-status screens in succession, the first of which illustrates damage to your car's exterior and interior using a color-coded system. The second screen shows engine and tire temperature, which are only especially relevant during longer races.

We're 83 percent good at Kink. That just doesn't sound right...

Perhaps the best aspect of Forza's presentation is in the game menus, which do a fine job of sorting through a massive amount of information. Many of the race types, for instance, feature strict restrictions on things like car class, make, or horsepower. When navigating these race series screens, the menus let you know exactly how many cars you own that meet the current restrictions, and if you enter a race (even if you're currently in a car that doesn't meet the limitations), you'll be immediately taken to your garage, where only the eligible cars you own will be displayed. That same level of detail can be found in the car-purchasing screens. In addition to being able to choose cars by country of origin or drive type (among many other criteria), you can also sort by price and look at only the cars that you can currently afford. Tuning your car is easy, and basic explanations of what each attribute does and how it affects the car are welcome additions for those who can't tell a driveshaft from a spark plug. You can even check out a handy benchmarking page that will give you a quick summary of your car's performance in areas such as 0 to 60mph and 0 to 100mph times, braking distances, and lateral Gs.

Attractive menus tell you everything you need to know quickly.

The sound in Forza comes in two flavors: finely tuned and lightly cheesy. First, the good news: The symphony of automotive horsepower in Forza is sweet on the ears. Distinctive engine sounds are bolstered by position-specific presentation. The timbre of your car's engine will be distinctly different when driving in a first-person viewpoint compared to driving with the camera high above your car, or even when you're peeking out the rear of your car using the right thumbstick. As your opponents are bearing down on you, you'll not only see them in your rearview mirror, but also hear the distinct roar of their engine as they approach. It makes for a great mechanical soundtrack, and one that's best enjoyed with your television or stereo speakers turned way up. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the musical soundtrack, which is exemplified by lackluster guitar rock and uninspiring pseudo cover tunes, like ZZ Top's "La Grange" and Black Sabbath's "Iron Man." Luckily, the game supports custom soundtracks, so this auditory problem should only last as long as it takes you to get your CD collection ripped to your Xbox hard drive.

Forza's main success is in finding a blend between pleasing the notoriously fickle minority that likes its driving games consistently challenging and demandingly detailed, while introducing a set of user-friendly assists that will ensure that even those who are new to the racing genre will enjoy themselves. Forza may well be remembered as a title that, through its mix of challenge and control, introduced an entirely new set of fans to the beauty and power of driving games.