As someone who has been playing games for long time, the world of digital motorsport has changed dramatically. Back then, titles like Need for Speed: Underground, Burnout 3: Takedown, Gran Turismo 3, and Colin McRae Rally 2.0 shaped how many racing fans started their journey. Over two decades later, the racing genre has split into different branches—from hardcore simulation to free-roaming fun—and two of today’s biggest names represent this divide perfectly: Forza Horizon 5 and Gran Turismo 7.

Both are excellent games, but they appeal to different types of players and different moods. Here’s how they compare through the eyes of a long-time racing gamer.

---

World & Atmosphere

Forza Horizon 5: Playground of Speed

Forza Horizon 5 places you in a heavily stylized, festival-like open world inspired by Mexico.
It’s bright, colorful, and energetic—almost like a racing holiday. You can drive anywhere, from deserts to jungles to small towns, switching from exploring to racing instantly. The game feels like freedom on wheels.

For people who aren’t yet play the game. Here is the official trailer so you see what I mean.

Gran Turismo 7: Precision and Purity

Gran Turismo 7 takes a more serious tone.
It focuses on curated racetracks, polished menus, and a clear sense of discipline. Instead of a festival, you get an atmosphere closer to a high-end car museum and training facility. Everything is designed to celebrate real automotive culture.

For people who aren’t yet play the game. Here is the official trailer so you can see.

Verdict:

• Horizon = fun, free exploration, beautiful landscapes
• GT7 = clean, focused motorsport atmosphere

---

Driving & Handling

Forza Horizon 5: Accessible, Exciting, Adaptive

The handling in Horizon 5, In my opinion, is intentionally forgiving.
It gives you a sense of speed and control without requiring perfect skill. Cars drift easily, land wild jumps, and power through terrain that would ruin a real vehicle. It rewards creativity and fearless driving.

Gran Turismo 7: Authentic, Tactile, Demanding

In my opinion, GT7 feels much closer to real driving.
Cars behave differently depending on weight, drive setup, temperature, and tire choice. Mistakes matter—brake too late, and you run wide; corner wrong, and you lose time. It feels like a racing school that teaches you precision.

Verdict:

• Horizon = arcade leaning, thrilling
• GT7 = simulation leaning, technical

---

Car Collection & Customization

Forza Horizon 5

• Over 500+ cars at launch
• Wide variety including hypercars, classics, pickups, off-road monsters, even joke cars
• Customization is deep but fun-oriented
• Lots of paints, wraps, body kits, and user-shared designs

Gran Turismo 7

• Smaller but highly curated collection
• Cars are modeled with extreme detail
• Upgrades matter more to performance and realism
• Some vehicles come with extensive historical notes and real-world accuracy

Verdict:

• Horizon = quantity + creativity
• GT7 = quality + authenticity

---

Progression & Structure

Forza Horizon 5

You unlock races, events, and cars by exploring the world and gaining “Accolades.” There isn’t a strict progression; you create your own path—street races, dirt races, danger jumps, exploration, car collecting, etc.

Gran Turismo 7

GT7 brings back a structured campaign similar to older Gran Turismo titles. The “Menu Book” system slowly introduces cars, brands, and racing concepts. It feels like progressing through a real motorsport career.

Verdict:

• Horizon = freedom
• GT7 = guided journey

---

Legacy Compared to Older Classics

As a long-time racing fan, it’s impossible not to compare these to the classics:

• Gran Turismo 3 & 4 (PS2 era) built the foundation GT7 expands on—structured career, license tests, and realism.
• Need for Speed: Underground 1 & 2 established the love for open-world street racing that Horizon evolves into a festival-level experience.
• Burnout 3: Takedown showed how fun arcade racers could be, influencing the excitement-first philosophy Horizon uses.
• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition offered huge maps and car culture—again, modern Horizon carries that spirit.
• Forza Motorsport (original, 2005) began the detailed car physics that still influence the Motorsports branch and partly GT’s competitive relationship with it.

In other words:
Horizon feels like the descendant of classic arcade/open-world racers,
GT7 feels like the mature evolution of old GT games and serious sims.

---

Who Enjoys Which? (Mindset Perspective, Not Recommendations)

Forza Horizon 5 appeals to players who enjoy:

• Exploring worlds freely
• Relaxed, fun racing
• Collecting lots of cars quickly
• Social events and arcade-style challenges
• Bright, festival-like atmospheres

Gran Turismo 7 appeals to players who enjoy:

• Slow, satisfying learning curves
• Realistic racing physics
• Track-based competition
• Car history and engineering details
• A structured campaign and driving discipline

Both titles are strong, but they serve different moods. Sometimes you want to drift through a volcano in Horizon, and sometimes you want to perfect a lap at Suzuka in GT7.

---

Conclusion

Forza Horizon 5 and Gran Turismo 7 are not rivals in the traditional sense—they’re two distinct philosophies in the racing genre. Horizon puts joy, speed, and exploration above all else, while GT7 continues the legacy of serious simulation that racing fans have respected for decades. For someone who grew up with racing games since the 2000s, both represent how far the genre has come: one expanding into open-world fun, the other refining realism into an art form.