Forza Horizon 6 Players Are Already Disappointed With New Forza Aero Redesign - Here's Why

Forza Horizon series has a long-standing problem with its aerodynamic rear wing, Forza Aero, which is poorly designed.

The publisher announced a redesign of Forza Aero in Forza Horizon 6, generating considerable excitement among players. However, leaked gameplay footage quickly turned the community's anticipation into disappointment.

Below, we'll explain in detail why players are disappointed with this Forza Aero redesign:

Design Failure

The redesigned "new" rear wing uses a support structure called a "Swan Neck", this design became popular in top-level racing events a decade ago because of its aerodynamic advantages.

However, incorporating this professionally geared design into a game feels very strange.

Misaligned Design Trends

The popularity of Swan Neck wing was largely driven by events like Time Attack, which prioritize extreme lap times.

In real-world Time Attack racing, performance is more important than aesthetics - a component might not look great, but if it improves lap time by 0.1 seconds, it's considered beautiful and cool.

However, FH6 doesn't actually simulate the flow of air on its rear wing. For the game, the rear wing is just a 3D model; its aerodynamic parameters can be arbitrarily set.

Given this, why choose a design that appears professional but is actually out of place with most street bikes?

Lack of Detail and Cheap-Looking Materials

Let's examine the modeling and texture of this component itself. First, Swan Neck bracket. In reality, such brackets typically feature complex cutouts, drilled holes, or unique geometric shapes for strength and weight reduction.

However, the bracket in FH6 is very perfunctory, basically lacking any detail.

Second, the main surface of the rear wing. This wing claims to be made of carbon fiber, but its surface model appears to have a matte finish.

This is highly unusual because most carbon fiber aftermarket parts on market have a glossy finish. A matte carbon fiber part looks like a half-finished product without a protective clear coat, giving it a cheap appearance.

Disastrous End Plate Design

Even worse is the disastrous design of the end plates on this rear wing. The end plates on this new rear wing for Forza Horizon 6 have been described as "overly busy" - combining too many messy, sharp angles.

These aggressive geometric lines create a stark visual clash with the smooth, rounded body designs of many car models. Some players believe that even a simple rectangular end plate would have been far better.

Unchangeable

In most racing games, if you don't like a rear wing, you can simply not use it. But the problem is, in FH6, you can't do that.

Why? There's a crucial physics property in the game called Downforce, which makes car incredibly stable at high speeds and when cornering, almost as if it's glued to the ground - a very important property.

To adjust this attribute, you must install Rear Wings and Front Splitters from Forza Aero.

Currently, this Forza Aero package is the only one that unlocks Downforce adjustment option, so if you want to seriously tune a car for the game, you have to accept this ugly package.

Although developers of FH6 claim they've made changes, players have discovered they've simply rebuilt Forza Aero model - replacing old model used since Forza Horizon 1 with a design popular a decade ago.

In reality, even if new design is decent, how can one design possibly fit all car models? The result is that many vehicles in the game can only use exact same Forza Aero, leading to severe homogenization of appearances and a loss of individuality.

Many car enthusiasts use a large number of Forza Horizon 6 Credits to acquire different cars for their cool looks, but if they want to adjust Downforce of those cars, they have to install exact same Forza Aero package.

Therefore, one player complained on the game forums: "Adjusting Downforce should be something that doesn't require installing ugly Forza Aero. I would never ruin my car's appearance with Forza Aero, but that also means I can never fully tune my car."

Solution

How can FH6 solve this problem? Some players suggest referring to the approach taken with Gran Turismo 7.

GT7 offers a fairly comprehensive solution for aerodynamic component modifications: after purchasing an adjustable rear wing, players can select the following in the modification interface: Blade style, End Plate style, and Mount style.

Moreover, regardless of your combinations, the final Downforce adjustment range and the resulting physics are same, but your car can look unique.

FH6 could completely adopt this approach; even offering only 2-3 different Blade and End Plate combinations would significantly increase player satisfaction.

In reality, the developers of Forza Horizon 6 are not incapable of creating attractive aerodynamic kits. The various Forza Edition vehicles in the game all boast uniquely designed rear wings that seamlessly integrate with body. This proves the development team is fully capable of designing stylish components.

This demonstrates that developers of Forza Horizon 6 can create designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and scientifically sound; the only question is whether they put in the effort.

The above summarizes the controversies and discussions among Forza Horizon 6 players regarding Forza Aero. In short, it is hoped that developers will consider players' opinions, modify Forza Aero, and make the game better and better.