Gamescom 2011 Hands On: Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox 360)

What it is: Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport racing franchise is getting ready to debut a brand new installment, in the form of Forza Motorsport 4, just as the competition in its genre is heating up, what with Gran Turismo 5 or the rebooted Need for Speed series.

Still, Forza 4 wants to prove that it’s more than capable of competing with others, bringing a huge amount of cars, its own special presentation, as well as new technologies like Kinect head tracking, provided players have the sensor attached to their Xbox 360 console.

How it is: Forza Motorsport 4 is mostly about the little details, from the complexity of the actual circuits, to the smaller touches done on the inside of the car, which are more than impressive in a first person view from the driver’s seat.

Besides that, the cars look even better than ever, with the team at Turn 10 studios obsessing over every single detail. In the Gamescom demo I had the chance to drive the lovely Ferrari 599 GTO on an even lovelier circuit set around the resorts in the French Alps.

While it’s quite impressive when viewing the race from behind the car, the “proper” way to do it is from within, even if the Xbox 360 consoles on the show floor weren’t equipped with the Kinect sensor, which can track the heads of the players and reproduce them within the game.

Still, Forza Motorsport 4 delivers the same great racing experience fans have grown to love, while polishing up lots of smaller details and making the experience that much more enjoyable.

When and on what: Forza Motorsport 4 is out on October 11, exclusively for the Xbox 360 console.

We have a special page with all our Gamescom 2011 coverage.