If there was an adult's equivalent of sitting on Santa's lap and wishing of things impossible, I'd be there with my flannel shirt and beer in hand, burping out my wish to become either a racing car driver or a fighter pilot. With zero chances of either of those happening in the real world, the only other conceivable option would be to get a spot as a TV travel/tourism presenter and plead with the producer that, in the interests of ratings, I need to do both. Of course, both passions require loads of motivation and studious dedication, so there goes

See barriers, will crash...

that dream. Frankly, there's no other choice but sit on my arse, grab that joystick or steering wheel and please myself virtually. Unfortunately, when it comes to racing sims, mediocrity rules the roost - plenty of titles with loads of pretty graphics, testosterone fuelled concepts but to a large degree lacking immersiveness and attention to detail. But along comes Forza Motorsport 2, a title that takes drivers on a ride wild filled with complexity, immersivness and fun. More importantly, it brings wannabe racers like my self a step closer to realising one of my futile, boyish dreams.

Let's start with the basics; Forza 2 has 310 cars covering over 50 manufacturers, 60 tracks including 13 real-world licensed circuits (Laguna, Laguna, oh my, oh my), millions of customisable options and a livery (paint and decal) editor consisting of 4100 layers, with the game running at a sweet 60 fps, with full 4x AA on glorious 720p high-definition.

With the choice of three home regions at the start of your career, Europe, Asia and North America, there's certainly no other choice but Europe, as we all know that's where the best car manufacturers are from (sorry Yanks!) The region you choose determines the pricing levels of particular cars. If you pick North America, don't expect any discounts on a Ferrari, nor on a Dodge if Asia is chosen. It doesn't mean you'll forgo the chance at driving a Bentley or Lamborghini though if you picked North America. Think of it as a personalised experience, with relationships being made to specific manufactures as you race successfully, bringing in discounts and new cars.

Racing within Career mode rewards you in a few ways, but most importantly, Driver Level and Car Levels (reputation). Climbing the Driver levels unlocks new races and championships, manufacturers discounts, new cars and numerous supermodel babes to date (alas, that last isn't true). For example, coming first in the European Open results in gaining a free 1970 Porsche 914/6. Not exactly state of the art, but still, nothing to be sneezed at either. From inserting the game into the Xbox 360 to Driver Level 3 takes around 15 minutes, which results in being allowed to compete in the Amateur Cup Races and beyond. On the other hand, climbing the Car Levels gains you more significant part discounts. In my case, my beautifully worked 2004 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro, upon reaching Car Level 1 (curiously maxed out at level 5 only) can now receive a 10% Weight Reduction upgrade by Recaro. Trust me, I'm excited.

Oh such a nice rear-end.

In terms of realism, Turn 10 have obviously taken extraordinary lengths at churning out the best physics engine possible. You can expect underneath each hood a unique handling experience, with every installed upgrade measurably changing the performance on-track. A full damage model means you can expect a decrease in car performance after a bump or crash (with a display popping up indicating the damaged area), along with every conceivable car stat at hand that would make a Formula 1 pit-crew cry with envy.

When it comes it looks, this game has it in spades. Short of having a series of fans setup on a desk blowing
a gale into your face to simulating driving at such speeds, expect a rush to the senses as you travel at break-neck speeds down long straights and snaking courses on beautifully rendered course. As you'd expect, each car is modelled to perfection, with only the slightest amount of graphical jaggedness ruining the fine automotive curvatures. As you'd expect, reflections abound with precise beauty, to the extent that you can't help quickly swapping to a side-on view and take in the sexiness that is your dream car while travelling at 200km/h plus. Mix in clouds of dust when you skate off the track, plumes of smoke from damaged engines and you have a good looking game. Bad aspects include the fact that the whole game is played during the day, no weather variables to speak of and (shock horror) no dashboard view.

Nothing beats upgrading a boring canary yellow Audi TT Coupe and this is where the enjoyment factor climbs up a notch. Having placed first, second or third in races means receiving credit. The amount won increases with difficulty settings, but I prefer my training wheels on when it comes to realistic racing – makes me look good minus the effort. The more money, the more performance increases you can purchase. Upgrades come in 5 forms: Engine and Power, Platform and Handling, Tires and Rims and finally, Body and Aero. Knowing absolutely nothing about cars, specifically in the area of what makes them tick, the obvious initial upgrade path would be the Engine and Power category, which when selected reveals 11 more sub-categories.

This is a rev-head's dream come true, as every possible option at harnessing as much possible power from your engine seems available, such as Intake, Exhaust, Ignition, Fuel System, Cams and Valves, Engine Block, Intercooler, Turbo, Centrifugal Supercharger, Positive Displacement Supercharger and Powertrain Swap. Within each of these 11 options, (remember: we're still only discussing the Engine and Power category), drivers have 4 more options. These are, however, fairly standard. Depending on the amount of credits on-hand, you can purchase three versions of the same engine part; Stock (pre-installed) Street, Sport or Racing – each coming with an obvious increase in stats and price.