The Christmas decorations are back in Forza Horizon 5‘s Guanajuato, as we’re set out to celebrate the Horizon Holidays series.

Included within the series is also a Horizon Secret Santa event, where you’ll be rewarded with a Holiday Tree Outfit and a Lamborghini Sián Roadster if you send gifts to other players.

The cars you can unlock this week is the AMC Javelin-AMX 1971 for 20 points and the BMW M3 GTS 2010 for 40 points.

As for the series itself, you can unlock the Extreme E Odyssey 21 e-SUV 2022 for 80 points, and the Ferrari California T 2014 for 160 points.

TREASURE HUNT: DRIVING SEASON

As for the Treasure Hunt named “Driving Season”, this comes with the hint “Drive home for the Holidays in a famously green manufacturer”.

You’re required to jump into any Aston Martin car and drive for at least 5 miles.
Once unlocked, an orange circle will appear around the Playa Azul area, located at the east coast. The Chest is located within the centre of the village, within a sort of stage area with Christmas related objects nearby.

Fast travel to the Goliath race event, and immediately head to the unmarked road on your left. Drive down this path and turn right onto the marked off-road track, and the Treasure will appear on the left side of the road.

Simply smash into the Treasure Chest, and the 100FP and 3 points are yours!

PHOTO CHALLENGE #HIDEANDSEEK

This week’s photo challenge requires you to photograph the Snowman at the Casa Bella player house in Mulegé.

This house can be found on the north side of the town and directly to the south of the Mulegé sign on the map. The snowman can be found within the north-western corner of the house.

While near the snowman, simply open the camera app by using up on the D-pad and tap A to snap the picture to gain the rewards.

Upon completion, the Sleigh Bells Car Horn reward is yours. This can be equipped by heading to the car horn area in the pause menu.

SERIES 15 WET SEASON #FORZATHON SHOP HIGHLIGHTS

This week’s rewards available within Series 15’s Wet season are two cars, a hat, a car horn and an accessory, alongside the always available Wheelspins.

Both cars are available to buy from the autoshow for a cheap combined cost of 2,350,000CR. The available items from the Forzathon Shop this week are:

• Lotus Elise GT1 1997 – 600 FP

• Reindeer Antlers Hat – 75 FP

• Jingle Bells Car Horn – 75 FP

• Red Nose Accessory – 75 FP

• Porsche 911 GT2 1995 – 400 FP

• 1x Super Wheelspin – 150 FP

• 1x Horizon Wheelspin – 60 FP

#FORZATHON WEEKLY CHALLENGE BUBBLE TROUBLE

It’s confusing as to why Playground Games wants you to travel within the tiny BMW Isetta 300 Export 1957, but hey, anything to complete the playlist.

After squeezing into this micro vehicle, you’re required to reach 55mph/89kmh at any Speed Trap, earn 4 Stars at any PR Stunt, and finally wrap things up by earning 2 Stars at Danger Signs.

There are bits and pieces from the many Need for Speed games within Need for Speed Unbound, and it does a fair job of balancing these elements.

In order for franchises to last decades, they typically have to reinvent themselves a few times. Need for Speed is no exception, even though in Need for Speed Unbound, the series takes inspiration from past titles. This is certainly not a bad thing, as there is a lot to be learned from the franchise's past.

Need for Speed Unbound returns to the street racing that characterized the series during the 2000s. It also features a focus on characters which is something that became more prevalent during the 2010s. The two elements are blended well, resulting in an addictive racing game.

Need for Speed During the 2000s

For most of its lifetime, the Need for Speed series has been about exhilarating races and evading the police. However, it has changed its setting quite a bit over time, giving each of the games a different feeling. Earlier Need for Speed titles feature tracks with some urban influence, but they also wind through the outskirts of cities, allowing gamers to enjoy the stunning scenery. This is seen, for instance, with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, which was released in 2002.

The 2000s is also the decade where Need for Speed, like many arcade racers of the time, delved into street racing. It was the perfect time to do so thanks to the level of popularity that Japanese imported cars and car customization had achieved in pop culture. This era of the franchise is best represented by Need for Speed Underground and its sequel which feature hip-hop soundtracks and the ability to customize cars to make them look as flashy as the player likes.

For most of the 2000s, the franchise stuck to this identity, arguably reaching its pinnacle with Need for Speed: Most Wanted. However, the formula eventually got stale. Furthermore, street racing lost the popularity it once enjoyed. Consequently, when Need for Speed: Carbon rolled around in 2006, many gamers saw this as the beginning of a decline in the series.

In many ways, Need for Speed Unbound is a return to form for the series. It embraces urban street racing once again, features intense police chases, and gives players the option to wildly customize vehicles. In many ways, it feels like Unbound was created for gamers who enjoyed this era.

Need for Speed in the 2010s

The 2010s were a weird time for the Need for Speed series. After the fall of the popularity of street racing, the franchise seemed to be searching for a new identity. Technically, this began in the late 2000s with titles like ProStreet that tackled legal street racing, but things have only gotten weirder from that point onward.

During the 2010s, the franchise looked toward the online world and attempted to make the most of it.

Hence, gamers got titles such as 2010's Need for Speed: World and 2015's Need for Speed which attempted to reboot the series. Neither of these titles was particularly well-received. The 2010s also saw the series look past just the cars, and pay attention to the racers as well. For example, in The Run, there are sections where players get out of their vehicles and engage in quick-time events, while 2019's Need for Speed Heat, gamers can select their own playable character from a catalog of presets.

Need for Speed Unbound also focuses on characters; it allows gamers to pick their own playable character and customize them with designer clothing. However, its single-player offering is still the main attraction, and it doesn't attempt to bill itself as an online multiplayer game as other titles in the decade did. With Unbound, it appears that Need for Speed has found an identity that suits it in the modern landscape. It takes the street racing of the 2000s and blends it with the focus on characters from the 2010s. The result is a concoction of fun arcade racing that reminds players that the franchise has not yet met its demise.