I am a Forza fan, no question about it. From the arcade thrills of the Horizon games, to the tension of shaving just a few secs off a lap on the Motorsport side, I can’t get enough of the horsepower. When the series made the jump to the mobile world a few years back with Forza Streets, I was more than a little interested. However, it was rubbish and an embarrassment to the Forza name. So poor, in fact that I scored it 0/10 when working for another publication. Forza Customs – Restore Cars, by London based mobile racing specialists Hutch Games Ltd, hopes to right the wrongs set by Forza Street.
We’ll start with a spoiler. Forza Customs – Restore Cars about as much to do with Forza as a brick has to do with flying. Sure it can fall through the air, but falling isn’t flying.
Not Mobile Forza
Forza Customs – Restore Cars is very much a game of two halves. The first being a match three puzzler, with light motoring themes. You’ll encounter stuff like fuel drum, battery and nitro theme power ups, where you’re given a grid and have to clear or achieve a set goal in a limited number of moves.
This is decent as these things go. Currently, I am on level 228 at time of writing and it’s thrown up a few somewhat tricky levels. However, haven’t had to spend any money on the game so far.
Power Thrift
As a free-to-play game you can bet there’s monetisation options in there for more lives, power-ups or to get extra moves when you run out. It’s the same old tactics you’ve seen before in these mobile games, so no huge shocks there.
The other side of the game is the restoring cars side, where you are given a wreck and have to strip it down and rebuild in a classic Overhaulin’ Chip Foose way.
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There are twelve rides just now; like a 1932 Ford De Luxe Coupe, GMC 1970 Jimmy and 22018 Ford Mustang GT with more on the way.
Phone Prix
The hook with this side is you need credits to do anything. How do you get credits? By completing the puzzles. However, each car needs over 5,000 credits to get going, and you earn about 50 per level you clear, to give you an idea of the grind.
Forza Customs – Restore Cars is an average mobile title that is mostly inoffensive, aside from the ‘too cool for school’ story it forces you to read (skip) while doing the restoration side. This story is about some young hip mechanics that you won’t give a solitary poo about.
Forza Customs – Restore Cars succeeds at being a neat little time killer if you’re waiting the kettle to boil, doing your morning ablutions or skiving from work. However, its far from a true Forza title. There isn’t even any racing in it.