‘Mexico is ridiculously beautiful’: how Forza Horizon 5 drove fresh sights into living rooms
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2021/nov/26/forza-horizon-5-uk-developer-playground-games-mexico-driving-game
The UK developers at Playground Games explain why they cut no corners in creating the latest Forza game, and wanted to ensure it gives players an authentic and cliche-free view of the Mexican landscape
There is a moment all Forza Horizon 5 players will experience when they first venture off road into rural Mexico. They will bust through a wall, or reach the summit of a steep hillside, and then, spread out before them as far as the eye can see, will be fields of the most glorious orange flowers. These are Mexican marigolds, or cempasúchil, which are closely associated with the country’s Día de los Muertos festival. It is believed their vibrant colour and heady scent help to guide the spirits of the dead back to their graves and altars.