Forza 2 still plays, looks and feels like a stand out game 2 years after it's UK release in June 2007.  It is the driving game of choice for fans of driving games, with the depth, longevity, realism and complexity that they demand and the release of Forza 3 is therefore a big event for fans of the genre and is a major coup for Microsoft, being the Xbox360 exclusive that it is.

So what will make Forza 3 stand out from the crowd as I am confident it will? Breaking down into Looks, Game Play and Cars & Tracks below, here's what we can expect:

Forza 3 - Look and Feel

• Full HD driving simulation running at 60FPS, Forza 3 was put together by experienced computer graphics specialists from across the Microsoft corporation
• The most advanced physics model ever seen in a driving game offering the most realistic driving experience and damage calculations.
• Realistic car and racing simulations designed by Turn 10 Studios in consultation with the Peugeot racing team and manufacturers from Audi.
• Each of the 400 cars are designed and presented with 10 times the number of polygons as the cars in Forza 2.

Forza 3 - Game Play

• Advanced driving games like Forza are not always quickly accessible and enjoyable by newcomes to the genre and those not prepared to put hours of practice in.   Forza 3 will feature highly adjustable skill levels to open up the game to all ages and abilities, from hardcore enthusiasts to pick up and play part timers.
• Loads of driving and gameplay assists such as auto-braking, gameplay rewind and auto-tuning. Game play rewind is expected to allow players to rewind the game and restart it from around 30 seconds previously rather than restarting the whole race after a crash.
• Unique personalised single player season mode with differing racing calendars for each player based on player history and ability.  Consisting of over 200 events including Circuit, Oval, drag, Drift, time trials and races there's potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay just in the standard single player season.
• Mutiplayer mode will feature customisable rules with advanced features to allow for smooth and hassle free races, together with player ability matching as seen in previous titles to allow for even races.

Forza 3 - Cars and Tracks

• Over 400 individual cars from 50 of the world's leading and best known manufacturers.
• American muscle cars, purpose build race cars, high-tech Asian Imports and European Roadsters all categorised as seen in previous Forza Titles and unlockable as you progress through the game.
• Over 100 real world tracks together with road courses from around the world, all presented so well you may need to concentrate to keep your eye on the road.
• Thousands of upgrade and customisation options as well as an auto-upgrade feature to improve your car's performance should you happen to not have an advanced qualification in motor engineering.
• For the artistic at heart, there's huge potential for paint jobs and customisation on, as well as under, the bonnet.

Due out in October 2009 Forza Motorsport 3 is a must have for race fans and one which will hopefully provide another two and a half years of solid race game experience, which may (you never know) take us through to the next generation of consoles.

Check out the video above for a demo of the stunning graphics, physics, tracks and cars that you'll find in Forza 3 soon!