When Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios unveiled Forza Motorsport 3, both parties stressed that the goal was to not only create one of the most feature packed and technical racing simulators on the market, but also one that anyone could play. That piqued our interest, since we often struggle with games like Gran Turismo, where drooling over the gorgeous eye candy comes at the expense of going off road, slamming into walls and spinning out. There's certainly nothing wrong with the GT franchise, but it requires a certain level of skill and patience to master.

Perhaps if we face our driveways and close our eyes, this will magically appear.Click to see more images from the game...

That's why Forza's so entertaining. After years of frustration, we finally have a racer custom made to our abilities. When we clip a wall and go from first to dead last, the handy Rewind feature lets us go back and try it again; keep in mind that this is purely optional. And when we need help mastering tracks like Suzuka and the Sebring National Raceway, there's auto-brake, auto-steer and even a line on the track that tells us when to brake (red) and hit the gas (green). Going a step further, the game also has auto-tune, an invaluable feature for players who don't know a tire from a suspension kit. Just press the button and Forza 3 upgrades/downgrades your car in seconds.

Even better, the game's designers won't punish you for taking the easy route. You'll still gain access to over 100 different tracks, all of the vehicles, events and ability to not only earn valuable credits, but also upgrade your driver level based on performance in each race; keep in mind that you can turn off all assists for the ultimate challenge. On top of that, manufacturers will give you discounts on parts, and the occasional few will even send cars as gifts. That's all part of the game's outstanding season mode, where you complete a series of events spread across a calendar. It's fairly linear (choose an event, complete it, move onto the next), but the constant surprises--those aforementioned gifts and discounts--are a wonderful incentive to keep playing.

It also helps that Forza Motorsport 3 is a car lover's dream, with over 400 rides from a plethora of real world manufacturers like Audi, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Lamborghini, Ferrari and a host of others. And as we expected, Turn 10 Studios proves yet again why it's one of the best studios in the racing business with phenomenal attention to detail. All of the cars feel and sound different, offering hundreds of new and exciting ways to experience the game; an Audi R8 feels dramatically different from a Honda Fit or Ford GT. Even better, you can pop the hood and tune just about every aspect of these vehicles, transforming an average ride into a legit speed machine. Turn 10 compliments all of this with a user-friendly and easily navigated interface that reminds us more of a car brochure than a video game, complete with an announcer who explains everything.

That said, the game is only as deep as you want it to be, and here's where things get crazy. If you eat, sleep and breathe cars, you can spend hours tinkering with these vehicles without even driving them, and tuning just scratches the surface. Once again, the acclaimed Livery Editor returns, allowing artists to design custom paint jobs. It still comes with a high learning curve (we spent hours on something that looked like a kindergartner had done it), but if you choose to go down this particular rabbit hole and invest the time, you'll discover an incredibly amazing tool that offers unlimited enjoyment; Turn 10 Studios also released custom vinyl kits for download, available though the in-game storefront. Then you can take things to the next level by selling your creations at the Auction House, which is a good way to score lots of credits.

If that doesn't suit you, or you just need a break from painting, check out the game's video editor, where the term "car choreography" has a whole new meaning. We also suggest toying with photo mode, a neat feature that lets you take snapshots from multiple angles and then upload them to Forzamotorsport.net, your one stop shop for all things Forza. Check out customized vehicles, upload data, connect with passionate fans; it's all there.

There's also a full suite of online options that let you tinker with just about every aspect of a race. You decide not only the match type (Single Race, Elimination, Cat and Mouse, Point to Point, among others), but also whether competitors can use auto brake, automatic or manual transmission. Or perhaps you prefer to have all American cars, or European cars versus American, or American versus Japanese. There's wealth of conditions to mess around with.

Of course, if it's eye candy you seek, Forza Motorsport 3 is one of the most beautiful racers on the market, with stunning and painstakingly designed cockpits, gorgeous exteriors and realistic damage; cars will flip over from time to time. The tracks are equally jaw dropping, with miles of road, warm sunlight, white puffy clouds, skyscrapers, realistic reflections in glass and other visual highlights. Plus, the game moves at a brisk pace, depending on the chosen car. Just watching the scenery fly by at over 100 miles per hour, while occasionally looking behind to see the other drivers (both computer or human controlled via Xbox Live) choke on our exhaust fills us with excitement.

We could nitpick the small things (returning courses, the developers force players to repeatedly race on the same tracks), but none of those issues affect an otherwise incredible racing experience. Forza Motorsport 3 is without question one of the best racers and a surefire contender for 2009 game of the year. Regardless of where you stand--veteran or newcomer--you should give this outstanding effort a test drive.