Game: "Forza Motorsport."

Console: Xbox.

Developer/publisher: Microsoft Game Studios.

Genre: Racing simulation.

Number of players: 1-2 (1-8 online).

ESRB rating: Everyone.

The premise: Car enthusiasts can take the racing simulation wheel for a spin with Microsoft's answer to Sony's "Gran Turismo" series.

Game play: With a vehicle roster of more than 230 cars from the world's top manufacturers, "Forza Motorsport" aims to deliver a realistic racing experience for players eager to tear up the race tracks. And it's not just about collecting cars, as gearheads will have seemingly unlimited options in upgrading, customizing and personalizing their rides. Whether you're looking to add a turbo kit or put in a whole new engine, you can do so by earning credits through completing races in the various modes. In addition to performance enhancements, the game offers extensive visual customization features where artists can create incredibly detailed decals, body paint and images via the editing tools. Aside from the single-player game modes, such as Career, Time Trial, Arcade and Free Run, the biggest draw is the online multiplayer mode with up to eight players at once through Xbox Live.

You can buy, sell or trade cars with others, download other racers' ghosts to challenge them offline, post your time-trial rankings on hundreds of leader boards, and create or join clubs with auto aficionados around the world for team competitions.

The good/bad: People will no doubt want to compare this game with the reigning racing simulator, PS2's "Gran Turismo 4." For starters, "GT4" boasts a better soundtrack and visuals, includes more racing tracks, and has double the number of cars. However, that doesn't take away much from "Forza Motorsport," and the Xbox Live component makes up for the shortcomings. Those not looking to race online can still tackle the deep Career mode and take heed of the finely tuned controls, as well as the realistic racing physics. I liked the level of detail when things such as heat and pressure changes, road conditions, and even car damage would factor into a car's handling and overall performance. With the game's realistic driving and damage, it still manages to be accessible and more accommodating to nongearheads. There are selectable assists and integrated dynamic "Suggested Lines" that tell you exactly when to brake and what line to follow. But to reward the hard-core players, you can earn more cash for winning if using manual shifting and turning off the driving aids.

My take: Striking the right balance between fun and realism, "Forza Motorsport" is a car lover's ultimate workshop. Is it better than "Gran Turismo 4"? I don't know about better, but let's just say I had a bit more fun with this one. As the best racing title on the Xbox, this game is one that car enthusiasts definitely will want to take out for a test drive.

Julius Pecson, a student at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and a longtime gamer, reviews games on various consoles for The Honolulu Advertiser.