The legend of Ayrton Senna lives on: Thanks to the documentary-style movie and various of his iconic cars that are available in racing games and simulations, the three-time F1 World Champion is still present in the minds of motorsport fans and sim racers, even almost 30 years after his death at Imola. Gran Turismo 6 honored the Brazilian with a special DLC in 2014 - but there is another official one that might have flown under may radars - in Horizon Chase Turbo.
Image Credit: Aquiris Game Studio
While Automobilista 2 could be viewed as a Senna career simulator thanks to four of his cars being available alongside period-correct tracks, his name is not in the sim by default. The opposite is the case in Horizon Chase Turbo by Aquiris Game Studio: The Senna Forever DLC is even a fully-licensed creation that ties in with the Instituto Ayrton Senna - by purchasing the DLC, you support the institute's mission to assist the education of Brazilian children.
What is Horizon Chase Turbo?
Released in 2018, Horizon Chase Turbo takes a decidedly arcade approach to a racing game. Think of arcade titles from the 1980s and early 1990s like Out Run, which feature rapidly-moving tracks and cartoony graphics - Horizon Chase Turbo puts a modern spin on this, making it look the part for the 21st century.Racers can collect coins, nitro boosts and even fuel to help them in their races against AI opponents or their friends in an offline multiplayer mode that allows up to four players to compete on the same system. Cars are clearly inspired by real-life models and all have different characteristics. The game is is available on Steam, the Microsoft and PlayStation stores and on Nintendo Switch. It is based on Horizon Chase - World Tour, available for iOS and Android. A sequel called Horizon Chase 2 has been released for Apple Arcade in 2022 and is supposed to see a console release in 2023.
The Senna Forever DLC
It would be easy to dismiss the DLC due to the arcade nature of the game itself, but Senne Forever is a great trip to the past for any F1 fan. The five chapters of the campaign spanning from 1984 to 1991 all feature multiple races that were key to Senna's career. New circuits based on real-life F1 tracks of the time are introduced, and a race strategy mechanic allows different approaches to clear all of a race's goals - get a perfect start, fuel up on a specific lap and finishing in a certain position are just a few examples of these goals.A first-person mode is also introduced with the DLC, and it actually works quite well despite the arcade nature of the game. With the frantic nature of the game, it is good to have this view as an option, as some players may find it easier to avoid hitting slower cars this way. Either way, it adds a certain flair of following in Ayrton's footsteps.
The passion and dedication Aquiris - who are from Brazil - have poured into this DLC is impossible to overlook. Senna Forever is a bit like a light-hearted, interactive history lesson for F1 fans and those that want to familiarize themselves a bit more with Senna's career. It also adds a considerable amount of content and new functions to the game - it is even possible to race in different championship series based on the DLC chapters, but without Senna's scenarios.
