Nearly every sign, bush, fence post, and tree can be smashed to bits in the recently released Forza Horizon 6. However, if you try to crash into and destroy any of Japan’s iconic Cherry Blossom trees, which can be found in the open world, you’ll discover they are indestructible. And that’s not an accident, but instead a deliberate choice by the developers.
In a new interview with The Japan Times (via Dexerto), Forza Horizon 6 design director Torben Ellert talked about the Xbox open-world racer and all the work that went into crafting an authentic-looking Japan that players could explore and rip apart, like in past games, while making sure to be respectful to the country, its people, and its beliefs. A key example of that balance is the unbreakable cherry blossoms and some decision to not include some specific temples or shrines.
“Almost all trees in the game are smashable to ensure that traversing the world map is both fun and rewarding,” said Ellert. “However, several tree types are not–for example, the cherry blossom trees–because they’re an iconic element of Japanese culture. Certain temples or other cultural elements are also excluded so that players aren’t tempted to drive through shrines or locations of cultural importance.”
Perhaps Playground Games was also trying to avoid what happened to Ubisoft last year. Before Assassin’s Creed Shadows was released, there was controversy surrounding the ability for players to break tables and other props found in shrines. Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba even criticized the game ahead of its launch. This led to a day-one patch from Ubisoft that stopped players from breaking tables and chairs in temples and shrines.
Funnily enough, in my 30+ hours with Forza Horizon 6 so far, I’ve not noticed the unbreakable cherry blossom trees. I guess I just found them too pretty to smash up and never tried to crash through any of them. But now, I’m determined to see if there’s one lone cherry blossom