The main surprise from the new IGN material about Forza Horizon 6 is that Tokyo was handled like its own full production. Playground Games created a dedicated squad — the Tokyo World Unit — charged with the capital while the rest of the studio focused on Kanagawa and Shizuoka (Mount Fuji included). That group grew to the size of a small indie studio, i.e., capable of delivering a near-standalone chunk of the game; the devs treated it as a full-scale project, which sounds a bit over the top and, frankly, exciting.
The team says central neighborhoods such as Shibuya, Shinjuku and Akihabara were reconstructed at 1:1 scale. This isn’t mere backdrop work. Narrow alleys thread through blocks; interchanges rise in layers; parking lots that real-world tuners use turn up as playable spots — esp. if you’re into car culture, you’ll notice those details.
Creative Director Mike Brown called Tokyo the "heart and soul" of the sixth installment — a bold line, and you can tell a lot of care went into backing it up. Players reportedly can spend dozens of hours just inside the metropolis without heading out to the countryside: activities, drift zones and hidden garages pack the city and, according to the devs, even eclipse what FH5 offered in Mexico. I’m looking forward to getting lost there (and to the inevitable pileups).