[6] Forza Horizon 5 is a racing video game set in an open world environment based in a fictional representation of Mexico.

[10] The map contains an active caldera volcano, jungles and beaches, ancient Mayan temples, and towns and cities such as Guanajuato.

Players can explore the open world freely, though they can also compete in multiplayer races and complete the campaign mode.

Because Mexico is such a vast nation with such a wide range of elevations, multiple climates would appear in the game at around the same time.

It also introduces the "EventLab", a toolset in which players can create custom games, races, and more depending on their personal preference.

[16] The Eliminator battle royale game mode introduced in Forza Horizon 4 returns, albeit with players starting in a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle rather than a 1965 Mini.

[18] As in the previous game, players can buy in-game houses ranging from small beachside cabanas to even a hotel, which can unlock rewards such as Wheelspins and the right to Fast Travel.

Due to licensing issues, vehicles from Alfa Romeo, Fiat (including Abarth marque) and Lancia were not present in the base game.

On 1 March 2022, American and British Sign language interpreter videos in a picture-in-picture format for cinematics were added.

The Series 14 update, released on 10 November 2022, added a new Horizon Story featuring the members of Donut Media.

[32] Individual objects, such as the needles of cholla cacti, can also be displayed by the game (although this is only available for the Xbox Series consoles as of now).

[33] Playground Games took a new approach to car audio in Horizon 5, switching implementation from looping to granular synthesis.

[51] Ars Technica liked the visuals of the title, praising how it looked "next-gen", "I seriously cannot keep track of how many times FH5 made my eyes bulge.

The game takes special care to emphasize massive vistas ... with screen-bursting HDR effects doing wonders for a richly saturated canvas of cities, sunsets, and scenery".

While criticizing the car handling for making the game too easy, Rock Paper Shotgun enjoyed the new additions to the formula like the EventLab creator and Super7 events, "If you’ve played a Forza Horizon game before then you might feel a slight sense of deja vu, but you won’t care as the formula has been perfected at last".

[52] Eurogamer praised Horizon 5's open world of Mexico, writing that "The map is an absolute wonder, backed by a game engine which can deliver staggering views across the whole thing from the summit of the volcano that towers over it.

The environments are rich and saturated with colour and atmosphere, from humid swamps to arid dunes, from deep, verdant canyons to pastel-striped barrios".

[53] Polygon liked the settings to tune difficulty and handling, but felt the game bombarded you with too many events and activities at once, "I feel constantly pinged with mentions and suggestions, from all directions, like two teenagers are blowing up my DMs".