The Warthog from Microsoft's Halo franchise is one of the most iconic vehicles in all of gaming, capable of slipping and sliding over all kinds of jagged terrain. That makes it a perfect fit for the new entry in Microsoft's Forza Horizon franchise, where it will at long last be playable after years of fan requests.
Yes, the Warthog will be drivable in Forza Horizon 3, but it's not exactly the Warthog most players are familiar with. You won't find a massive turret on the back of this Warthog, as the Covenant (unfortunately) aren't set to appear in the racing title. Instead, the vehicle featured in Forza Horizon 3 will actually be the Warthog's less-deadly civilian sibling.
"What it may lack in brute force - you won't find a turret on this version - it more than makes up for with its 720 bhp twin turbo V8, making it significantly faster than its FAV counterpart," writes Brian Ekberg on the official Forza website. "The Warthog CST in Forza Horizon 3 is also ideally suited for the rough and tumble landscape of Australia. With the most advanced suspension in Forza Horizon 3 (with more than 70 cm of suspension travel), plus advanced dampening, you won't find the combination of power and stability like this anywhere else in the Horizon Festival."
Either way, it should be a great vehicle for exploring the wild terrain of the Australian Outback. Players have used the Warthog to climb mountains, splatter Grunts and crash in an infinite amount of always amusing ways over the years in Halo, so it should be fun to see how the vehicle handles in an actual driving game for once (hint: poorly).
Better yet, the vehicle will be available for free at launch for all Forza Horizon 3 players who have also played Halo: The Master Chief Collection or Halo 5: Guardians. Players will find a code to unlock the vehicle in their Xbox Live message inbox, much like the promotional vehicles gifted to Forza Motorsport 6 and Fallout 4 players last year.
If you haven't yet played either Halo title on Xbox One, there's no reason to fret. You'll also be able to earn the Warthog through a special in-game event that will go live sometime in October. You can check out the Warthog in action below.
Forza Horizon 3 arrives on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs on Sept. 27.
