Forza 5's 'Drivatar' AI marks the end of single player, says developer

Forza Motorsport 5's opponents will be derived from the behaviour of real-world players, making for a more intense, unpredictable racing experience. It marks the end of single-player, according to Turn 10's lead gameplay designer Rhett Mathis.

If you're thinking, 'what the hell is a Drivatar?' Steph has you covered in her superb overview of new Forza 5 features. There's also a shiny trailer in there too.

Speaking with OXM, Mathis said of the mechanic, "With a system like this, we can race together, even when we're not together.

"And we don't have to do all the same things, like [Turn 10 boss Dan Greenawalt] pointed out, because we learn about your tendencies across different tracks - we understand how certain spots on one track relate to a spot on another track.

"We can build a profile of you that can go anywhere. So I can race him on the tracks I like even though he hasn't been there, and I get to see the cars he's using. So if he goes and gets a cool new livery, we can talk about it next time we touch base, see each other face to face."

So even when you're not online, your Drivatar will be pitted against other players online, mimicking your play style like some kind of digital doppelgänger.

Mathis concluded, "It's the end of single player. This is something totally new because it adds such a level of social play, and that's what we want to engender - that water cooler talk, or its over the phone with your friends, or its over Skype, or its however you want to do it."

Are you a fan of the Drivatar tech? Let us know what you think below.