The base game is 100% worth it for 14€ (which is the price frequently. Apparently the price has been as low as 7€ earlier this year). An absolutely huge amount of content and, being a live service game, there's even more being added. Just 2 days ago we got a new free playlist when Season 10 dropped.
When I first started playing this I couldn't help but feel like it's a very "Forza Horizon at home". But now, 20+ hours later, I actually might even prefer this. The game has a crazy wide variety of vehicles, including not just cars but also bikes, boats and even planes. Altho, admittedly, the last two are more of an afterthought. But it's still nice they are there.
The handling and physics are definitely a bit more arcade than FH, but not too much so. Some cars and types of roads (or the lack of them) control better than others, of course. Off-road races in particular can be a hit or miss. You may have a great experience or you may be sliding around like you're on ice. But damn if the environment doesn't make up for the frustration! Jungles, mountain ridges, flower fields, beaches, the game is just ridiculously beautiful wherever you are.
The playlist system is the games biggest potential problem: you choose a thematic playlist (like "Luxury cars" or "electric vehicles" or "motorsport" or "off-road addicts" and so on) and then get something like 7-12 different events. Now, the controversial thing is that the first time around, you will ride through these in a borrowed vehicle. And this causes huge jumps in difficulty, because some of the vehicles just aren't fast enough. Sometimes I have to drop the difficulty all the way to 1 to be able to beat a race, while other times I keep the difficulty at 3/5. It's a bit weird design choice, but on the bright side, it forces you to try all kinds of vehicles. Once you have beaten the playlist, you can replay the events with your own custom cars. But realistically, I don't see much reason to do this, unless you are a completionist and want to beat the additional challenges. One playlist takes around an hour to complete, in my experience.
But that's about the only "complaint" I can think of this game. And I don't really mind it. Of course you get the usual physically painful cringe dialogue throughout the races, but there's an option to turn it off. I haven't, because it's occasionally entertaining and I actually like the AI companion Cara (in-universe AI, not actual AI).
The quality of playlists vary, but there hasn't been anything outrageously bad. There are some really great ones, like the fan-favorite "Made in Japan". I also liked the electric vehicles one and the "Ferrari Supercars" was made with such love and care that it actually got me interested in the brand (I'm not a big enough car-enthusiast to have any favorites). The last event in the Ferrari one was especially memorable, as when the track progresses, everything turns grey, except the Ferrari red color (both your car and in the environment). Red Bull playlist also has some fun events, like F1 car vs. a plane.
The open world of Hawaii is absolutely HUGE. Almost too big for its own good. It's beautiful to drive around in and explore. As expected, it's full of challenges and little mini-games for those who care. As I mentioned before, the landscapes have lots of variation and are generally beautiful. You also got some cities and even racing tracks if you're not into off-road stuff.
In conclusion, crazy amount of content for 14€. And I'm still not anywhere near done with the playlists. I don't have any DLC, but I honestly have never felt like I've missed anything. I imagine the average player is much more likely to feel done with the game by the time they've done all the base game content than feel like they're missing out.
