Been looking at newer road bikes. I notice that the fork shape seems to have changed over the years to an almost straight down vs the curved style of my current ride. What does this achieve???

Style

swagger

more parts to sell by "reinventing the wheel"

In theory, forks with a J-curve will flex a little bit, like a spring, and absorb some road buzz; straight forks that look more like a column will be stiffer when you sprint out of the saddle, putting more of your weight on the bars. That's in theory. In reality, who knows? You can get lots or very little flex by changing the carbon layup (since almost all forks are CF these days) and keeping the shape the same. I think it's mostly about looks. But who knows?