Sports games appeal to gamers and athletes alike, bringing sports to our games and games to our sports fans! Most major sports titles release yearly additions, including hockey, football, golf and baseball, but sometimes some sneakier titles show up, bringing less conventional sports games to the table!
The PGA, NHL and MLB made their way onto our Best Sports Games 2022 lists this year, accompanied by skateboarding and Mario titles too!
Here are the nominees for Best Sports Games 2022:
PGA TOUR 2K23
Writer: David Walters
Console: Playstation 5
Score: 7.5
Price: $89.99
I am an avid golfer, or at least I used to be. For me, there are few better experiences than being on a golf course first thing in the morning, hearing the birds and the quiet as I work my way around the course. Having not golfed in a few years, I need to get my fix elsewhere, and PGA TOUR 2K23 is a fantastic way to do so. With some interesting additions to the controls, and the ability to play as and against some of my favourite players from both the PGA and LPGA tours, PGA TOUR 2K23 surprised me in just how much fun I could have.
The TopGolf addition to PGA TOUR 2K23 intrigued me right away, as I do not live anywhere near one, but having seen them on TV and YouTube previously. The idea is very simple: you get ten shots to hit various targets around the range, accumulating points. High score wins at the end of the ten shots. You can play this locally with your friends or online against up to 4 strangers. It’s a really fun game mode and can see it being played a lot by the player-base.
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Writer: Philip Watson
Console: Nintendo Switch
Score: 8
Price: $79.99
I truly did not think Mario’s sports repertoire would ever return to a soccer-like state, being that it has been 15 years since Mario Strikers Charged entered the scene. Like a sequel to Half Life 2, it was a shot in the dark, even considering another Strikers game was going to happen. Fortunately, Mario Strikers: Battle League has finally arrived on the pitch, and in traditional Mario Sports fashion, trims out most of the ‘unneeded rules’ that make up its inspiration and adds throwing items as a game mechanic, rather than a rude and unwarranted gesture when playing real-life soccer.
Mario Strikers: Battle League resurrects a fan favourite Mario Sports title, with some of the most fluid gameplay on Switch. With every control feeling buttery smooth, it’s genuinely difficult to dislike this game without trying. There is a lot of fun to be had here, whether fans like any type of sport is irrelevant. This title puts the fun in Mario Sports.
OlliOlli World
Writer: Philip Watson
Console: Xbox Series X
Score: 8
Price: $39.99
Upon starting OlliOlli World, the art style is phenomenally cartoonish and seems to take some inspiration from the Adventure Time TV series. It works very well here, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a ‘Jake the dog’ costume happen either in the game or as DLC, considering it has been promised for the title. The world of Radlandia is filled with gnar, and the audio, while very tame, works in tandem with the title like the game and soundtrack were made for each other.
Each attempt at a stage that ends in failure makes the player want to try again. It is a fun experience that gets addicting. The ‘one more run’ feel is present with each attempt. Although the side quest where you must race a bear down a river is almost impossible, The Flash has competition.
NHL 23
Writer: Joe Findlay
Console: Xbox One
Score: 8.5
Price: $89.99
EA Sports has brought its latest offering just in time for hockey season with EA Sports NHL 23. Just when you think that there is nothing else that can be enhanced or added to a sports game to necessitate another game (other than the updated rosters), they’ve managed to find ways to make the game more immersive and accessible than ever before.
The pace of NHL 23 is incredibly fast for either solo or multiplayer play. The games don’t drag out at all, so you can knock out a few games in a franchise or just play one last quick game before taking off for the day. The gameplay is smooth and accessible to players of all levels. The only little thing that I noticed is that I seem to get the same animation whenever the goalie covers up the puck, forcing a face-off. This always led to a similar ‘almost-fight’ animation which grew a little stale.
WINNER: Best Sports Game 2022 MLB The Show 22
Writer: David Walters
Console: Playstation 5
Score: 8
Price: $49.54
As an avid baseball fan, I always look forward to spring training, seeing the players reporting to camp brings joy to the end of winter. Any baseball I can get at that time is welcome, and as a result, I played an unhealthy amount of MLB The Show 21 last year, so I was very ready to take on MLB The Show 22 when the opportunity came up.
Road to the Show is the Career mode of MLB The Show 22, and it is a masterpiece of gameplay. You begin by creating your player, modelled after yourself or however you want, and then take that player through the minor league system of a team, trying to make it to the Major League level. You can select a position player (one that’s not a pitcher), or a two-way player (pitcher and position player, like cover star Shohei Ohtani, for example). You’ll have the option to simulate or play as many games as you want on your journey to the big leagues.
