You might be tempted to dismiss sports games as unoriginal annual reskins, but there’s more to them than the FIFAs and NBA 2Ks of the gaming world. This year sees the return of some interesting sports franchises. On the racing side of things too, some of the most iconic franchises are set to make a long-awaited return this year. So let’s get to it; here are our must-watch racing and sports games of 2022.
Grid Legends
After a brilliant debut in 2008, Codemasters hasn’t quite managed to take the Grid franchise to new heights, with subsequent releases failing to hit the mark. But Grid Legends looks set to bring back many of the elements that made the original such a hit with racing fans. The street and track arcade racer prioritises action and aggression, and sees the return of the Rivals feature, which encourages you to seek revenge from competitors that wrong you during a race. Legends looks set to feature a story mode, and also sees the debut of electric vehicles.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
Forza Horizon may be the king of open world arcade racing today, but it was arguably Test Drive Unlimited 2 that set the benchmark for open-world driving games. The series is known for its beautiful locales that are a joy to drive around, even when you aren’t competing. With original developer Eden Games no longer in existence, many of that team are now developing Solar Crown under KT-Racing, who have plenty of experience under their belt with the WRC series. So there’s plenty of racing games pedigree in the Solar Crown. The only question is if the new game can recapture the magic of TDU2.
Forza Motorsport
While the Forza Horizon games have been winning plaudits with each new release, the series that started it all is also set for a return. Forza Motorsport, a simulation-focussed racing series, is set for a reboot, which explains why this eighth instalment won’t be called Forza Motorsport 8. Developer Turn 10 has promised a complete overhaul from Forza Motorsport 7, including new driving mechanics, tyre physics, weather systems and more. The game has undergone a round of closed testing and more public trials are scheduled for this year, along with – hopefully – a proper launch. With Xbox Game Pass taking centre stage, all signs point to this new game being rolled out as a service that continues to evolve rather than a limited game that will see a sequel down the road.
OlliOlli World
Roll7 has knocked it out of the park with its two arcade skateboarding games, OlliOlli and OlliOlli 2. With OlliOlli World, the developer is taking the side-scroller into a refreshing new direction. The biggest change this time is a colourful new art style, complete with 2D cartoon-inspired visuals. There’s also a deeper story and a game world with multiple areas to complete. But the core attraction promises to remain OlliOlli’s courses, which are masterfully designed to test your skills and your ability to combined tricks, grinds and grabs to not only complete courses, but to also complete bonus objectives. It’s one of the most satisfying gameplay loops out there!
EA Sports PGA Tour 22
EA’s golf games have never quite been the same since the publisher parted ways with Tiger Woods. However, a new PGA Tour game is in the works at EA, and while it was originally scheduled for release in early 2022 alongside the Masters tournament – which is licensed in the game, EA announced last year that it would be pushing the game back. We’re yet to hear a further update on when the game is coming out, but if you are impatient for a golf game on PC, you can check out the well-received PGA Tour 2K21 in the mean time.
Skate
EA announced the fourth Skate game – another reboot – in 2020 and, two years on, almost nothing is known about the game. We’re yet to see a trailer for Skate, but in a video update last year, it was revealed that the game was still in early development. The developers have been showing the game to select fans to get their feedback, and it was revealed that the game will take place in an open world and that user-generated content will play a big role. We hope to hear a lot more about Skate soon, with a release this year as well.
F1 2022
As Formula 1 continues to see a resurgence, especially after the thrilling end to last season, Codemasters has also been taking its F1 series from strength to strength. And while F1 2022 hasn’t been officially announced by EA yet, we do expect the new game to arrive sometime around July. The career and online modes will surely return, along with the new cars and team compositions, but reports suggest that F1 2022 may also feature supercars in some capacity as part of a new game mode that is set to be introduced.
Which of these games are you look forward to playing the most this year?
There are (0) comments.