Is it already this time again? As the holiday season approaches, we know many of you are looking for gifts for all the gamers in your life, and maybe also things you’d like to treat yourself. If you don’t know what to buy, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. From November 3rd to November 18e, we’ll bring you guides to satisfy every type of player every day of the week. Buckle up and say goodbye to your wallet.
Sports games have a bad reputation for being the same thing every year, but while that might be a problem for annual releases, even among these games you’ll find plenty of interesting innovations, and these are just that. a small part of the sports genre. Here we have five sports games that managed to stand out in 2022.
Cursed at golf
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Cursed at golf is, in some ways, a traditional game of golf. It has all the counters and scoreboards that players can shake a stick at. In other ways, however, it’s quite different, with one storyline, minimal club options, and it mixes roguelite and map elements to provide a dose of variety. It’s a game that can be super challenging, but at the same time very inviting with great designs and tight controls. If you’re looking for a game that sticks to the sport itself, we’ve got another entry on this list for you, but if you want something a little more creative, check out Cursed at golf.
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Platforms: Switch
Fans have spent fifteen years asking for a new Mario Strikers game, so why does it feel like when they got it, the game was forgotten after just a few months? Well, it probably doesn’t help that there isn’t a ton of single-player content here, which means it’s mostly for gamers who want to play online or have a group of friends who like just Mario Strikers like they are. If that’s you, however, the gameplay here is tighter than ever, with tons of new characters and exciting new mechanics, and Nintendo has continued to release free updates throughout the year to try and keep it up. breathe new life into the game. Most of this will only matter if you plan to play with others, but a few games this year are more fun with a group.
OlliOlli World
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
OlliOlli is back with a ton of new levels, an all-new graphical style, and somewhat simplified controls that make it much more accessible to new players while still providing plenty of challenges for those who have forged themselves in the fires of previous games. It’s a bit short, but if you’ve already watched the main game, you can look in the VOID Jumpers expansion, which is reasonably priced and brings alien shenanigans to the party. It’s been a while since we’ve had a great new skate game, but OlliOlli World makes us think about doing sick errands again.
PGA Tour 2K23
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
If the wilder style of Cursed at golf is not for you, instead consider a more traditional game of golf with PGA Tour 2K23. Although a name change did not alter the serious character of The golf club series, what changed this year was a new three-click system that really clicked with me. There’s still room to grow on the layout, but playing around with this new system is more enjoyable than the old analog controls, allowing me a huge level of precision once I get used to it. Let it all happen in the year 2K signing Tiger Woods to be their cover athlete feels fitting considering his legacy in golf video games. Maybe he’s just a lucky charm. In video games, that is.
rollerdrome
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC
Whereas rollerdrome isn’t a real sport, there’s a part of me that wishes it was, but maybe without all the death and murder. It’s an extremely interesting game with style for days and a solid foundation that makes the game a lot of fun. It can sometimes get bogged down by too many competing systems, forcing you to deal with so much that you can’t focus on the pure kinetic fun of just skating around and pulling off amazing stunts and moves, but few games this year can match the height of his best moments.