Sports and video games are two of the most significant forms of entertainment worldwide. So what if these two worlds come together? In recent years, there have been many real-world sport-based games. Here, we will look at some of those games one must play.
While watching a favorite athlete play, everyone might have dreamt of being in the same shoes as their favorites. Moreover, there are some sports that fans can’t even play for fun until they become professionals. This is where sports-based video games shine the most as they offer an incredible experience to fans.
These games allow fans to not only play as their favorite players but also to control their favorite teams and lead them to glory. If players want to see themselves as professional athletes, they can do so by creating their avatars in these games. In this way, sports video games help fans, especially those with disabilities, to live their dream.
Must-played sports video games
The world of sports is massive, and as a result, there is a plethora of sports-based video games for fans. Everyone can enjoy those games, as they don’t discriminate between the young and old or the professional and the beginner. Still, the question is which ones to play.
Well, sports fans have nothing to worry about anymore, as we have compiled a list of the top five sports games they must play. However, this piece reflects the writer’s personal opinion and might differ from yours.
WWE 2K23
- Developer: Visual Concepts
- Publisher: 2K
After the massive failure of WWE 2K20, fans doubted Visual Concepts as the primary developer of the WWE games. But things changed with 2K22, as it felt like they finally found the way to create the best wrestling game. Their latest WWE 2K23 is the result of everything they learned from the past two games. It is possibly the best wrestling video game available right now.
From John Cena vs. The Rock to Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns, one can easily recreate such iconic fights in WWE 2K23. Moreover, fans can host unimaginable fights between wrestlers from different eras, like Hulk Hogan vs. Jey Uso. In addition to these male wrestlers, the game also features several female stars, like Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley.
If fans get bored playing with real superstars, they can create original wrestlers and use them in fights. Fans can also use such original wrestlers in Career Mode to embark on the journey to become a WWE superstar. In WWE 2K23, the Career Mode has two separate story paths depending on the superstar’s gender. Because of these many features, this game deserves to be on this list.
NBA 2K23
- Developer: Visual Concepts
- Publisher: 2K
Visual Concepts and 2K are again on this list for their other sports-based video game, NBA 2K23. It is unimaginable to think of making this list without this game, after all, the NBA is the most-watched basketball event in the world. But why list the 2K23 edition when the NBA 2K24 has just been released? The reason is that the developers improved the next WWE title but forgot to do the same with the NBA one.
NBA 2K24 has received a lot of criticism from their fans, especially for the My Career mode. But this isn’t the case with the previous installments, as fans loved the 2K23 edition. It featured the updated team list from the last season, and the developers only improved the already existing and much-loved gameplay mechanics. In fact, the only criticism the game received was for micro-transactions.
This 2022-released title featured the “Jordan Challenge” mode after NBA 2K11. In this mode, fans could experience moments from the iconic life of NBA legend Michael Jordan. But the most beloved mode is undoubtedly the My Career, where players can create their basketball player and aim to become an NBA superstar. This mode was also unique because fans could start their journey in past NBA seasons.
F1 23
- Developer: Codemasters
- Publisher: EA Sports
The craze for motorsport has significantly increased in the past few years, especially for Formula One. This popularity is not limited to the real world, as F1 video games have also become famous among fans. F1 23 is the latest addition to this racing game series. Once again, this title has been developed by Codemasters, responsible for creating all the F1 titles since the 2014 edition.
The game features all the latest teams, drivers, cars, and races in the 2023 season. So, fans can experience driving the fastest car, Red Bull RB19, at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. Moreover, this game feels spectacular because of the overhauled mechanics. Like most sports video games, F1 23 also features a career mode. Fans can create their team, driver, and car to compete against real-world teams and reach the top spot.
The game’s social hub, F1 Life, returned from F1 22. Fans can use this hub to showcase their supercars, trophies, and other in-game collectibles. But this isn’t the only mode that made a return. F1 21’s story mode, “Breaking Point,” got a sequel called “Breaking Point 2,” and it’s available in F1 23. But this game is also famous for its competitive online action, as it has been integrated into the esports scene.
FIFA 23
- Developer: EA Vancouver and EA Romania
- Publisher: EA Sports
Soccer, or football as it is known by most of the world, is undoubtedly the most popular sport on the planet. It’s impossible to make a list of the best sports games without including FIFA 23. It is the latest entry to the renowned soccer series by Electronic Arts. FIFA 23 lets fans play with their favorite soccer players and clubs.
The FIFA series is responsible for making the career mode so renowned in sports-based video games. It offers a variety of options to enjoy the career mode to the fullest. Fans can experience the life of a soccer player by playing this mode as a real-life player or creating their original character. It also has a manager’s career mode to experience being the mastermind that manages a club. In FIFA 23, fans can manage a real-life club or create their own.
This soccer game series has also been famous for its online content. The Ultimate Team is one of the most played FIFA modes besides the career mode. In this mode, fans create squads of star soccer players and compete against other fans. FUT is also a significant part of the esports community, as several FIFA tournaments are held annually. Fans will soon enjoy a better soccer game than FIFA 23, as EA Sports FC 24 will be available in the stores.
Rocket League
- Developer: Psyonix
- Publisher: Psyonix
If F1 and soccer are two of the most famous sports, then how would it be to combine them both? Undoubtedly, it sounds impossible to bring these two sports together. This might be true if we are talking about the real world, but the gaming world has the perfect title that fuses these two unique sports. Rocket League by Psyonix is a video game where you play soccer with cars instead of your feet.
In this game, two teams of eight players use rocket-powered cars to play soccer. It became a major hit soon after its release in 2015. But the developers kept improving it to become one of the most played sports games. Moreover, the hype for it grew further when Psyonix turned it into free-to-play. As a result, more players started playing this unique sports video game.
Rocket League is itself a fun-to-play title but becomes even more entertaining when played with friends and other fans. The other reason for the multiplayer mode receiving so much attention is its competitive nature. After all, Rocket League has been adopted as an esports, and many significant tournaments are hosted every year.
These are some of the many sports-based video games that a gamer or sports enthusiast must try once. Moreover, everyone should remember these top five games might not be your favorites. But if you enjoyed playing these games, click here to read about the best stealth games to date.
