If you buy your favorite sports video game over and over again every year, chances are you haven’t had much to cheer for the past few years. To put it bluntly, the genre is struggling, and even a new generation of consoles isn’t the answer to rejuvenating it. Take this year for example. Metacritic scores are anything but impressive for the biggest sports around. Madden NFL 22 earned a terrible 60, NHL 22, which promises to change its metagame, disappoints with 74. NBA 2K is largely a franchise to beat, but NBA 2K22 only holds 76, a low score The most the series has seen in years. FIFA 22 and MLB: The Show 21 earned the highest average, around 78, but it says none of these franchises can even surpass the 80 mark.
This downward trend has been going on for a while and I was annoyed to see largely untouched modes and the same technical failures carried over year after year. It’s like watching your favorite sports team when they’re down. How long do you wait for it and watch the losses keep piling up before you walk away and hope next season fare better?
The point is, hopefully better back-entry fare has persisted for far too many seasons now, and it’s not just with one or two franchises. It is on a large scale. Generations ago, the sports genre exploded with innovation, making sports games look and play as close as possible to real life. In addition, the developers considered unique ways to build a community around them and cater to a wide range of players, from creating powerful franchise modes to providing gameplay skills-based online. And, most importantly, they have found new and exciting ways to engage sports fans. Intuitive concept Shows the power of sports storytelling, makes NBA 2K’s MyCareer a must-play by letting you create a player and take them on a cinematic journey deep into the star highs and lows.
It opened up a world of potential and lit a fire in their rivals, with FIFA making Alex Hunter: The Journey and NHL’s Be A Pro a choice-driven story. Heck, the Visual Con Concept was so successful that it even implemented a storyline into NBA 2K18 and 19’s franchise mode, albeit with different results. But at least the developers tried new things, took risks, and learned from each other how interactive and what keeps people playing their games year-round.
Today, sports games are safe to play, offering graphical upgrades and a few new features to keep going, but none of the series have really attempted to improve the formula or shake up the mainstream. what has been done before. And even with the effort, they feel half-hearted. For example, NHL 22 tried to take inspiration from Madden by introducing X-Factors Superstars and creating a kick to start its super game. Problem? These X-Factors are over is a factor? in making the game more rewarding or interesting, and the metagame hasn’t changed enough to be noticeable, save for its flaws.
What’s more frustrating is watching the various modes go on and on without meaningful changes for years. I can’t remember the last time NBA 2K, NHL or FIFA actually touched Franchise mode. This year Madden tried with Franchise mode, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make it a must-have game. Worse, things that don’t work or need improvement stay the same; The NHL’s dialogue in Be A Pro is ridiculous, and[playEvenworseisthestuffthatdoesn’tworkorneedsimprovingstaysthesame;NHL’sdialogueinBeAProislaughableand[play Evenworseisthestuffthatdoesn’tworkorneedsimprovingstaysthesame;NHL’sdialogueinBeAProislaughableandcheck its poke still dominating while Madden is still full of weird glitches and confusing interfaces.
Sports game annual releases don’t allow time for wide-ranging changes, but each year there are always developers making smart improvements to the platform. I would have hoped a game in any sports franchise would play smoother each year and specific modes would be more focused with more effort working towards meaningful additions. And when the game gets tough, developers will start to invest in new strategies to keep the game interesting, like finding a way to change the super game or implementing a new system that changes the way it is played. , like NHL 19’s improved skating. However, too much is going on too long in so many franchises. Madden’s game code is so old at this point that the developers are just dealing with the same problems, from quick animations to players running into each other after playing, even as they try to add new ones. New feature.
It feels like sports games are at a crossroads deciding what they need to be for this generation of gamers. I don’t envy this decision, as there are various reasons sports fans choose controllers. Ask anyone what their favorite regimen is and why, and you’ll get tons of answers. However, one thing never changes: These games are meant to have a long tail and are played year-round. This has led many developers to invest significantly in online-focused modes that they can continuously update throughout the year. But even here, the rewards never seem to be big enough, or worse, they feel very generic in their execution.
Limited resources don’t make it easy for developers to decide what to focus on. It’s a constant tug between keeping die-hard fans happy and bringing in new players through more casual offerings, like FIFA’s Volta, Madden’s The Yard and Pro-Am’s Pro-Am. NHL. Someone has always been left in the cold, and lately,those are dedicated players to more single player ventures like franchise mode. Let’s face it: Modes like this don’t bring in any extra cash.
NBA 2K22 has probably made the most significant leap this year, trying to merge its popular MyCareer mode with The City, a bustling online world where players can compete against each other in games, pickup tournaments, and shop around. The intuitive concept still has a long way to go with its intrusive microtransactions testing here and it’s still too empty to explore, but I see potential.
I just saw that WWE 2K22 will forgo its regular fall release to give things more time to solidify, and while the series is full of highs and lows, I love how creativity continues to shine through in its various modes and how it caters to things that excite die-hard fans. Features 2K Intro Mode, WWE 2K’s playable documentary where you follow the career of a legendary wrestler or a historical period and take part in key matches; My Faction lets you assemble and manage your own barn to compete with greats like The Four Horsemen; and this year it introduces MyRise, a new version of MyCareer that lets you guide your WWE rookie to stardom on an adventure of choice.
To be fair, the challenges of COVID-19 have certainly made the last few years harder and harder for the genre. However, these problems appeared at the end of the last generation and they are not going away. These days, roster upgrades aren’t enough to keep fans engaged, and loyal fans end up feeling burned with excitement for another season, only to see the same problems. reappeared.
Developers need not be afraid to hit the reset button and it may take some extra time to rethink their game. Yes, sport is packed with creativity and excitement, but that experience doesn’t translate video games. Why? Because developers keep using the same playbook. They don’t want to take risks for glory for fear of failure, but I’d rather watch these games try something new and fail than give me the same grueling experience I’ve been playing for years now. .
