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Through sports video games, players can take part in major league sporting events of their choice, or can emulate their favorite sportsperson in-game. The best titles capture the essence of the sport in a video game setting, with some great intuitive controls, engaging storylines, and immersive gameplay.
Similarly, racing video games allow players to climb into their favorite vehicle of choice and get a feel of the horsepower behind some speedy engines, which may not be possible in real life. Some of these games act as great simulators for in-world events, while others offer a realistic driving experience for casual fans.
This month, if players are looking to get into a sports game or racing title, they have a large number to choose from. Here are five sports video games and five racing games worth replaying in July 2022.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.
5 sports video games to try out this July
1) FIFA 22
FIFA, the most well-known football simulation game, released its 22nd year entry on October 1, 2020. Like with previous games, this too was developed and published by EA. Players get to participate in various minor and major league teams from across the world, either in co-op or competitive modes, single-player or multiplayer.
Career mode is a returning feature in this title, where people can either act as the manager of a team or play as a player across a 15-year time period. The level feature allows players to gain experience points and unlock skills and perks to improve their character’s stats.
This title features HyperMotion Technology, a result of motion-capture data collected from 22 real-life players as they partook in a football match donning motion-capture suits. This resulted in lifelike movements and maneuvers, lending to the realism of the video game.
2) Madden NFL 22
A game based on the American version of football, Madden NFL 22 is based on the National Football League of the country. Developed by Tiburon and published by EA sports, this video game was released on August 20, 2021. Players get to take part in various matches in the league, and can pick their favorite teams to play as.
For fans of the American football genre, this is the only video game available for them to immerse themselves in, so they have to take what they get, glitches and all. Madden NFL has mostly been the same game, with minor improvements over the last few years, giving players the opportunity to play national-level American football with all the teams from the league.
This latest entry provides a more detailed staff management system, as well as a new “home field advantage,” which was a highly demanded feature. In the latter, each team gets a specific ability in their home stadium once they achieve enough momentum credit.
3) NBA 2K22
NBA 2K22 is the basketball simulation game for those who enjoy verticality in sports. Based on the National Basketball Association (NBA), this is the 23rd entry of this long-running series of sports games. Developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports, the video game was released on September 10, 2021.
This is the definitive basketball video game series for most players and offers interesting gameplay and matches to keep them immersed and entertained. The latest release also includes a "My Career" mode for those looking to play offline.
The game features all the teams currently active in the NBA, along with several classic teams from the league’s history. The soundtrack of this game is phenomenal, something not seen in many sports games, and the song lists are updated as soon as new music is released.
4) Super Mega Baseball 3
Developed by independent studio Metalhead Software and co-published by EA, Super Mega Baseball 3 is the third entry of the video game series, released on May 13, 2020. The baseball game, with its single-player and multiplayer modes, sees players partake in various championships.
Aside from the cartoonish aesthetic, this game offers a lot of depth to the controls and gameplay. The franchise mode allows players to build their own team via single-player and play through various years of championships.
In an update, this video game launched a new cross-platform online mode known as Online Leagues, which allows players to create and join their own custom leagues and participate online with friends. One league can have up to 32 players, and can be a casual or competitive experience.
5) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
A remaster of the much-loved skateboarding series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 was developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision, originally released on Windows, PS4, and Xbox One on September 4, 2020.
The first game in the series in a long time since the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 in 2015, this entry received a lot of love for its faithfulness to the originals, while also updating its look and feel for new consoles. Players praised its graphics, soundtrack and gameplay.
The gameplay is simple in theory; players have to get a high score by performing the best moves, in the style of the original arcade games. Complex moves such as aerials, flips, grinds, lips, and manuals yielded several points, while combos got great scores.
5 racing video games to give a shot this July
1) Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Originally released in 2010, the remastered version of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit was made available in November 2020 for Windows, PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. Unlike most racing games, this game allowed players to play as both a racer and cop.
Developed by Criterion Games and published by EA, players had access to a large open-world that they could drive around in without taking part in any events. If they were in the mood to race, they could choose between lapped runs, speed trials, and cross-country sprints.
As the police, players had the option to take on assignments and bust ongoing races or partake in one-on-one pursuits. They could even test out timed trials for high-speed vehicles. Both police and racers were equipped with a series of gadgets that they could employ while driving.
While racer gadgets were geared for quick escapes, police equipment was primarily used to take out and arrest the racers.
2) Dirt Rally 2.0
Designed to singularly simulate rally racing, Dirt Rally 2.0 is the second in this series of racing simulation video games. Developed and published by Codemasters, the game was released on February 26, 2016, for Windows, PS4 and Xbox One. With realistic driving physics, this is a game for hardcore fans who wish to test themselves on real-world tracks.
The video game features many stages across different locations, including:
- Argentina
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Spain
- United States
Alongside this, the stages from the previous game were also remastered and released as an DLC. It included a rallycross mode with World RallyCross Supercars, and eight circuits from FIA World Rallycross Championship.
A new weather modeling system has been introduced in the title, which lets changes in the weather conditions affect the relative grip of the vehicle on the track. This requires the player to understand the different weather effects and how to adapt accordingly to the different conditions.
3) Burnout Paradise
Another game from developer Criterion Games, Burnout Paradise was the final major entrant of the Burnout series, originally released in 2018 for PS3, Xbox 360, and Windows. It was later remastered in 2018 and released for the PS4, Xbox One and Windows. Criterion later moved on to work on the Need For Speed series.
Burnout Paradise took a less serious approach to racing games, letting players enjoy a free driving experience that also included taking down other drivers in vehicular combat. The title was reminiscent of the Fast and Furious movies, with cinematic car-to-car takedowns, an over-the-top nitrous system, and physics bending action.
The game provided normal head-to-head races and laps while also including ridiculously enjoyable stunt events and competitive battles. There were also different cars to use for each, with supercars faring better in races and muscle cars standing in good stead during competitive events.
4) F1 22
Another game developed by Codemasters, this time focused on F1 and F2 racing, F1 22 is a racing simulation video game that released on July 1, 2022. This is the official game licensed by the 2022 Formula One and Formula Two Championships. The game was the first in the series to debut on the Origin and Epic Games Store PC platforms.
Players get to participate in tracks from the official world championship, playing as racers in one of many real-world official F1 or F2 teams. The game updates many tracks from the previous games such as the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as well as adding the brand new Miami International Autodrome.
The recently added Sprint Races, part of the real-world challenges, have been included in the video game as well. Adaptive AI ensures that the title provides enough competition to the player at every stage. Also introduced is a new customizable Hub mode, where players can collect supercars, as well as clothing and accessories for their avatars.
5) Forza Horizon 5
This open-world racing title is possibly the best video game that balances realism with casual racing. The fifth entry in Forza’s Horizon series was developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, releasing on November 9, 2021, for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Set in a fictional version of Mexico, the Horizon festival heads to South West America in this new iteration, showcasing a variety of environments. This is the best-looking Forza game so far, with stunning visuals and graphical detail, at least until Motorsport comes out next year.
Forza Horizon 5 features a ton of events that players can compete in as part of the Horizon festival, as well as an extensive selection of vehicles to unlock. Aside from the usual races, players can compete in stunt events, compete against other vehicles, and join in cross-country events. Also included are a handful of side activities for players who want to take a break from high-speed action.
