UPDATE: Gran Turismo 7 won Best Sports/Racing Game at The Game Awards 2022!
The Game Awards ia a big night on the calendar for fans of the medium, as it allows people to enjoy new world premieres, listen to stunning musical performances, and see talented studios get the recognition they deserve for the projects that released throughout the year. The coveted ‘Game of the Year’ prize has been scooped up in the past by the likes of Santa Monica withGod of War, FromSoftware withSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Naughty Dog withThe Last of Us 2, and most recentlyHazelight Studios withIt Takes Two. This is an honor that plenty of developers would love to receive, but it’s by no means the only award up for grabs.
There are countless genres of games, so it’s very difficult to hand out a single award when plenty of design philosophies are deployed. Categories are essential toThe Game Awards, and Best Sports/Racing Game has been littered with exceptional winners in the past. It’s an award that houses games in two distinct genres, and while titles likeRocket LeagueandCrash Team Racingdo well to blur the lines somewhat, it’s always a challenge to predict the winner each year because of the wide variety of designs that can be represented.
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FIFA 23
EA Sports' crowing franchise received yet another fantastic entry in 2022, asFIFA 23is a stellar revision on a formula that has worked so well for such a long time. It’s the last game that will feature theFIFAname, and improved visuals and refined gameplay have ensured it keeps fans of the property happy. Its inclusion offeatures for the Qatar World Cupis impressive, allowing players to transfer excitement for the tournament into the game.
However, its quality is matched in many ways by the games that preceded it.FIFA’s annual release schedule makes each new version feel less significant of an achievement, whereas other nominees for Best Sports/Racing game offer more innovation and fresh mechanics to make them more exciting and impressive to players.TheFIFAname is set to be dropped, but the magic will surely live on, which seems to be equal parts satisfying and frustrating.
OlliOlli World
The start of 2022 was littered with some truly great games, fromhigh-budget open-worlds likeElden RingandHorizon Forbidden West, to smaller projects likeNobody Saves the WorldandOlliOlli World. The latter was the third game in a series that began in 2014 on PS4 and PlayStation Vita. The first was largely overlooked but the second,OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood,caught the attention of gamers for its interesting gameplay and addicting, high score-based progression. A third game released in 2022, and it’s the best of the bunch.
OlliOlli Worldis delightful, adopting a new art style that breathes fresh life into the franchise. It’s a contemporary skateboarding game that doesn’t feel like a boring revision on a tried-and-tested formula, instead is something that adopts its own style that is more than backed up by substance. It benefits massively from its release window, as an early February launch did well to bring in a swathe of players before larger games with more anticipation hit shelves and digital storefronts.
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Gran Turismo 7
Developed by Polyphony Digital,Gran Turismo 7is the latest entry in the esteemed PlayStation series, and brings plenty of new features to a property that dates back to late-1997. WhileForzastraddles the line between realistic racing and eccentric fun,Gran Turismohas always been firmly set in the former, bringing players to real-world circuits in a way that prioritizes authenticity and accuracy over action.
Gran Turismo 7takes this mindset and runs with it to maximum effect as cars respond how they should, the visuals are stunning, and circuits are as effortlessly and effectively replicated as they have ever been in the video game space.Gran Turismo 7is one of the highest rated games of 2022 on OpenCritic, and none in the racing genre have pushed the boundaries of technology quite like it this year. The absence of a newForzagame in 2022 has done wonders for PlayStation’s beloved racing series.
NBA 2K23
NBA 2K23may cover a niche audience, but the player count is large, and users have high expectations with each new release.Visual Concepts worked wonders with MyCareer’s new ideas, and as such made sufficient revisions on a game formula that has been popular for years. The mechanics ofNBA 2K23aren’t anything revolutionary, but its new additions will keep fans of the property happy until the next game releases in due course.
NBA 2Khas had issues with microtransactionsin recent years, and the 2022 release is no different. They’re a significant blemish on a really great game, but when looked past, it’s clear that the National Basketball Association is in safe hands in the gaming sphere.NBA 2K23was undoubtedly one of the best sports games released in 2022, as it is most years, but the nominess for Best Sports/Racing game are strong.
F1 22
Formula 1 is perhaps the most well-known racing series in the world, and so its accompanying game is both a racing and sports title. Codemasters is the cream of the racing game crop, and itsrecent acquisition by publisher EAis an indicator of its quality. The developer has been at the helm of the officially-licensedF1games since 2009, and all these years later it’s continuing to bring such a revered sport to life.
F1 22presents drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Charles LeClerc, and Lando Norris, and brings their likeness to a game that is, in many ways, the best in the franchise to date. It’s an accurate racing simulator that encompasses real-world issues like aerodynamics and porpoising, but can also be enjoyed as a casual racing game, with different game modes and camera angles being deployed to tailor the experience to the player’s desires. Still, with it being the latest in an annualized series, it suffers from the same issues that franchises likeNBA 2KandFIFAdo, as it’s hard to see any truly substantial or revolutionary changes with each new entry.
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Final Prediction
Though the nominees for Best Sports/Racing Game at this year’s awards are as competitive as ever, the continued trend of previous winners and the sheer quality ofGran Turismo 7means it feels like a natural choice to take the top prize. The Xbox-ownedForzafranchise has dominated this category in all the years a new game in either theMotorsportorHorizonsubtitle have released, so giving something back to PlayStation and Polyphony Digital would be a charming confirmation of the studio’s hard work.Gran Turismo 7is a great bridge between sim racing fans and casual audiences, and though it’s the newest entry in a long-standing series, the lack of annual releases makes each title feel fresh.
