Operation Sports
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When it's all said and done, World Soccer Strikers '91 is a fun game, but like a lot of indie soccer titles, lacks sufficient depth and long-term value to warrant a purchase for any serious soccer fans. Even at its cheap price ($6), there isn't enough here to keep you coming back once you win a tournament or league. While I appreciate the approach and attempt to create a footy game with true freedom, there are just too many other indie soccer games that offer deeper gameplay with just as much fun.
If you have a Steam account, $20 to spend, and enjoy the game of football, Legend Bowl is an absolute must-buy in every sense. It offers a wide range of difficulty levels, a deep season mode, and you have the ability to create multiple years, eras, and leagues. Legend Bowl will not only fill a void for PC football fans, it will do so in a way that offers a lot of fun, authenticity, and options.
That said, this title will challenge your patience and requires time and effort to learn the game from the inside out. Those who are willing to do just that will have an experience that is deep, authentic, and most of all, fun. There are no cheap ways to enjoy WRC 10, and you are either all in or you're not, but the rewards for those who jump in with both feet are, well, rewarding.
There is plenty to do here regardless of your approach, be it single or multiplayer, and the career mode will consume you if you allow it. Adding RiMS Racing to your rotation is an easy sell if you understand full well the level of dedication and effort it will take to master each bike and venue.
Madden 22 is, simply put, a blast to play at times, but it comes with some issues that may take longer to iron out than a single patch can provide. I have come to terms with that, and thus Madden 22 feels like a title that will be in my rotation throughout the NFL season.
Overall, The Ramp felt like a much more simplistic (very simplistic) version of OlliOlli. There is no story, but for the $6 price tag, it’s probably worth getting if you’re a skateboard fan or just looking for a new challenge. The Ramp pays homage to the art of vert-skateboarding by not being too difficult to learn. Sure, it is much closer to a toy than a game, and there’s plenty of room for new additions in the future. But what this single developer was able to accomplish is well worth the price of admission, and it should become a nice arcade alternative for skateboarders everywhere.
This is a very realistic fishing simulator, and it takes time and patience. Being a simulator, that is expected and perfectly fine. You just need to know what you are getting yourself into here. You realistically travel around (for better or worse). You have to manage resources. And the act of fishing itself can be drawn out. It's a fishing simulator that is about as real as you can get. From the sights and sounds of the ocean all around you, to the day-to-day tasks of a real fisherman, it brings together a whole experience of fishing that is worthy of matching up with just about any other fishing simulator out there.
F1 2021 creates an experience that justifies my desire for a PS5 and Xbox Series X, and if titles are going to start hitting this level of graphical fidelity and depth, we need to buckle in because the ride is going to be an incredible one.
The developers over at Unfinished Pixel did a tremendous job with both Super Sports Soccer and Super Sports Blast this past year, even patching the game to feature improved AI. While we often get caught up in the intricacies within FIFA and PES, it's good every now and then to just have some fun. I had a smile on my face the entire time I played this game, and unlike a lot of indie sports games, this one will be staying on my PS5 for quite some time.
Whether your idea of fun comes in the form of single player, co-op, or multiplayer, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 does have you covered there. At times, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is everything I hoped it would be, but in the end it comes up a bit short of gold or even silver. But hey, a bronze medal is still a medal.
Mario Golf: Super Rush is pretty much everything I could want out of a Mario Golf title. Its brand of simple but rewarding golf serves as a sturdy foundation that allows the game to build on it with all sorts of ways to play against and have you interact with your opponents. The Golf Adventure single-player mode is a helpful and entertaining way to learn the lay of the land and refine the skills of your Mii before pitting your skills against other opponents online. Unfortunately, the online play could have been improved with the implementation of some intelligent matchmaking.
It's easy to imagine Tour de France 2021 satisfying fans of cycling who are seeking a video game experience that mirrors the sport they love as closely as possible, but the fact is that the game will likely be a tricky one to pick up for any neophytes like myself. Although the tutorials do what they can to walk you through the basics, the learning curve is as steep as some of the hills you'll be forced to ascend during races, and that might be enough to keep you from playing the game all that much. But for those willing to put in the time and effort, there's certainly some enjoyment and satisfaction to be had from learning how to navigate all the curves of the road and become leader of the pack. The game might not be ready to claim any yellow jerseys just yet, but its not all that far off the winning pace either.
Simulation games aren't for everyone. Neither are cycling games. What happens when you combine both of those into one game? You get a game that's meant for a niche audience, so if that's your cup of tea then PCM 2021 is the game for you - even despite the reported negligible yearly differences. If you're looking to get into cycling by trying PCM 2021, you're probably going to be a bit overwhelmed. Don't worry though, there are plenty of guides floating around, as well as tutorials on YouTube to help bridge the learning gap. PCM is moderately priced at $39.99, and with PC mods as well as continued support from Cyanide Studios (a patch has already been released), the true fans should be able to keep this game alive. If you're breaking into cycling, it's probably worth it to wait and catch this one when it goes on sale.
Whether you are a racing fan or not, SRX: The Game is something you can enjoy alone or with the family.
Skate City is certainly worth checking out. Its gameplay and ambience are decidedly relaxing, and it is incredibly easy for newcomers to jump in and get acclimated. The perspective and controls might take a minute to get adjusted to, but it is still a title with plenty of challenges and replay potential to keep players busy, especially with its A+ soundtrack. However, you have been warned about its brevity and lack of depth. That being said, it's $14.99 USD on the Nintendo Switch, so it is a budget title.
Whether you're a newcomer or veteran to this series, MotoGP 21 is an absolute must-own. It offers a distinct challenge for people of all skill levels, and I grew to respect that challenge in every way possible.
MLB The Show 21 is still sure to satisfy most baseball fans in at least one way, and I still believe it's enjoyable enough to to win over some new fans at a time when baseball could definitely use them. But when you're the "can't miss" prospect, expectations are always high, and The Show does not always live up to those expectations this year.
Now, that does not mean you should not give Taxi Chaos a single thought. It just means if you were hoping for the spiritual successor to Crazy Taxi, you would be better off going back and playing the original.
Still, if you are a newcomer to this series, you will need to be patient and willing to learn. If you're a veteran of the series, the upgraded visual experience is enough to warrant a purchase this year. The real bottom line is that Out of the Park Baseball 22 offers an experience that is worth the price of admission. While not perfect overall, OOTP '22 is a magnificent blend of fun, complexity, and nostalgia.
There are plenty of flaws here, and at times those flaws caused frustration. However, the bottom line is there is fun to be had here, whether in franchise mode, exhibition, or online. There is still plenty of room for improvement (like, plenty plenty), but if you're looking for a fun game that can be enjoyed by all, you could do a lot worse than adding RBI Baseball '21 to your rotation this year.