Who doesn’t enjoy the thrill of competition? Sure, you can compete in an FPS or a MOBA, but when it comes to rivalry, there is no better way to experience it than in a sports game. With these suggestions, you won’t have to look much further for some of the best sports experiences that suit your Xbox Game Pass needs.
Football Manager 2022
Starting off with arguably the best football simulation game in the market right now, we’ve got Sports Interactive’s Football Manager 2022. Published by Sega, the most recent entry in the Football Manager franchise was released on November 9, 2021.
Although the classic FM experience still remains intact in this year’s iteration, there are a couple of new features and improvements that we should take a closer look at.
One essential piece of the success of any football club is player scouting. While in FM 2021 you had the information on a specific player all piled together in a somewhat confusing manner, which came to a detriment to some players (mostly new ones), in Football Manager 2022 this data will be presented to the player in a summarized, clearer, and more concise way.
When it comes to its match engine, FM 2022 sees major improvements when compared to previous iterations. A new animation engine is in place, making player movements appear more natural and polished. The improved graphics will also help in making the player feel immersed in each match, with the addition of an improved AI that sees players make more intelligent decisions when in possession of the ball.
Steep
If you are more into extreme sports then this game is for you.
Developed by Ubisoft Annecy and published by Ubisoft, Steep is a sports videogame where players can participate in multiple winter sports, like skiing, paragliding, and snowboarding. The game was released back in December 2016.
Steep is played as an online multiplayer videogame, set in an open-world environment based on Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in Europe. There are four main activities in the game, skiing, wingsuit flying, snowboarding, and paragliding. Later released DLC’s added a bunch of other sports and activities to the game, like sledding, base-jumping, and rocket-powered wingsuit flying. Also added in DLC form, the Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, features in the game.
Incorporated with a trick system, Steep allows players to perform multiple special maneuvers such as spinning and grabbing, being able to combo them into more advanced tricks, that ultimately reward more points when performed correctly. One interesting aspect of the game is that the player is able to view the amount of gravitational force, or g-force, the player’s character endures when they crash.
Dirt 5
Racing fans, don’t worry, I did not forget about you.
Dirt 5, the sequel to 2017’s Dirt 4, is an off-road racing game developed by Codemasters, released in November 2020.
Within the overall off-road racing focus of the game, several other racing modes can be experienced in Dirt 5, like rallycross, ice racing, off-road buggies, or even Stadium Super Trucks. As for locations, players can race in many different places around the world, namely China, Italy, Morocco, Brazil, Arizona, Norway, South Africa, and much more.
The game also features a career mode, focused on a narrative that pits the player’s character against a rival driver called Bruno Durand, voiced by American actor Nolan North. In this narrative-focused mode, the player also has a mentor called AJ, voiced by Troy Baker, who you might recognize from voicing Joel in The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II.
With a dynamic weather system that includes seasons and affects the racing, the player can only compete in ice racing events in New York during the winter months, for example.
UFC 4
Do you know what’s better than anti-stress toys? A game where you can let it all out. UFC 4 is among the best sports games on Xbox Game Pass to let you do just that.
EA Sports’ UFC 4 is a mixed martial arts (MMA) video game, from the hands of developers at EA Vancouver. It was released in August 2020.
With 229 unique fighters and 81 alternate versions, UFC 4 is based on the mixed martial arts promotion company Ultimate Fighting Championship. The four main disciplines of MMA included in the game are wrestling, kickboxing, boxing, and jiujitsu.
With the classic career mode that every UFC fan loves, the player is allowed to create and customize their own fighter, in the hopes of becoming the greatest fighter of all time. As part of their progress, the player’s character can choose to accept or decline fights, which ends up affecting the development of the fighter’s career.
Although The Octagon is the main fighting location chosen by players, in UFC 4 there are other options to choose where you fight. From the Backyard to the Kumite, players will have the ability to choose a more underground-style arena for their combats.
Golf with Your Friends
If you are just looking to chill and have some fun with your friends, but while at the same time not losing sight of that competitive aspect, then you are in luck.
Golf with Your Friends is a golf video game developed by Blacklight Interactive and published by Team 17. The game was released in May 2020.
It is as straightforward as a golf game can be. Swing the club and try to hit the ball into the hole. Allowing up to 12 players in a single game, the game contains a total of 234 holes, spread evenly across 13 different levels.
Golf with Your Friends features a plethora of ball customizations, as well as a level editor, that allows players to take on community-created maps. You can also play 2 video game-themed maps, based on The Escapists and Worms.
Fun fact, the studio behind the game consists of only three people and is based in Brisbane, Australia.
Now that you have some great sports experiences to choose from, go out there and conquer your digital rivals.
What do you think of this selection? Would you change any of these games? What do you think are the best sports games currently on Xbox Game Pass? Let me know in the comments down below!
