Sports video games are everywhere these days. Every possible sport seems to have five different variations of games, and other sports can only exist in video games. As seen in Part I, several of these games have already released and 2017 is not even halfway over yet. With seven months to go, we now take a look at games that are a little further out and ones that do not have official release dates yet.
Madden NFL 18 (PS4, Xbox One) – Aug. 25
Every few years, Madden gets a bit of a shakeup to its formula, and this year does it again. With the past few entries being some of the best that the franchise has ever offered, EA Sports is finally switching the football simulator to the Frostbite engine, which most of EA’s games run on (Battlefield 1, FIFA 17, and Mass Effect: Andromeda are just some examples). There is also a story mode akin to FIFA 17, where players will assumedly take their player through an entire NFL career. Oh yeah, Tom Brady is on the cover too.
Everybody’s Golf (PS4) – Aug. 29
Since 1997, Hot Shots Golf gave PlayStation owners fun golf experiences that could not be found anywhere else. After a few years of no release, the latest game has finally been announced for the current console generation. Taking its name from the worldwide name of the Hot Shots Golf series, Everybody’s Golf features character customization, free roaming around the golf courses, and the ability to drive a golf cart anywhere the player desires.
NBA 2K18 (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PC) – Sep. 2017
There are not a lot of details released about NBA 2K18, but that should change in a couple weeks after E3. NBA 2K17 was immensely popular, and 2K18 should be even better. This is the first iteration of the series to be released for the Nintendo Switch, but with a little less power in Nintendo’s latest console, don’t expect it to have all of the bells and whistles featured on other platforms. For special editions of the game, Shaquille O’Neal graces the cover.
Super Mega Baseball 2 (PS4, Xbox One, Steam) – Sep. 2017
If you don’t own a PS4, this is the only way you are going to play a baseball video game this year. After the first game in the series got good reviews, Super Mega Baseball 2 takes the lighthearted feel of its predecessor and pushes it in a slightly more “mature” direction. With fully customizable teams to play online or through league play, this seems like good competition for MLB The Show ’17.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC) – Sep. 12
The 17th installment in Konami’s soccer franchise was just announced a couple weeks ago, and while there are little to no details, the platforms and release date are set. Pro Evolution Soccer has been praised for the gameplay on the pitch, but licensing issues could prevent players from playing as their favorite teams again.
Untitled Need for Speed Game (Platforms TBD) – Fall 2017
EA has announced that there will be a new Need for Speed game coming this fall, with more details to come at E3. What the did announce, however, is that there will be offline play. This was a big complaint about the 2015 edition of Need for Speed, which required an online connection to even play single player content.
WWE 2K18 (Platforms TBD) – Fall 2017
After finally hitting its stride in the new generation last year, WWE 2K18 is looking to improve on their wrestling simulation game. With WWE expanding tremendously over the past year with the Cruiserweight Classic, the United Kingdom Championship, and the new era of NXT, this year could feature the biggest roster in the series’ history. Some early reveals might take place at E3, but the big roster announcements tend to happen around SummerSlam in late August.
Gran Turismo Sport (PS4) – Release TBD
With almost four years into the new console generation, it is surprising that PS4 is only just getting a Gran Turismo game. Sony’s exclusive racing franchise is ditching the numbered title to recognize a new era for the franchise. Featuring “Campaign,” “Sports Mode,” and “Arcade Mode,” Gran Turismo Sport is heavily focused on eSports as well as included VR support. As a bonus, Sony snatched up the licensing to Porsche vehicles after EA lost the rights for their racing games. Hopefully, a release date will be announced when Sony hosts its E3 press conference.
Windjammers (PS4, PS Vita) – Release TBD
Back in 1994, Windjammers released for the Neo Geo arcade system. Neo Geo games have slowly been releasing on consoles over the past few months, and Windjammers has enough of an audience to be included. The disc throwing game is similar to Pong or even air hockey, where players try to throw a disc past their opponent to score. Windjammers even inspired the 3D disc throwing game Disc Jam, which was a free Playstation Plus game earlier this year.
FIFA 2018 (PS4, Xbox One) – Release TBD
As expected, there will be a new entry in EA’s soccer franchise. No details have been revealed, but expect them to improve upon the realistic mechanics and story mode from FIFA 17. More information should be announced at E3 in a couple weeks.
Lightfield (PS4) – Release TBD
In this “hyper-futuristic” and “omnidirectional” racing game, Lightfield takes the visuals of F-Zero and gets rid of gravity. With several routes to the finish line, players can choose their own paths to defeat their opponents. Lightfield features time trial and classic racing modes, as well as local and online multiplayer.
Tiny Trax (PS VR) – Release TBD
This is the only sports/racing game coming specifically to PlayStation VR. Players race slot cars through a wide variety of environments with a twist to the classic formula. Cars can switch lanes, activate boost, and drift around corners to replenish the boost meter. There is an online multiplayer component as well, where players can choose from six vehicles to race against other players and A.I., both in single races and tournaments while also keeping track of scores on their leaderboards.
