Electronic Arts’ football simulations have been among the mega-sellers in the video game industry for years. Even the name change from the prestigious “FIFA” to the new “EA Sports FC” could not diminish the success.
In addition to the top dog, there are a whole range of sports simulations that offer all groups of players exciting hours of action and strategic skill. Three selected examples:
It’s crazy: In “Rocket League” cars race after a ball in an arena and try to get it into the opponent’s goal. What television viewers only know from Stefan Raab’s Autoball television shows races into the next dimension here. It goes up the walls, through the air and into the gang at full speed.
When the small development studio Psyonix released “Rocket League” in 2015, no one had any idea that it would become a success story. According to official information, more than 75 million players have now gotten behind the wheel and fought crazy duels.
This is not a given, because Rocket League requires well-trained thumbs on the gamepad and a good sense of space in order to estimate the trajectory and speed of the balls. If you dare, you can even meet and compete with like-minded people in various leagues in the e-sports scene. Here too, “Rocket League” is a phenomenon and gives players six-figure winnings.
“Rocket League” has been free since 2020. The constant further development is financed through paid extensions, so-called downloadable content. This is purely cosmetic in nature and provides the players’ cars with new paintwork, rims or special goal celebrations. The game also has crossplay, meaning you can play between PCs and different consoles.
Worth playing because: get behind the wheel. The strange mix of football and car action requires some training, but makes up for it with the most spectacular sports duels of today. A modern classic and limitless fun for fans of spectacular sports games (“Rocket League” by Psyonix/Epic Games for Windows, PS4/5, Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch, age 6+).
The “Warhammer” universe from the British game manufacturer Games Workshop is one of the most successful tabletop series in the world. Where people, elves, dwarves and orcs usually meet on battlefields, there is still time for the most beautiful thing in the world: Blood Bowl. In this fantasy football variant, teams try to get the ball into the opponent’s end zone – no matter what means they use.
“Blood Bowl” is the video game adaptation of the popular tabletop template. Well-known fantasy races such as orcs or dwarves compete against each other in a football arena. Every team has its strengths and weaknesses. While humans are good all-rounders, dwarves excel with defense and elves with speed and precision.
The moves take place in rounds. Each time the players have to decide whether to make a risky pass or to block the opponent on defense. Each character has special character values that determine success or defeat.
Now in its third edition, “Blood Bowl” also gets down to business. A KO and the character often ends up in the hospital. While the game principle remains the same, variety comes into play primarily through the different peoples and their abilities. Fans of turn-based tactics can fine-tune their game strategy and duel online alone with the computer or with human opponents.
Worth playing because it is exciting, tricky and crazy at the same time, a tongue-in-cheek fantasy football for “Warhammer” fans. Instead of just indulging in brutal action, the fans also work on strategies and tactics (“Blood Bowl” by Nacon for Windows, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series and Nintendo Switch, age 12+).
Summer, sun, frisbees: “Windjammers 2” is the return of a video game classic from the 1990s. The principle of the game is simple: the players have to throw their Frisbee into the opponent’s goal. What seems child’s play at first glance quickly becomes a challenging reaction test. Up to two players can fight exciting duels online or at home in front of the screen.
In “Windjammers 2” the players have a bird’s eye view of the court and try with great skill to push the Frisbee unstoppably into the opponent’s goal. The controls are easy to learn: you rush your alter ego across the pitch using the gamepad and have to catch and throw back the Frisbee at the right moment by pressing a button.
Quick reactions and perfect timing decide between victory and defeat. Similar to tennis, the person with the most sets won wins. For variety, players can choose between eleven different characters who differ in speed, endurance or throwing strength.
“Windjammers 2” is not a game for fans of big graphic spectacles or strategies. Instead, the simple comic graphics are reminiscent of the 1990s and things get down to business quickly. Anyone who hesitates for just a moment is out. In single-player mode, the simple gameplay quickly loses its appeal. With human players, the uncomplicated sporting spectacle quickly becomes a party hit. After an update, players will also be able to play against each other across platforms on PC and console.
Worth playing because it’s the perfect game for in between. Easy to learn, a little messy, but always entertaining. A great pastime for couch potatoes with friends (“Windjammers 2”, Dotemu for Windows, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, age 6+).