Ranking the Next-Gen Sports Games (10/18) - RaychelSnr's Blog

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Ranking the Next-Gen Sports Games (10/18) Stuck

Posted on October 18, 2013 at 05:51 PM.

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FINALLY! We have some real moving and shaking going on with next-gen info being released in abundance.

Just this week we've hard from NBA 2K14, NBA Live 14, and Madden. We know Need for Speed won't be much longer, and FIFA has to be about ready to start diving into information.

You are here for the rankings, so here's my top buys of the console launch and launch window -- the criteria for being included is you have to be set for release by Christmas. This means a lot of games coming in the launch 'window' aren't in this set of rankings.

1. NBA 2K14 (Prev: 4) - We not only know more than we did last month, we have seen it in motion -- and man does the game look much better. We still don't know enough information about what the game is bringing, but if it's a straight port with the improved visuals you will still have a game which is in the great category.

2. FIFA 14 (Prev: 1) - We haven't seen anything tangible from FIFA yet, but I'm still going off of what I have heard which is this game is buttery smooth and looks and plays amazing. I hope I have more to report in my next rankings in a couple of weeks.

3. Forza Motorsport 5 (Prev: 2) - The Forza franchise has been nothing but money. We haven't gotten much information about what Forza Motorsport 5 is bringing to the table yet, but I'm still going to assume it's good.

4. Madden NFL 25 (Prev: 5) - The enhanced gameplay under the hood will make a difference to people who know and love football. We'll need to play it to see just how good Madden is compared to current gen, but I'm guessing small but important steps have been taken forward.

5. Need for Speed: Rivals (Prev: 3) - Need for Speed is just humming along. EA is touting new information soon, I personally can't wait to hear what is coming our way.

6. NBA Live 14 (Prev: 6) - Live 14 has finally showed it's hand with a gameplay trailer. It wasn't necessarily bad at all, just there wasn't much wow factor -- and to my eye it doesn't look as smooth as 2K yet. But we didn't expect that to be the case just yet -- still waiting on some 5-on-5 action that isn't set to music.

7. Powerstar Golf (Prev: 8) - Haven't heard much from this title since E3. Waiting on more details for sure...still.

Dropped out:Driveclub, Kinect Sports Rivals, Pool Nation Extreme

The 'Which Console is Better For Sports Gaming' Recommendation: For sports gaming, until we know baseball's situation you have to consider the PS4 as the only home for MLB games for now. If you don't care about baseball, the Xbox One's launch lineup and future looks pretty solid for now. Best consideration is price and if you want to use your console for more than gaming.

Comments

# 1 Guapo516 @ Oct 19

2k14 next gen looks the part, but it looks so good I'm prepared for a let down. Hard for me to believe it looks that great, and from the written language they use "in game footage" and not "gameplay footage", if someone wanted they could either say it's the same or differentiate the 2 terms. 2k14 next gen is also said to be its own game and not a port which IMO is a good thing, 2k14 current gen plays funny to me, may b the same concepts with adjustments will play better next gen.

Madden looks good too! At first glance before they broke it down for me I didn't think it was much difference but now I commend them and look forward to getting my hands on it. Nba live doesn't look as bad as the masses feel. Seeing Melos skip stutter into the pull up jumper was a wow moment for me.

I'm really looking forward to next gen all the games look really good and I foresee the next golden age of gaming.

# 2 Escobeats @ Oct 19

Awesome idea. My top games would have to be these

1. 2K14 - One of the best looking next gen sports games and has potential to be one of the best on release games imo.

2. Forza 5 - Game looks amazing hard to really get anything better than that in a racing game

3. FIFA 14 - Always has had a big following and should be a big success.

Reason why I put FIFA 14 third is because I feel like PES 14 could do well on next gen if they continue to develop as a franchise and I see a lot of potential, obviously they're not going to have as big of a following compared to FIFA which is to be expected since FIFA pretty much has been killing it these last couple of years much like NBA2K and NBA live in a way, also caters to a much slower paced football audience which is what seperates them and makes it unique in someways to its counter-part. arguably FIFA has been relatively traditional with a few tweaks and fixes here and there but I've yet to see that much added to the next-gen and recent FIFA's unless that's the new engine they added which took them 3 - 5 years. I could be too harsh but that's how I see it and I'm open for change if I feel like things can be improved or get tired of. Overall it just seems decent/average to me and didn't make a big impact on me to which screams 'NEXT-GEN' compared to other's, if anything it looked much like a port similar to NBA live which is disappointing as a fan of sports games in general.

However I hope to be proved wrong when trying the game and willing to give it another go once I rent it.

# 3 asu666 @ Oct 19

1. NBA 2K14
2. FIFA 14
3. Need for Speed
4. Madden
5. FORZA
6. NBA Live

# 4 alaska2k3 @ Oct 19

Da_Czar via Twitter:
@Da_Czar: If dudes is this hyped off just looking at the game. When y'all hear the features etc it's pretty much a done deal. 10/17/13

@Da_Czar: I have been asked a couple times. Yes the game actually looks like that while playing. Obviously on broadcast your further away. 10/18/13

I'd put NBA 2K at the top as well.

# 5 Herschie @ Oct 19

I've played FIFA at an XBox One preview event in Chicago. It's still going on this weekend if anyone is interested, it's at 1747 W. Hubbard. In any case, graphically it did not look much different, but the gameplay was a lot better.

# 6 lnin0 @ Oct 20

How can Forza 5 NOT be the number one seed? I get 'driving' is not everyone's thing and it is probably easy to see cars going in circles and say 'more of the same' but what on this list isn't?

Forza 5 is a first party launch title, two years in the making (F4 was released in 2011) that has been held up as the crown jewel of the XBO launch at almost every event since announced. Heck, XBO pretty much has built a new controller feature around Forza 5. Which other title can boast these benefits?

As a developer, Turn10 has a much better pedigree and publisher support than anything coming out of the EA camp. Again, this is a XBO launch exclusive that will help set Microsoft's system apart from Sony's so you can bet MS is sparing no expense when it comes to F5 because there is a lot more than a few million holiday game sales riding on it. Can you say the same for FIFA or Madden who are working double duty this year? What do those games have to loose if they are nothing but slightly better looking iterations of the current gen games. They don't have any competition on next gen.

If I had to pick an EA game that was given some attention due to steep competition going into the next gen I would have said NBA Live...right up until seeing their trailer. You would also think NFS had some additional love considering it had the most competition going into the next gen with race games seemingly everywhere. But then Drive Club misses launch and its seems EA has shift its marketing spin to the PS4 where they are now the only next gen racer in town.

Forza 5 has seen the most hands on time out of any and has walked away with high praise from pretty much all. I haven't really heard of ANY hands on previews except for FIFA and it turns out a mixed bag. Is it more sim, is it slower, does it look better? You don't really hear a consensuses from those that have got hands on time with FIFA. NBA 2K looks amazing in the trailer but again, what have they - or any of these other games shown, aside from hype reels?