The modern sports gaming landscape is filled with AAA games trying to please everyone all at once. Having said that, there's an expectation that every sports game must deliver to the consumer in a multitude of ways. However, this also means a lot of sports games end up having the same types of modes.

But if so many of the games we play do similar things, what makes them unique, besides the difference in the sport? Well, I feel each one of these major yearly titles has one feature that makes them unique. Let’s talk about them.

MLB: The Show

Sony San Diego’s MLB: The Show series is perennially in the game of the year discussion for most critics, including this one. In fact, it was the sports game I spent the most time with in 2015. There were so many great features that were either added or refined in last year’s game. There was the improvement to The Show’s version of Ultimate Team, Diamond Dynasty. A major overhaul of the franchise mode made it both engaging and challenging. However, the most noteworthy feature for MLB: The Show 15 was the inclusion of year-to-year saves for the Road To The Show and franchise modes.

One of the biggest, most consistent complaints in sports games when talking about the single-player focused career mode -- be it EA’s Be A Pro mode, 2K’s MyPlayer mode or RttS -- is that there is not enough time between yearly releases to actually finish a career. Oftentimes players are putting in serious overtime to even complete three or four seasons of their created character’s career before the next version of the game releases.

Year-to-year saves look to solve this problem by giving users the ability to carry over their virtual athlete from the previous year’s game. Its inclusion is not without its own problems, but overall I would not be upset if other games borrowed this feature.

Madden NFL

The Madden NFL series is very divisive. I personally believe there has never been a better playing game of NFL football than Madden NFL 16, but there are those out there that disagree. Some claim the game is feature-stagnant year over year and that the gameplay improvements are marginal, at best. Nevertheless, I believe Madden 16 made a huge number of improvements to the blocking schemes, as well as the defensive back/receiver interactions (even though there are too many one-handed catches out there). The Connected Franchise mode also received significant retooling as well (to mixed results).

But the big mode that garnered everyone’s attention this year was Draft Champions. Draft Champions took the randomness of opening a Madden Ultimate Team pack and added the competitiveness of online play in one mode. The satisfaction I get out of passing on a rookie Russell Wilson in round 4 only to get a round 11 diamond Brett Favre is something I have never experienced before in another sports game. If there is one knock against Draft Champions, it is that you initially were unable to play against your friends. Thanks to the beauty of in-game updates, that feature was patched into the game late last year.

FIFA

FIFA is the best-selling sports game in the world, and it comes packed to the gills with features. This year was no different. There was the addition of training in the career mode that allowed managers to train their players outside of matches for the first time. I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the inclusion of female players for the very first time. It’s unfortunate that we did not get a true Women’s World Cup mode, but I appreciate that women don’t move like "men with breasts."

However, the feature that continues to make the most impact on sports games is the one that made its debut in the FIFA series years ago, FIFA Ultimate Team. FUT is a mode that could be spun off into its own game and would most likely own a spot on the monthly NPD charts. Every year hundreds of thousands of players spend hundreds -- sometimes even thousands -- of dollars trying to build the best possible team to compete online. This year the menu navigation became much more intuitive, meaning you could get from your team to collection of cards in fewer clicks than ever before.

There were also significant changes made to the chemistry, pack and transfer market management. Additionally, the folks at EA Canada borrowed a feature from their cousins down at Tiburon and added FIFA Ultimate Team Draft, their version of Madden’s Draft Champions mode. It operated similarly as you build a team by selecting one player from a group of players every round until you’re done. In short, FUT is a juggernaut, and I don't think it's going to be slowing down any time soon.

NBA 2K

The guys over at Visual Concepts must have discovered a time machine. Every year they completely redefine what a sane person would believe is possible to accomplish in the months between annual releases. The NBA 2K series always looks to outdo itself when it comes to improvements and features.

I believe NBA 2K16 was the best entry in the game’s storied history, as not only was it many critics’ sports game of the year, but it was also in the discussion for non-sports game of the year. This game is so broad, and does so many things well, that players could get involved in one mode and be so completely satisfied they never even touch one of the other outstanding modes. Whether it be the totally retooled MyCareer (formerly MyPlayer) mode, 2K’s version of Ultimate Team (MyTeam), teaming up with friends online for an online MyLeague, or running in the park with your friends in 2K Pro-Am mode, there’s almost too much to do here. The best mode in the game, however, is one that was probably overlooked by many: MyGM.

MyGM is VC’s version of a franchise mode. But unlike the similar MyLeague, it is only single player. The beauty of this mode is in the details. Yes, you can relocate your team in MyLeague, but it won’t have to be approved by the rest of the league like in MyGM. And yes, you can make trades in MyLeague, but the three-team variety is just more difficult and thus more fun in MyGM.

Managing a team in real life is difficult and that should be reflected in the game. MyGM goes a long way towards adding that off-the-court realism.


So there you have it! My DEFINITIVE list of the best features from the biggest games released in 2015. Feel free to agree or disagree below.