An inescapable ritual. Every four years, we sports fans have an appointment on our agenda that we cannot and do not want to cross out. Call it the soccer World Cup, the Eurocup, the America’s Cup or the jewel in the crown, the Olympic Games.
I was not in the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, but I remember watching excitedly on television as Usain Bolt pulverized his rivals and became the fastest human being in the world. Or in the modesty of Ruth Beitia when the gold was hung in Rio de Janeiro with her spectacular high jumps during the early morning in Spain.
The Olympics only bring back good memories and allow me to sit in front of the screen for a few days watching disciplines and sports that I know I would never see otherwise. The title created by Sega of America has transferred those good vibes to me and it is much more than I could expect a priori.
Sport for everyone
Although we have a veteran saga like Mario and Sonic in the Olympic Games, here we are presented with an alternative with its virtues well present to compete. There is no plot or story to develop, but the idea of making the grade in the tests and achieving the best possible position is transmitted, based on sheer effort.
We must achieve that goal and for this we have an avatar creator in the first place. The options are multiple and it goes beyond being a simple profiler with few features. We can really create a character with different complexions, skillful limbs and very varied faces.
Sympathy reigns in the Olympic Games, because we can get ourselves with many different outfits, providing that good dose of humor . We can look like Miraitowa, the official mascot, an astronaut, a ninja, a steampunk inhabitant or Sonic himself .
Each of these costumes will cost points that we will earn each time we participate in the tests. We can even make crazy combinations for each of them, both for ourselves and for our teammates. And all from a solid graphic section , which complies with a very good note without ever pretending to be realistic, but rather to approach a more cartoon representation.
After having assigned our nationality, it’s time to go out on the track. We have up to 18 different competitions , doubling two of them in pairs. The most emblematic events, such as the 100 meter sprint or the long jump are among the list, which is as follows:
- 100m smooth.
- 4x100m relays.
- 110m hurdles.
- Hammer throw.
- Long jump.
- Baseball.
- Basketball.
- Beach volleyball.
- BMX (Cycling).
- Boxing.
- Judo.
- Rugby 7.
- Football.
- 100m freestyle (swimming).
- 200m individual styles (swimming).
- Climbing.
- Table tennis.
- Tennis.
An offer that brings together the classic with the modern. The New Olympic Stadium in Tokyo will host the exciting athletics events, but from Sega they have not wanted to lose sight of new additions such as baseball or sport climbing . At the same time, they strengthen others such as BMX that have been running for just over a decade.
Regarding the modes we come across an interesting range, since we can either go to the tests as such or to the multiplayer mode . Regardless of which one we choose, we can play in simple tests, do thematic combinations (ball, athletics, pool …) or configure the sequence that we want.
In the case of playing with other people, we have both a local and online option. One more person can join on the same device, while if we choose to gather more people from around the globe, we can attend up to eight players , which makes many of the tests very spectacular.
Fun takes the gold medal
Obviously, who does not enjoy hanging a gold medal around their neck? Although we will fight for it, the formula distills another essence. Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – The Official Video Game wants us to have a good time fundamentally and they are the ones who get not the diploma, but the applause of the entire crowd.
The work shines brightly on a pillar: arcade mechanics . Most of the disciplines are governed by similar automatisms, in which the buttons fulfill similar functions and thus we adapt quickly to the context of the new situation. You can be calmly being the fastest in 110 meters hurdles than running as the most in the 4x100m relays.
This allows not only the most experienced to feel like dominating the scene, but also that anyone can approach the experience. I am convinced, after having tested it with family and friends, that it will become a common resource when organizing games among those furthest from the context of video games. Pure fun, hey.
And in favor of all this there is a much-needed laxity. We are talking about an arcade conception of sports that are governed by iron rules. Regardless, the title sets aside many of them in favor of fostering fluency . For example, there are no fouls in basketball or we cannot get off the track in BMX.
In addition, to add joke to the games, the suspension of reality occurs even more. As soon as you play, you will realize that you manage to beat the marks of sports legends with an astonishing simplicity. This is because in all the tests we will have super movements , capable of propelling ourselves at breakneck speeds or granting us superhuman forces.
And it’s appreciated, heck. Nothing better than to be fighting in boxing and hooking a tremendous uppercut across the chin to knock out the opponent. Or the stratospheric jumps on the bike while we do pirouettes. The peculiarities of some disciplines are even taken into account, since in long jump we will be able to summon the applause of the public in the last attempt, which will give us an extra speed.
There are more reasons to play again. Not only will getting an enviable track record be a goal that we can set ourselves, but once we get the gold, elite athletes will appear that will challenge us in even more complex disputes. That is if we do not increase the difficulty of the AI even more.
Vida Extra’s opinion
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game is a title that you will not deny having in your catalog. Far from being a seasonal hobby that we will forget after a few months, it will always be one of your first sparks in the mind when it comes to playing with friends.
The only thing that can be attributed to him is that there are a couple of tests that you may not want to repeat due to their own idiosyncrasy (I do not look for anyone, baseball) or that we can accuse the absence of disciplines related to gymnastics or golf that it is not difficult to represent. Be that as it may, you are not facing a compulsory purchase, but one that you will not regret and from which you can get juice without problems.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – The Official Video Game
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series, PS4 (analyzed version), Xbox One, PC (Steam) and Google Stadia |
|---|---|
| Multiplayer | Yes, online (up to 8 people) |
| Developer | Sega |
| Company | Sega |
| Launch | June 22, 2021 |
The best
- Its arcade mechanics make it very accessible
- A good resource to play with friends and family
- The sense of humor and the suspension of reality
Worst
- Some forgotten test or discipline
- Polishing of details in some actions
