Sports! Sports! Sports!
There was an abundance of fantastic games to play in 2017. For sports fans, this year brought a multitude of top-tier sports games. While there were a fair number of solid entries from many well-known long-running sports game franchises, like Madden and NBA 2K, there were a few notable games in less popular sports, like Cricket and Golf.
In this gallery, GameSpot is taking a look back at some of the best sports games from this year that got a score of 7 or above on GameSpot. Click forward to see 2017's best-reviewed sports games.
For more on the best games by score on other big genres, check out our individual features highlighting the best strategy games, best action-adventure games, best fighting games, best shooters, and best RPGs. If you want to see our choices for the best games of 2017, check out our Game of the Year 2017 Top 10 List. And make sure to check out all our Best of 2017 features, detailing GameSpot's picks for 2017's best games.
Football Manager 2018 (PC) -- 9/10
"For a game that's so consuming you might not even realise the sun's gone down, it feels almost irresponsible to proclaim that giving you more things to do is a resounding positive. Yet the way these new and overhauled systems coalesce with Football Manager's deep and emotional fundamentals is fantastic. The series' propensity for telling emergent stories has only increased with this emphasis on player personalities and morale, and it bleeds into every other facet of Football Manager 2018's design, from transfers and injuries, to team selection and tactical considerations. These are changes that tilt the simulation closer to reality with captivating aplomb, and ensure that the armchair managers among us are kept busy for another whirlwind 12 months of 40-yard screamers and cup final heartbreak." [Read the full review]
-- Richard Wakeling
Madden NFL 18 (PS4, Xbox One) -- 9/10
"Overall, Madden 18 marks an unusually large shakeup in a series that, due to its annualized releases, rarely features much more than small, iterative changes. The Frostbite engine allows the game to reach new levels of realism in its visuals, and EA has put a lot of effort into constantly evolving the game to keep it in line with real-world events. But it is the Longshot story mode that defines Madden 18. Some of Longshot is unnecessary spectacle, but its lasting value comes from the humanity that it brings to the game. The moments of vulnerability and sincerity between Devin Wade and Colt Cruise during the story are worthy of celebration and give the overall game a weight that Madden hasn't had before. And if that's not enough to entice you, it's also simply a terrific football game." [Read the full review]
-- Alex Newhouse
Everybody's Golf (PS4) -- 8/10
"Longtime fans will find comfort in the familiar controls and deep progression system, while newcomers will find the on-boarding experience easy and welcoming. Between the lengthy career mode and online play, you are never short of competition to test your nerves. And no matter how ridiculously superhuman your linksman skills become--there are awards for getting a hole in one on a par-5, after all--Everybody's Golf's strict adherence to the sport's strategic underpinnings is never compromised." [Read the full review]
-- Miguel Concepcion
MLB The Show 17 (PS4) -- 8/10
"MLB The Show 17 continues the series' fantastic tradition of consistency and refinement. Improvements to its various game modes give you more ways to play the game how you want to, and the action on the field has never been better, with smarter fielding AI, and enhanced ball physics that bring the hitting to life. Commentary is still a little too stilted for my liking, and there are other blemishes lurking throughout. But when you connect with a fastball and send the ball spiralling into a gap in center field, any issues retreat to the back of your mind. This is America's National Pastime at its best." [Read the full review]
-- Richard Wakeling
NBA 2K18 (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) -- 8/10
"Basketball is a way of life, and each year, NBA 2K is a big part of that cultural movement. Real NBA players worry about their NBA 2K ratings. This year's entry is incredible in so many ways, from graphics, to soundtrack, to the different modes and ways to play hoops. It becomes clear early on that the fastest and easiest way to progress is by spending real money, slightly marring an otherwise tremendous experience." [Read the full review]
-- Seth Macy
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) -- 8/10
"And yet, when you get onto the pitch, no other football game feels as good as PES 2018. The slower pace is a definite improvement, helping tread the line between realism and fun near-perfectly. There's just something about the players' movement and the kinds of arcs the ball makes in the air that's just so pleasant to control--every pass, header, and shot just feels right. And when it clicks, and you score a thunderous strike from the edge of the area or finish off a slick passing move or even when you launch an ugly long ball forward to grab a last-gasp winner, it's the closest feeling you'll get to being out there scoring yourself." [Read the full review]
-- Oscar Dayus
Ashes Cricket (PC. PS4, Xbox One)
"Ashes Cricket has definitely got its issues; bad commentary, some rough presentation, only two licensed teams and a few bugs. But ultimately they can be shaken off, because the feeling of enjoyment I get when I’m playing Ashes Cricket is palpable. I haven’t played or watched the sport in over 10 years, but sitting down to play here feels intuitive and familiar in a way that’s surprisingly comforting. The batting, bowling and fielding all feel better than they have in any other cricket game before, and the sheer variety of game types and customisation offered makes Ashes Cricket, in spite of its issues, a sports game worthy of your time." [Read the full review]
-- James Swinbanks
FIFA 18 (PS4, Xbox One) -- 7/10
"It's off the pitch that EA excels. From the variety of game modes on offer and how everything's presented, to the constant updates in FUT's Team of the Week, Daily Objectives, and discussion of real-world happenings in commentary, FIFA 18 captures the world of football and confidently translates it into a video game. On the pitch, however, EA's soccer series is still lagging far behind PES 2018's more fluid, satisfying football. This year's improvements are welcome, but more needs to be done in the coming years if FIFA is to be a world-beater once again." [Read the full review]
-- Oscar Dayus
NBA Live 18 (PS4, Xbox One) -- 7/10
"NBA Live 18 is a welcome return for EA's basketball series, but doesn't come close to matching the greatness of NBA 2K11 or 2K16. By contrast, the strengths of The One underscore the uninspired designs of Franchise and Ultimate Team. These mainstays are fine and functional, but feel dated when held up against their deeper counterparts in Madden and NHL. That's not to say this game is short on replayability. Between the WNBA matches and the position variety of The One, NBA Live 18 succeeds--albeit barely--as a viable alternative to NBA 2K18." [Read the full review]
-- Miguel Concepcion
NHL 18 (PS4, Xbox One) -- 7/10
"There's still a lot to love about NHL 18, even if the core on-ice experience has only seen minor tweaks. The new modes bring variety to the gameplay, with NHL Threes standing out as a fast-paced, fun way to play hockey. No matter what the mode, gameplay is fast, responsive, and rewarding. And those fresh to the franchise won't feel lost, as NHL goes out of its way to make sure you get up to speed with training, tutorials, and on-screen hints. New players are sure to feel welcome, but for any series veterans, NHL 18 still has some room to improve." [Read the full review]
-- Seth Macy
Steep: Road to the Olympics (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
"As it is, the moments where Road to the Olympics shines are when you're shredding through waist-deep powder at breakneck speeds through a picturesque glade, or careening from the very peak of a mountain down through ravines and all the way to the base far below. The new mountain is beautiful and features a good number of opportunities, and it's a welcome expansion of Steep's playable territory. The Olympic events, meanwhile, provide nice diversions when you really want to compete against yourself. The DLC's main feature--the narrative journey to the Olympics--is flawed, unfulfilling, and frustrating, but thankfully there's enough to do elsewhere that Road to the Olympics still helps bolster and revitalize Steep's main appeal. It's good to have a new mountain to throw yourself down." [Read the full review]
-- Alex Newhouse
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