The Absolute Best Xbox Sports Games of All Time

Key Points

• Sports games are meant to simulate a real-life sport with realistic graphics and audio.
• Xbox is a video game console produced by Microsoft that offers many sports-related games.
• Super Mega Baseball 3 and Rocket League are examples of popular Xbox sports games.

Sports-themed video games have been growing in popularity over the years.  It can be challenging to narrow down the options to find the best Xbox sports games due to their sheer numbers.

What Are Sports Games?

Sports video games attempt to replicate the experience of real-life sporting events. They present players with a variety of tactical and physical obstacles, all of which put their skills to the test. Audio recordings feature in sporting events to give play-by-play commentary. Sports video games frequently use modes to allow players to switch between different gameplay scenes.

The Xbox, produced by Microsoft, is a home video game device and the first in the Xbox line of video game consoles. It was Microsoft’s first attempt at making a video game system. The Xbox competed directly with other game consoles, including the PlayStation and the GameCube from Sony and Nintendo. The latest Xbox consoles came out on November 10, 2020, including Xbox Series X and Series S. Below are the top 10 sports games of all time.

#10: Don Bradman Cricket 17

Coming at number 10 on our list of best Xbox sports games is Cricket 17, the work of Big Ant Studios. The game supports up to four players in online multiplayer mode. If you are a cricket enthusiast or wish to learn more about the sport, this a must-have game.

In Cricket 17, the enhanced career mode lets players start their cricket careers at the grassroots level, competing for regional teams in pursuit of national and international honors. In addition to a robust system for making new characters, the game will also feature a mode that lets you design your very own cricket stadium from the bottom up. It’s the first game to feature motion-captured first-class cricketers, both male and female. 

To provide a more immersive fielding experience, Don Bradman Cricket 17 introduced a brand-new innovative control system. You can now hit the ball like a pro thanks to the game’s updated batting mechanics, which include the ability to hit helicopter shots, charge sixes, the Reverse Sweep, and the Scoop shot. Due to a lack of formal permissions, however, the game does not feature any actual player likenesses.

#9: Super Mega Baseball 3

Super Mega Baseball 3 is a baseball video game series developed by the independent studio Metalhead Software on May 13, 2020. It ranks ninth on our list due to its excellent graphics and comprehensive offline and online modes. The game features brand-new music, new teams and characters, and stadiums with dynamic lighting. Throughout several seasons, you get to manage your team’s growth, decline, retirement, and signing and releasing of players. If you enjoy baseball and want to get better at the game while having a good time with your friends and other baseball fans, this is the game for you.

Super Mega Baseball 3 has new game modes which were not present in the previous versions. The Exhibition, Pennant Race, Season, Elimination, Franchise, and Online Leagues modes are a few examples. In the Franchise mode, you may develop your players and sign free agents. On the other hand, in Online Leagues mode, players can organize and participate in their leagues with other online players. Every league, whether for fun or serious competition, can include up to 32 participants.

#8: Knockout City

Knockout City comes in at number eight on our list of best Xbox sports games. The game was developed by Velan Studios and published by Electronic Arts for use on Windows and Xbox One. However, On June 1, 2022, the game changed to a free-to-play model. The game is ideal for brawlers who want to experience the ongoing activity of tossing balls at one another.

There are five different maps to explore and six other gameplay options. Each map takes place in a futuristic metropolis called Knockout City. It has unique environmental dangers that might cause a player to lose consciousness and be knocked out. Team KO, Diamond Dash, and Ball-Up Brawl are the most played modes in the game.

In Knockout City, players compete against one another on teams. The game’s objective is to use a ball to attack and knock out the opposing team’s players. A good throw does not depend on the accuracy or precision of the shot but rather on the posture and strategies of the player. Players will respawn after being hit by a ball twice and can either avoid or catch the incoming ball.

#7: thehunter: Call of the Wild

This fantastic hunting-themed recreational game comes in at number seven. On February 10, 2017, Expansive Worlds released theHunter: Call of the Wild. It’s a sequel to Avalanche Studios’ April 2009 game, theHunter.

To participate in the game, you must create a character on the game’s website. Simply pick an avatar from various available faces and give them a specific name. Once you create a character, they can roam the world, begin quests, and earn gm$, the game’s currency. You can up missions to hunt extra animals after completing the first three whitetail deer tasks.

The game’s primary objective is to hunt and kill various animals for their resources using a gun or a bow. Huntermate is a tool that locates and identifies animal traces in-game. The player must use the appropriate weapon for each hunt to successfully kill their prey. All players who violate this rule will receive a severe email from the warden of the Hunting Reserves and no rewards for their efforts.

#6: eFootball PES 2020

Another fantastic football simulation from Konami, eFootball takes the number six spot. Published on September 12, 2019, it is the 19th edition of the eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer series. The game provides the most realistic and authentic football game to millions of football lovers worldwide.

In this game, you’ll be in charge of your team and can direct their every move. This updated version comes with dynamic dribbling controls, so you can demonstrate your prowess with amazing shots, ball crosses, and any other action you’d typically only be able to pull off in real life. In addition to traditional competitions, exhibition matches and online tournaments are available.

Master League has undergone many changes. A story mode now features in training sessions, staff meetings, and press conferences. Furthermore, a new game mode, Matchday Mode, has been introduced. This allows players to choose their squad and take on a major rival once every week.

#5: EA Sports UFC 4

EA Sports UFC 4 is a combat video game based on the sport of mixed martial arts. It was developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports on August 14, 2020. This game was designed for the audience comprised of people interested in combat sports and those who wish to improve their fighting prowess.

The player is the focal point of every battle in EA Sports UFC 4. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to put your skills to the test in the latest Blitz Battles and Online World Championships and prove that you are the best in the world. In the game, it is essential to know that you can rise from complete obscurity to become a UFC superstar, and you should continually strive to improve your character.

As part of the game’s career mode, players can design their unique fighters and train them to become the G.O.A.T. which means the greatest of all time. As players move through the game, they can accept or decline battles, which affects the career progression of the fighter.

#4: Pro Evolution Soccer 2017

This is the sixteenth game in the Pro Evolution Soccer series. It makes our list of best Xbox sports games at number four because of its high-quality technical specifications and solid gameplay. It’s great for soccer lovers who also enjoy playing video games online with other people.

Players can use the Real Touch tool to control the ball uniquely in the game. Hundreds of new animations have been added to give the characters a sense of life, allowing them to move more realistically while you play. This installment has also completely redesigned player models, lighting, spectators, the field, and stadiums.

PES 2017 has adaptive artificial intelligence. The game dynamically adjusts the AI’s tactics and strategic plans based on the player’s strategic preferences and match performance. Players can also study their opponents’ playstyles, such as their counterattacking, possession, passing, favored moves, and preferred attacking zones making it more realistic.

#3: Rocket League

Rocket League came out in 2016, and features players controlling vehicles in a soccer-like setting. It has a dedicated fan following, outstanding graphics, and an engaging presentation, which places it third on our list. For fans of esports, this is a fantastic game to play.

The players’ cars can jump to hit the ball while it is in midair. A player may also employ a boost while in the air to accelerate forward, allowing them to hit the ball while in the air. Matches are usually five minutes long, and sudden-death overtime is added in the event of a tie.

In Rocket League, each team can have up to eight players. The game features local and online multiplayer options and cross-platform play for all versions. In addition, it has other game modes, such as ice-hockey and basketball-inspired variants. The game is popular since it allows the players to alter and modify the game’s playing rules.

#2: FIFA 14

The number two spot on our list of best Xbox sports games goes to FIFA 14, a fantastic football game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts. It includes 33 fully licensed leagues and more than 16,000 players. FIFA 14 is one of the few must-have football games for those who love soccer.

When playing FIFA 14 (online and off), you can earn coins that you can use to improve your team. You can obtain players and other commodities using cards. The game also lets you create your team from real-life players and coaches, which you can use to compete in various tournaments and leagues online and off.

You can choose from 69 stadiums. Several players’ hallmark goal celebrations have been recreated for the game, including the famous Calm down celebration by Cristiano Ronaldo and Point to the Sky by Lionel Messi. As a bonus, gamers can alter the playing style of any player and modify kit numbers and even the player’s roles.

#1: NBA 2k17

NBA 2K17 takes the top spot on our list of sports video games for the Xbox. The 2016 video game was created by Visual Concepts and released by 2K Sports as a basketball simulation. If you’re a fan of basketball and want to experience what it’s like to play in the National Basketball Association, then NBA 2K17 is the perfect game for you.

Players create their basketball team from the ground up, picking out their uniforms, logos, head coach, and court, then compete in tournament-style games against other players’ teams. Players can buy card packs with Virtual Currency to unlock players and playbooks.

All of NBA 2K17’s games follow the official rules of the NBA. In addition, many of the game’s presentational qualities, such as player animations, lighting, camera angles, halftime, post-game, pre-game presentations, commentary, and crowd animations, are an adaption of real NBA matches.

Summary of the best Xbox sports games of all time

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