Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Review: Going for Gold

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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Review: Going for Gold
tokyo 2020 olympic games review: going for gold

SEGA wants us to live the Olympic dream with a spectacular and fun multi-event title: find out if it has managed to conquer the gold!

The countdown has begun: on July 23 at the New National Stadium in Tokyo the brazier will be lit during the inaugural ceremony of the 32nd edition of the Olympic Games of the modern era. The Japanese capital once again waves the five-circle flag and the videogame transposition of the event has been entrusted to SEGA, ready to make us relive the Olympic spirit with Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – The Official Video Game, available for all major platforms (Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One / Series X | S, PC and Google Stadia).

In pursuit of the Olympic dream

Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (you can find our review of Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at this link) was published last year for Switch and the bishops of Nintendo and SEGA were the first to turn on the Olympic spirit of all of us gamers. One year later, the more serious (so to speak!) Version of the Olympic event arrives, once again signed by SEGA, which we can consider a veteran in multi-event titles.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – The official video game is not a rigorous sports simulation: it is above all a fun selection of 18 sports disciplines recreated with the arcade style typical of SEGA productions, and which winks at the party games so dear to Nintendo. The events included in this edition are able to satisfy all tastes: team sports lovers can have fun with football, basketball, beach volleyball, seven-a-side rugby, baseball, 4 × 100 meter relay, tennis (single and double); while those who prefer individual disciplines can indulge themselves with 100 meters flat, 110 meters hurdles, long jump, BMX, table tennis, 100 meters freestyle, sport climbing, judo, boxing, 200 mixed meters and hammer throw. Each discipline is proposed with specific game mechanics, explained through a short tutorial, even if the heart of the experience remains blatantly arcade: there are competitions characterized by the essential “button mashing“, others where you need to find the right timing or maintain a good rhythm, others where you play in a traditional way (in football or basketball, for example). All disciplines have in common the possibility of unlocking special shots : each athlete, in fact, has a bar that is loaded to make powerful home runs, dunks at the NBA Jam, lightning-fast sprints and more.

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Customization and mixed teams

The hunt for gold starts from the creation of your avatar in the “Athlete“: SEGA has focused on a colorful and very cartoon style, and this is a choice that we appreciated. The customization possibilities are almost endless and, in addition to modifying the physical appearance of our digital alter ego, we can also dress him in different ways. the funniest. The section “Uniforms“is surprisingly rich and More than 50 costumes can be unlocked (including Miraitowa, the official mascot of the event): on day one, in addition, the one dedicated to Sonic will also be available for everyone.

In addition to defining the appearance of our champion (style, physique, features, facial features, voice, dominant hand / foot) we can improve their performance by working on parameters such as power, speed and technique. Each modification requires a cost at the level of points that can be earned simply by competing, training and winning a few medals (there are no microtransactions, Luckily!). In team sports, we have the possibility to create a group of personalized avatars (with the exchange of the “avatar code” you can add those of your friends) ready to fight to keep the national flag high and to win the coveted medal. It is also possible to have mixed teams made up of men and women, and not only in basketball or relay.

Game modes and competitions

We will have the right to relive the magic of this event from the qualifications to the conquest of the final in “Olympic Games” mode, or compete online in that call “Ranked Matches“, which at certain times offers some tests to participate in with a lot of world ranking and medal table.

To memorize the key combinations or to find the right timing, we can do some training in the various sports disciplines. The modalities provide local 2-player challenges, while online there is the possibility to compete up to a maximum of 8 users. For those who want to experience the Olympic spirit alone, there are three levels of difficulty (from normal to extreme): the AI ​​offers a fair challenge and above all manages to stimulate the player to break record after record. Compared to previous editions, SEGA has partially sacrificed athletics (the queen of the event) to introduce new sports disciplines (climbing for example). The classic 100-meter flat, for example, is nothing more than a pure “button mashing” exercise, with the interesting variant represented by the 4×100-meter relay. The 110 meters hurdles require the player to have good timing in the jump in order not to lose the rhythm between one obstacle and another, while the hammer throw requires excellent coordination both in the preparation phase of the throw and in the calculation of the winning angle. . The same goes for the long jump which also offers the unknown of the deadlift.

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The five disciplines dedicated to athletics in their simplicity work very well and put in place a great challenge. As for other individual sports, BMX trials are fun but a little too limited, and this is a real shame.

In judo you have to find the right timing (to free yourself from a grip you have to press the keys like mad), while we expected a bit more depth from boxing. In sport climbing, however, we will have to move the “right” analog stick at the right time to climb the wall faster, as well as in the 100m freestyle which requires the player to have a coordinated movement to be able to go under 50 seconds.

The 200m mixed, on the other hand, is a really tough challenge: finding a decent pace (the rotating movements of the analog sticks change according to style) without completely consuming the resistance bar is not at all easy. The control system implemented in the table tennis (singular and double), on the other hand, left us perplexed: using the analog stick to respond is a choice that we found decidedly impractical.

A graphic feast to admire

Beach volleyball, basketball and even football, in their extreme simplicity, surprised us not a little and amused us a lot. Baseball is probably the best title in the lot, while seven-a-side rugby convinced us but up to a certain point, since we had some problems in set pieces).

Tennis in singles and doubles, more than discreet, works much better than table tennis, undoubtedly the hottest disappointment of the entire Olympic package. Moving on to the graphic side, on PlayStation 5 (in backward compatibility), the title of SEGA did not disfigure: the avatar animations turned out to be smooth and precise (no drop in framerate to report) and there was no shortage of touches of class: seeing our avatar ask for the support of the public before a jump to break the world record is really exciting! The presentation of the events is properly set up. as well as all the colorful graphics sector that allows you to fully breathe the festive atmosphere of the event. The DualSense, unfortunately, has not been exploited in any way but being a game developed for PlayStation 4 it is a more than understandable absence. The loading screens then offer some nice culture pills with a series of curiosities and information on the events that will take place during the Olympics. Finally, the sound sector gives voice to a noisy audience, always ready to underline the performances of the athletes, and there is also some pleasant accompanying music.

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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Tokyo 2020 Olympic GamesVersion Analyzed PlayStation 5We loved SEGA’s Olympic proposal: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – The official video game is fun and enjoyable to play. We would have liked a few more disciplines and above all some completely new game modes (perhaps a “historical” one to relive some legendary records). Overall, SEGA’s multi-event title works and will provide decidedly pleasant afternoons and evenings to enjoy as a family in pursuit of the Olympic dream. See you in Paris 2024!