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The five must-have sports games of 2016
People play Steep by Ubisoft at the Los Angeles Convention Center during the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo. FREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty Images

The five must-have sports games of 2016

Oh jeez.

It's December. It's like, Dec. 6. And you haven't even started your holiday shopping for your cool sports-loving nephews and friends. Whatever shall you do? Are you forever doomed to refresh the "Today's Deals" page on Amazon, descending into a dark-mauve pit of despair and helplessness until you give up and just buy Billy another door-mounted plastic basketball hoop?

No.

Not this year.

For gamers, 2016 was a banner year — at least for those of us who love sports games. From strong showings from Madden and FIFA to more surprising and original games, let us take you through the five sports games of 2016 that you shouldn't miss. And feel free to use this as a buying guide if you need to. We don't want little Billy to be disappointed any more than you do.

STEEP



If you're anything like me, you've been waiting for STEEP for years (and years and years). Since the genre's peak in the 2000s, there has been an extreme dearth of quality extreme sports games from large studios.

Ubisoft's STEEP scratches that itch, and it does it incredibly well. The game gives you a gigantic playground you can zip around at will within, using a combination of walking, skiing, snowboarding, wingsuit gliding and paragliding. There are very few loading screens, and the whole
experience is as seamless as can be, with varied terrain and riding styles available.

If you were a fan of the Skate games, Tony Hawk Pro Skater's slightly more realistic and less arcadey cousin, STEEP is for you. And even if you're not, it's definitely worth a rental if you're craving a new SSX game. STEEP isn't that, but it's pretty darn close.

Madden 17



Yeah, no surprises here. Everything that we said in our review of Madden 17 still holds true. The new commentary team nails it. The fact that the football itself is integrated into the physics engine makes the game feel more true to life and exciting. Defensive AI, though still not perfect, has really taken a huge step forward.

All in all, this game was always going to be on this list given how huge the Madden brand is. But it's really heartening to see that EA Sports didn't rest on its laurels with Madden 17. It's the best the franchise has ever been, and it's well worth your time if you (for some insane reason) gave it a pass when it came out.

FIFA 17



FIFA 17 is far and away my pick for best sports game of the year. If you have even a passing interest in soccer, this game is a must-buy, above and beyond everything else on this list, and the reason for that is its story mode, The Journey.

Like Madden before it (and the rest of the year's major licensed sports titles), FIFA makes incremental improvements from a technical standpoint, but the big addition is a fully fleshed-out, cinematic soccer experience that is really unlike anything the competition offers. The story is engaging, the voice-acting and script are both super tight, and it's great to see a sports game really dig in to the drama of the sport. It's why we watch in the first place, and it's what makes FIFA 17 such a gem in the year 2016.

Forza Horizon 3



The Forza Horizon series has always done a great job of understanding why people like cars, why people like driving and why people like racing.

It's an exhilarating and precise sport, sure, but it's a passionate one as well. People who fix up their own junker cars to race at a dirt track are linked with multimillion-dollar F1 racers in this way, and Forza Horizon 3 really bridges that gap. It feels like playing through an episode of the original Top Gear, racing and competing with friends in a whole bunch of ridiculous ways across a beautiful environment.

VIDEOBALL



After games like Rocket League released, the floodgates were opened, which means that not all sports games are simulations anymore. People have been creating their own completely original games like Sportsfriends, Nidhogg, Sportsball and the VR-enabled R.I.G.S. for years now, essentially creating their own sports from scratch.

It's a great trend, and it allows indie studios to finally go toe to toe with major studios, since they don't need licenses to make these games — they just a great game.

VIDEOBALL is indeed a great game. It plays like a combination of air hockey, PONG and Asteroids, but honed and balanced for a competitive and eSports-friendly multiplayer experience. Essentially, like in many other sports, the goal is to get the ball into the opponent's goal, but the main hook here is that you can't really push the ball yourself — you have to shoot projectiles at it. These projectiles can be charged as well to augment your shot power and speed.

Players can also set up blocks to help defend a goal or push opponents out of position by shooting them directly. It all comes together to create a gameplay experience that really does feel like a sport. You'll find yourself marking your man, or playing in a zone, and splitting roles with your teammates.

I realize that this game looks out of place next to the other four, but give it a shot (pun intended). It deserves a spot on this list and in your games library.

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