Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is SEGA's official licensed take on the Summer Games, and the most important thing to know upfront is that it is absolutely not a simulation. This is an arcade minigame collection, the kind of game where the 100m sprint is decided by rhythmic button mashing and the right moment to leave the blocks, where judo hides surprising depth underneath deceptively simple tutorial screens, and where the 200m medley has you spinning thumbsticks in different directions for each stroke. If that sounds like your Saturday night, read on. If you wanted a FIFA-level football sim or a realistic swimming physics engine, wrong door. The event roster covers 18 disciplines including the 100m, 110m Hurdles, Long Jump, Hammer Throw, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Baseball, Boxing, Table Tennis, Judo, BMX, Sport Climbing, Rugby Sevens, and two swimming events. Four of those sports were added as free post-launch updates and are included from day one on PC. That variety is real and genuinely appreciated. Every event plays differently enough that the collection avoids feeling like a single-button-mash reskin across the board. The baseball cat-and-mouse in the strike zone and the rugby sevens tackles hold up noticeably better than, say, the BMX course (which is heavy, slow, and disappointing) or the basketball mode (where defense feels like a suggestion). The hit rate across the 18 is probably around 60-70 percent, which is honestly fine for this format. The avatar creator is one of the unexpected highlights. It goes way deeper than expected, letting you put together a genuinely unhinged athlete. The cosmetic unlocks lean hard into the silly side: over 50 costumes including Sonic the Hedgehog gear, astronaut suits, rabbit ears, and a sumo wrestler physique with a sprinting bib. You earn unlock points just by playing events, and the costume replay camera that triggers on big moments is one of the most unexpectedly fun things in the whole package. A cowboy-hat-and-speedo rugby try is something you have to see. The game also represents 80 national teams, which is more than any previous official Olympics title. Now for the co-op reality check, because this is where things get complicated. Local multiplayer caps out at two players, which is a genuinely baffling limitation and the single biggest disappointment for anyone who wanted a four-person couch tournament. Online play supports 2-8 players with a Ranked mode that rotates events on a schedule, but the online population on PC has historically been thin, making it hard to fill lobbies. Solo play runs out of steam quickly once you've run through the events a couple of times. There is no career mode, and progression is basically just unlocking more costumes and titles. For two players on a couch, though, the accessible controls and short event bursts make this genuinely good fun. Bottom line for the crowd I care about most: bring one friend, not three. The two-player local experience with a gamepad works well and the pick-up-and-play control scheme means anyone in the room can participate in about 30 seconds. Hardcore sports sim fans will bounce off the shallow mechanics fast. But if you want a loose, arcade-flavored evening with someone who enjoys a bit of competitive button chaos, this delivers more than its premise promises.

Riley · Scout Team

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