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OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 (XONE)
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Publisher: SEGA.
Developer: SEGA. Released: June 2021. Genre: Athletics. Other versions: PS4; SWI; PC. Posted 29th July 2024. By Shane Battams © 2024 |
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SEGA’s take on the Tokyo Olympics would endure a gruelling journey to launch, as despite arriving in Japan in 2019, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic would see the Western release pushed back significantly. However, with the games finally starting in July 2021, the official video game would eventually see its release in other territories, along with an Xbox One version. The prospect of seeing SEGA returning to sports is an enticing one, and while you can see their craft shine here, Tokyo 2020 ultimately feels a bit lightweight, especially for solo players. That said, its robust multiplayer options could see it becoming a favourite among social gamers.
SEGA’s return to the Olympics sees Tokyo 2020 host a raft of event types. Track and Field events include the long jump, 100m sprint and 110m hurdles variant and baton relay. Swimming events allow for either 100m freestyle or 200m medley which asks for specific strokes. A plethora of ball games offer baseball, tennis and table tennis, football and rugby. Combat sports include boxing and judo, while other events include BMX racing and beach volleyball. All of the mini-games deliver great accessibility, feeling easy to pick up and play. Many descend into button mashing, particular the sprint events, while more complex sports like Judo have clear instructions and mechanics. Little touches, such as being able to get a better launch with a well-timed squeeze of the trigger, offer an edge to those who take notice of the game’s tips which unlock through repeated play.
SEGA's Tokyo Olympics effort takes a less realistic approach, diverging from its officially-licensed predecessors
Mini-game quality ranges quite a bit. Many are perfectly playable, but can be mastered quite quickly once you get to grips with the mechanics. Sprint events, in particular, lose their lustre quite quickly. Other mini-games feel cumbersome to control. Hammer throw has you squeezing both bumpers while spinning the right analogue stick, for example, then shaking both sticks after throws to scream the ball further. Definitely an arcade leaning to that one. Versions of football and rugby feel competent, while baseball suffers from tough AI, even on the lowest setting, which kind of saps the fun out of matches. The AI is pretty inconsistent across the board in fact, with latter events suffering from some seriously stiff competition that, instead of feeling like a satisfying challenge, comes across as unfair. In the relay, for example, you could play a flawless game and still be easily outmatched by the AI, whereas the next game they’ll be sloppier.
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 allows you to create your own athlete, and this part of the game does add some value for solo players. Everything you do in the game earns points, including victories, consecutive wins and even just participating. These can then be exchanged for a myriad of clothing, hats and special outfits including an awesome Sonic the Hedgehog suit and the Olympic mascot. Points also can be traded to unlock character ability types, which lean towards strength, speed and technique. These can prove very handy when tackling certain events, though you can get by with a more balanced stat list. Customisation is fairly in-depth, allowing you to change body proportions, add unique touches like moles and even change their voice pitch, and some of the sights you’ll see online are definitely good for a laugh.
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 allows you to create your own athlete, and this part of the game does add some value for solo players. Everything you do in the game earns points, including victories, consecutive wins and even just participating. These can then be exchanged for a myriad of clothing, hats and special outfits including an awesome Sonic the Hedgehog suit and the Olympic mascot. Points also can be traded to unlock character ability types, which lean towards strength, speed and technique. These can prove very handy when tackling certain events, though you can get by with a more balanced stat list. Customisation is fairly in-depth, allowing you to change body proportions, add unique touches like moles and even change their voice pitch, and some of the sights you’ll see online are definitely good for a laugh.
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While plenty of sports compilations are geared towards social sessions, Tokyo 2020 does leave solo players out in the cold a bit. The events can all be competed in multi-stage events, with a victory in the final earning a gold medal. You could probably get through most of this in a single sitting, and though you can set up Medleys with a sequence of events, it’s more of the same. Multiplayer does see this one come to life though, with a substantial suite of options. Doubles events allow you to play cooperatively, while everything else lets you play competitively with a handful allowing eight players. Along with local two-player, online is also available, allowing you to pretty much do the same with players across the world. There’s also rotating ranked competitions that see you vying to beat others while earning the best times. Sadly, online suffers from some notable connectivity issues, including long waits to find other players, disconnections and latency which can impact gameplay. That being said, for those who play often locally with friends or family, Tokyo 2020 offers much more value.
One slight source of contention prior to launch was SEGA’s decision to adopt a much cutesier look when compared to the game’s more realistic predecessors. While the style may not be for everyone, it’s still distinctive thanks to bright colours, excellent animation and strong performance which keeps the action running smoothly. While the environments are naturally a bit plain, they look the part and again benefit from attractive lighting. The audio side is about the same, with all the effects and voices fitting in well enough without too much distinction. The music, at the very least, feels appropriate with a mix of arcade electronic and more majestic orchestral tracks.
One slight source of contention prior to launch was SEGA’s decision to adopt a much cutesier look when compared to the game’s more realistic predecessors. While the style may not be for everyone, it’s still distinctive thanks to bright colours, excellent animation and strong performance which keeps the action running smoothly. While the environments are naturally a bit plain, they look the part and again benefit from attractive lighting. The audio side is about the same, with all the effects and voices fitting in well enough without too much distinction. The music, at the very least, feels appropriate with a mix of arcade electronic and more majestic orchestral tracks.
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In the end, Tokyo 2020 offers a slice of SEGA arcade goodness, and it would not have felt out of place on the Dreamcast. It’s got a decent spread of mini-games and an accessible appeal which makes it worthwhile for social butterflies. It’s just a shame there’s some inconsistencies with the difficulty, a lack of tangible solo options and some notable connectivity issues with the online side. While this slice of Olympic games may not prove that worthwhile for the lone wolves among us, those with a group of friends hungry for competition could do a lot worse.
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VERDICT
"While Tokyo 2020 offers a slice of SEGA arcade goodness, its decent spread of accessible mini-games suffer from AI inconsistencies, a lack of tangible solo options and online connectivity issues." OVERALL: 6/10 |
OTHER OLDER GAMES WITH ATHLETIC MULTIEVENTING REVIEWED
Track & Field (1987, NES)
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Olympic Gold (1992, Mega Drive)
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