Game of the Year 2020 - Best Sports or Racing Game

The next category in Hooked Gamers’ Game of the Year awards is for Best Sports or Racing Game.
The Nominations…
PGA Tour 2K21
When you can’t get to the course while in lockdown, PGA Tour 2K21 is the next best thing. With a range of difficulty levels that allow for skills from novice to pro, PGA Tour 2K21 takes virtual golfers across the PGA circuit. The myCareer mode lets players start of in the Korn Ferry tour and then earn their place on the lucrative PGA tour to take on the current stars such as Sergio Garcia. With a slick presentation and great controls, golfers in lockdown have never been so close to the action.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2
Who would’ve though that a skating game with the Tony Hawk moniker would be any good? OK, so if you played the two original titles you would have been aware of the pedigree, but the remake has done a wonderful job of re-building the games for todays machines. The controls are tight, and the maps are a joy to roam around in. And although hitting those combos can be tough, when they come off, you’ll feel like a pro skater yourself.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds
What do you get when you cross the world of WWE wrestling with NBA Jam? You get the amusing title that is WWE 2K Battlegrounds. The over-the-top, fast-paced wrestling title is more akin to an arcade style game than an attempt at realism, but it is that arcade style with its cartoonish visuals that make the game accessible to more players. The co-op modes make it a wonderful game to play as a party game allowing wrestling fans to take control of their favourite wrestling superstars.
Dirt 5
Although it isn’t as pure a rally simulation as previous DiRT games, Dirt 5 still contains all the core features of those games but adds the arcade style Playgrounds mode to liven things up. With some wonderful weather effects and authentic engine sounds, racing is still as close to being in a rally car that you can get from your living room. And without the need to repair your car or give it a wash afterwards, why wouldn’t you want to hit the tracks and spin your wheels in the mud?
And the Winner is…
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2

The original versions of the skateboarding legend’s titles were well received, but for some reason, later versions seemed to fall away. Thankfully, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 has retained the core of those originals and then polished them so they hit the spot with today’s modern PCs. The locations have been given an overhaul, with the warehouse map filled with plenty of neat environmental changes and interactable content, whilst the LA map has loads of unlockables and challenges to seek out. The most important thing is that the game plays as well as you would hope. In past iterations, board mechanics have either felt stiff and cumbersome or on the opposite end, loose and spongy. By the simple act of having nailed this area so well, the game instantly evokes the nostalgic experience of playing the original Pro Skater 1 + 2.
Game of the Year 2020 Award categories
Best Strategy Game
Best Role Playing Game
Best Action Game
Best Multiplayer Game
Best Platformer or Puzzle Game
Best Indie Game
Best Sequel, Remake or Expansion
Game of the Year
(Note. Cut-off for nominations was 1st December)