Ah the Olympics, arguably the greatest sporting event in human history, the pinnacle of athleticism and the crowning jewel in many an aspiring athletes crown. For some, just being selected is enough, but for others, it’s gold or nothing less. So what better way to honor this historied icon than to go for gold in a 100m swimming relay in a one piece Sonic costume? Introducing SEGA’s Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, coming to all platforms, in 2021.



Delayed by a year due to an unforeseen global pandemic, SEGA could wait no longer and have unleashed their AAA premium athletics simulator. For all the sticklers in the gaming community looking for a truly authentic depiction of the games however (of which I am sure there are but a handful), Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 may leave you a little disappointed.

It’s an easy pick up and play title that doesn’t try too hard to sell itself.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 reminds me more of a Wii Sports offering more than anything else; it’s a cherry picking of disciplines with surface level depth that is easily accessible, even to my 4 year old nephew, and in some ways, that’s the beauty of it. It’s an easy pick up and play title that doesn’t try too hard to sell itself. Across 18 disciplines, many of which are track and field events, as well as a few others like rugby sevens, baseball and tennis, there’s a fair amount of diversity on offer. Each event is broken down into 3 stages, with the final being a medal winning round. Do well enough in the first two and you’ll be pitted against the best in your bid for gold. This is where things get interesting, or not, depending on how you like your party games.



Unfortunately the nature of a multi-platform title like this dictates that the actual gameplay mechanics are stuck in an incredibly boring loop of button mashing. There are no fancy gimmicks such as touch or movement controls to spice up your experience or break a few teeth with joy-cons. Most events, particularly the track and field types, boil down to repetition, slamming the same sequence of buttons to achieve victory. Even still, the difficulty curve from round 1 to the final is so cavernous, you may resort to a classic claw-handed approach to stand half a chance of making it onto the podium.



But it’s because of this huge selection of games that it’s fairly successful. It doesn’t have the pizazz or show that games like FIFA or MLB The Show flaunt, but it executes its multiple disciplines with a level of competency and replayability that make it an easy companion to an event like the Olympics. I found myself spending more time with tennis, table tennis, baseball and soccer more than anything else as they provided a layer of strategy that the single line track events couldn’t match. That and they gave my poor fingers a break from continuous button mashing. I have to commend SEGA on how easy they’ve made it to pick up new disciplines, everything feels very intuitive and button combos are natural and come as second nature depending on the activity. Little to no explanation is required and that is a success in itself.

I found myself spending more time with tennis, table tennis, baseball and soccer more than anything else as they provided a layer of strategy that the single line track events couldn’t match.

That being said, there is a lot of merit to a title like this in 2021, a party game that’s easily accessible and fundamentally fun for all ages. While its hard to recommend it as a single player experience, online with a few mates or even with kids stuck at home, it can be a riot. This is a game that doesn’t take itself seriously at all, which is clear cut from the get-go when you create your character. The most outlandish outfits, hairstyles and body types are on show and you can have an absolute ball watching replays of your wild looking avatar competing in a seemingly professional environment.

Visually, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 won’t be winning any awards, but it’s a passable title that leans into its own design ethos that oddly works well given its stylistic aesthetic. Characters are definitely ‘tooned’ but not to a point where it feels too child-like or disproportionate. There is a definite ‘SEGA’ touch to it all, and the simple UI and presentation style is easy on the eyes and declutters the experience during events.



As a companion to the real world games, it doesn’t get much better than this. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is an accessible game with an impressive array of sporting events for all ages to enjoy. While it might not be the deep-dive some are looking for, it serves as an enjoyable title to pick up and play with friends or younger members of the household.