I don’t care what the farmer’s almanac says: when football starts, autumn starts. The NFL season kicked off a week ago, and college football shortly before that, signaling the best season has arrived. That’s right, don’t give me summer beach weather —give me apple picking and temperatures around 60.
Going into week two of the NFL season has got me in a football mood, but there’s plenty of more games we’re playing and enjoying. This week’s recommendations include one of the best sports games around, one of the year’s most underrated multiplayer games, and an open-world adventure that actually respects your time.
While EA’s latest college football game isn’t yet on Game Pass, last year’s EA Sports College Football 25 is available via EA Play, included with a Game Pass Ultimate membership. The die-hard college football fans might clamor for the minor strides forward the newest entry has made (like bringing back high school to Road to Glory and adding more real-world coaches), College Football 25 is plenty good enough for the rest of us. Its on-the-field action is fast and fluid, and the way it captures the atmosphere of your alma mater (I love seeing Albert on the field) serves as a reminder as to why this series was missed so much. EA may have forfeited college basketball to 2K, but at least its college football series has returned. —Austin Manchester
Rematch
Earlier this summer, I may have been just a little bit obsessed with Rematch. Sifu developer Sloclap’s multiplayer soccer game may look simple on its surface, but I found a surprising amount of depth to its quick rounds. From using the arena walls to pull off rebound goals to gently rainbow flicking the ball past a helpless goalie, I kept discovering more potential beyond just passing and kicking with each match. I’ve been dying to jump back in, and this weekend is the perfect excuse to do so. Rematch just got its much-requested crossplay update, which will make it easier to get my buds to hop into round with me. If you’ve yet to check it out for yourself, this weekend could be the perfect time if the update can revitalize its playerbase. Just make sure you keep the team chat muted at all times. Trust me on this one. —Giovanni Colantonio
Wheel World
As if your Strava wasn’t already enough of a game unto itself, Wheel World is here to further gamify the tranquil yet quietly cutthroat art of cycling. You play as an aspiring pro cyclist who strives to restore the power of the ancient bike gods, whose power has waned as humans become more reliant on technology, leaving faith and the old ways behind. To do so, you need to be the “best” bikers of the Wheel World — each of them symbols in their own right of capitalistic excess — in various races. But, like the most arrogant athletes, they won’t even give you the time of day until you prove yourself by completing challenges strewn about an extremely manageable open world. It’s just clever and engaging and just the right amount of twee. (And yes, horrible bike puns abound.) Even if you’re not a cyclist yourself, play Wheel World so you can be better equipped to bully the Strava-obsessed friends in your life. —Ari Notis
