PS3 Review: MLB ’08: The Show

MLB ’08: The Show

PS3 Review
Developer: SCE Studios San Diego
Publisher: SCEA
Players: 1-2

MLB ’07: The Show was released on the Sony PS3 last year, a few months after it was available on the PS2 and PSP. Even though many considered it to be the best baseball game on any console, it was still hampered by quite a few issues. The developers have gone back to the drawing board, and now have given us MLB ’08: The Show. Did they do enough to hit a home run, or did they trip getting into the batter’s box?

It is clear that the power of the PS3 was used this year to greatly improve The Show. The second you jump into a game you will immediately notice the huge visual improvements over last year’s game, which looked more like a high-res version of the PS2 version than a full-blown PS3 release.

The graphics have made an absolutely huge leap forward, as MLB ’08: The Show is as close as you are going to get to a full-blown MLB presentation on any console.

The game feels and looks extremely realistic. The player models have been greatly improved, as big name players such as David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez certainly fit the parts perfectly. All of the player animations are in place as well such as batting stances, pitching motions, etc for great authenticity.

Beyond all of the praise, there are a few issues which need to be addressed for next year’s game. There are some minor collision detection issues in the visuals, and the camera-angles in Road to the Show mode can still hamper the game play a bit.

Speaking a bit more on authenticity, the way in which the stadiums are presented is very impressive as well, as the crowds look highly-detailed, along with the accurate representations of the big MLB stadiums. The way in which the whole action is presented with the various camera angles, replays, etc make for a TV-style presentation.

The audio has also seen some nice improvements over last year’s game, with a great commentary team. The crowd also makes for a great feel like you are at the ball park, as they will be yelling out different chants and such depending on where you are playing, who is batting or pitching, etc.

Another nice new improvement is the My Music feature, which allows you to use any songs you like that you have on your PS3 hard drive. This allows you to hear the music through menu screens and such. You still won’t be able to hear the tunes through the stadium though, maybe next year.

Beyond all of the improvements with the graphics and audio, the gameplay has also seen some huge improvements over last year. Everything just seems to work a lot better. Fielding is highly improved thanks to smoother animations. You will see some new tips for things such as trying to catch a ball and rob a home run, as well as when you are trying to catch balls in foul play.

The base-running has also been improved quite a bit as things are much more responsive and intuitive. The other huge improvement is with the use of the SIXAXIS controller for sliding and such, as the response from the controller is well-done. You may actually prefer to use the SIXAXIS this year for these motions.

The pitching and batting interface has seem some nice improvements as well with the Progressive Batting Performance system. What this does is it is basically a stat tracking tool which you can pull up while you are up to bat. You will be able to see what type of streak your batter is on, how confident they are swinging for contact or power etc. The pitcher gets to use this as well.

The great thing about this new system is that it gives you a feel into the emotions of the players. When a pitcher is on the mound or up to bat, you will have a sense of their momentum and their mind-set, beyond just some stats you see before the game loads.

The Road To The Show mode is back and is better than ever. This is easily the best career mode of any sports game out there, hands down. The first thing you are going to realize when loading this up is the huge improvements now available in terms of creating your players. You can really make him look just like you. One thing I would like to see next year though is support for the PS3 camera, to possibly snap a picture of yourself and put the face on the player.

The entire way the mode plays out this year is so much more realistic, it is quite incredible to be honest. The goals are far more varied, and work much better. Now the whole success/failure system is kind of thrown out in a sense as it tracks things a bit better; you won’t fail something you had no control over.

You will also see a lot more realism out of the way it plays. For example, if you are in the minor leagues on first base, you will be taught how to read signs from the third-base coach, such as steal. When you get to the majors, you will have to notice these signs and respond to them, just like real-life. I can’t get enough of this game mode as you will absolutely love building up your character and watching things evolve, it is truly addictive.

Beyond that mode, all of the other great stuff returns such as the robust online mode, franchise mode, etc. The online mode received a big improvement as you will now have weekly roster updates, better stat tracking, and more. The game runs extremely smooth online.

MLB ’08 The Show is an amazing baseball game, one which PS3 owners should be proud to say that only they can own. The game has been vastly improved over last year’s game in every single manner, from visuals, audio, gameplay etc. If you are a baseball fan at all, you simply must own MLB ’08: The Show. It is easily the best sports game to hit the PS3 to date.

Graphics: 8.8 Arguably the best-looking sports game on the PS3, great animations, authenticity, and detail. It looks like a true MLB presentation.

Sound: 8.8 The commentary is spot on, and the sound effects from the cracks of the bat to the crowd noises are very immersive.

Gameplay: 9.0 Extremely enjoyable as the pitching, batting, and fielding have all been improved last year in a big way.

Replay Value: 9.0 You’ve got the great Road to the Show mode, the franchise mode, online, and more. You have enough to be completely engrossed in everything until ’09 releases.

Final Score: 9.0

Do you have a product that you would like featured on dBTechno? If so, drop us a line at vicb@dbtechno.com

Interested in picking up this release? Head over to Amazon at the link here - MLB 08: The Show