PS2 Review: MLB ’08 The Show

MLB ’08 The Show

PS2 Review
Developer: SCE Studios San Diego
Publisher: SCEA
Players: 1-2

PS2 owners have truly been blessed over the years in terms of quality baseball releases. They, for years, enjoyed the releases of the MVP baseball series from EA Sports, and when that went away, they have been treated to the MLB The Show series from Sony. With the PS2 now nearing its end, you would think that the innovation would begin to come to a close in terms of what the developers are able to do on the PS2. What MLB ’08 The Show has proven though is that the PS2 still has legs left in it in terms of innovation with sports games, as this game both has some big improvements, and some areas to be improved on yet again next year.

MLB ’08 The Show comes back with the majority of things that were set in place in last year’s offering. All of the big games modes are back once again. This includes the very fun mini-games Home Run Derby, as well as King of the Diamond. You also see the return of such things as extremely deep online mode, as well as your season and franchise modes. Not too much has been changed here, but considering how great everything worked last year, there is nothing wrong with trying to change something that is already good to begin with.

What did get a bit of a touch-up was the Road To The Show mode. This is when you take a player and try to build him up from the minors and make him into a big-league player. The biggest changes with this mode this year has to do with the goals and the way it all plays out. You will see more varied goals this year, meaning you won’t be asked to hit a home run every time you get up at bat. Some of the new tasks include simply not hitting into a double-play or stuff of that manner. For those who wanted more freedom in the field, this is also possible as well. You are able to do defensive adjustments in the field, so if you are playing shortstop and you feel you need to be in closer or a bit father back depending on who you are facing, you will be able to do that.

All things are not great this year either though as there are still a few issues with the Road To The Show mode. The biggest problem comes back from last year, that being the camera angles. When playing the field you will still likely be very bothered by the camera angles at times, as they can keep you from seeing all of the action and everything you need to see to make the proper play. The other thing that can be improved upon for next year would be the level of customization offered for the players you create, as more could simply be added in. It is not as deep as the PS3 Road To The Show mode, but it is certainly still improved over last year.

The game play has received some big tweaks this year, mainly in the duel between the pitcher and batter. This year you are going to see many more tool to help you whether you are pitching or at bat. You will be able to see things through a new system called the Progressive Batting Performance system. This is going to allow you, when at bat, to see how hot or cold your batter is, his tendencies, etc. This goes above and beyond just knowing your batter’s power stats when he steps into the box. You will be able to see how he has done in the past against certain pitches, etc.

The same can be said for pitchers, as the amount of stats and tools you will be able to see and use during the game is really great, adding a whole new level of involvement in things going on with the pitcher. You will be able to feel like you are in much more control over situations.

The fielding has seen some improvements as well, but not in the same depth and level that pitchers and batters have seen. Fielding received its biggest addition in the form of a new indicator which will help you rob people of home runs. This indicator will help you as you are running towards the wall to make a grab over the fence. It will not always come in handy, but when it is used it works quite well.

The fielding has seen some extra fluidity improvements thanks to the new animations included this year. The throwing mechanics still seem a bit off though, as there is not much of a need to really pay attention to how hard or how easy you are throwing the ball. More variety can definitely be included in the future. If you overthrow a ball big time, you should be penalized a bit more I feel.

The highlight in terms of the visuals of MLB ’08 The Show is clearly the animations. The character models look quite good as well. There are definitely some visual issues with the stadiums and crowds though, as there could be much more attention next year paid to the detail and variety in crowd models. The parks look nice, but there are still some issues with aliasing, as well as some lackluster textures.

The game does run extremely smooth though, which is the most important thing. I guess when you see it run on the PS3 you have a certain level of expectation, as the PS2 version is just starting to look a bit old. Regardless though fans will see an improvement over last year’s offering, as it runs smooth, and does look nice in motion.

The audio is also very well done with the great commentary, as well as crowd noises and your usual sound effects.

SCEA has done a great job yet again with MLB ’08 The Show on the PS2, giving owners the best baseball game yet on the console. There may not be that much added in this year in terms of game modes, but the level of innovation in the game play elements, as well as the improved Road To The Show mode still make this a must buy for PS2 baseball fans.

Graphics: 8.2 The game funs very smooth and the animations are top-notch for the PS2. Better detail on the crowd and stadiums is needed though.

Audio: 8.5 The commentary team is solid, while the crowd noises and sound effects do a nice job of setting up a good ball park atmosphere.

Gameplay: 8.0 There are still a few fielding issues, but overall things are improved over last year.

Replay Value: 8.5 The Road To The Show mode is as deep as ever, while the other game modes all return to get baseball fans addicted all over again.

Final Score: 8.2

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

• Share
• Tweet
• "&title=""">