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After the initial load it takes to enter that at bat, the game won’t load again, meaning you can hop in and out of instances in the blink of an eye. If you don’t want to leave the outcome up to a dice roll, you can jump in and play it, and then return to the simulation or continue playing. One button press produces a result for that at bat. You have complete control of your player output, determining whether you pitch to contact, around the batter, or to walk them. This mode functions like simulation, showing an overhead view of the diamond with players represented as colored dots. Yes, it’s fun to be a jerk to your coaches, but you aren’t given much feedback as to how that is affecting your team or your future on it.įranchise mode fares better, and finds a clever middle-ground solution to the thoughts of “simulations are boring” and “playing a season takes way too long.” A new mode called Quick Manage allows you to have a hand in every at bat, yet the game can be completed in just five minutes. The story doesn’t ruin this mode – the player development and on-the-field play are still great – but it also doesn’t enhance anything. A second playthrough in those two months produced almost an identical arc. I belted 40 home runs in my first two months in double A, and my team didn’t promote me. Outside of little interactions that define your personality through choice, the narrative didn’t sync with my player’s performance, or deliver many points of interest. Both Road to the Show and Franchise mode received major facelifts to try and shake up the age-old foundation they are built on.ĭeveloping an up-and-coming Major Leaguer in Road to the Show now unfolds through a documentary-like story. This year’s game excels both on and off the field.
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These great plays are framed nicely within the new presentation package, consisting of stylish statistical overlays that show the speed of the throw and the path taken to track it down. The new animations for these variables are fantastic, nailing small details like accurate arm speed animations, or a panicked throw from the ground. Fielders now show awareness for who is running and just how much time they have to make a play. In prior versions of The Show, a fielder would never speed up a throw the animation was the same for a routine or close play. Computer-controlled fielders sometimes struggle with the new trajectories, not from bad pathing, but the A.I. This year, the ball spins accurately off of the bat and at appropriate speeds to produce more slices, bloops, and rockets. In past games, the ball would bounce unpredictably off of walls, but not off of the bat. A small tweak to the ball physics also goes a long way to creating more hit types and play variables. This is just one way that The Show produces new situations and outcomes. I just wish the quirks weren't buried in menus. Facing Mike Trout late in a game is stressful no matter what, but knowing he’s now an even greater threat in this situation ups the intensity. These boosts greatly impact the composition of an at bat, affecting how you approach each player and how the A.I. Some players just have one or two quirks, but most superstars are stacked with them. Billy Hamilton is a Bunt Master and Thief. Anthony Rizzo has a Rally Monkey quirk that ups his performance when the Cubs are behind. Adrian Beltre rarely misses the ball while swinging thanks to his 20/20 Vision quirk. Brian Dozier has a Bomber quirk that allows him to hit more home runs. The introduction of a new feature called “quirks” gives each player a defined skill set. Players are not just defined by numbers this year. Most notably, the robotic instincts of players are reduced, and outcomes of swings aren’t determined mostly by dice rolls. The Show has always strived for realism, and this year’s game adds even more nuance and unpredictability to the mix. The new diversions – as enjoyable and varied as they are – pale in comparison to the action on the field. It turns out The Show has nothing to hide. This year’s MLB The Show also appears to have something to hide, as prominent new features push players to steer clear of the main game to experience a retro-styled arcade mode, manage a team through a simulated gamecast, or even spend time in the locker room figuring out what a rookie says to his agent on the phone. In 2013, Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton used the hidden ball trick to record the final out of an inning, faking a throw to the pitcher to make Matt Carpenter of the St.