MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

[Mad dog 31]

I still laugh when people talk about the commentary being boring and stale. I play countless hours of The Show, NBA 2k, Madden, and NHL every year and it's all the same. All of the commentary in these games gets old rather quickly. I think it's just extremely difficult to get enough lines in and make it dynamic enough to sound like real commentary.

To me, the only way commentary in these games can be bad is if the commentators they use sound really irritating. Gus Johnson annoyed me to no end when he was in Madden ("and he's down... AT THE 19!!").

As for other things mentioned... I love the way they make a lot of steady improvements every year. Each year is always a lot better than the last. I'm hoping the next thing they focus on (aside from game modes, which I think are always improving) is improving the player models. Uniforms/body types/faces/animations (which are getting better). They already added in new skin tones so they may start heading in this direction. MLB 15 will definitely be my go to game until the end of summer at the earliest... just a fantastic baseball sim

This is a perfect synopsis of what makes The Show awesome.

[majestic]

Player models are the one thing that still seriously lacks in The Show. Not sure that re-doing them could break any other parts of the game though. It might not even be risky other than using time and resources for that instead of improving something else.

Totally agree on the player models. They are good, but in a game that has so many other details so realistic, it can be jarring to see a plastic or cartoonish-looking face, or a neck that warps oddly when the head turns, or the way a pitcher's hair doesn't move when he lifts the cap too-smoothly off his head. These are all tiny details, but it's a testament to how good this game is with all the other little details that these moments stick out.

And let's be honest, as amazing as the crowds and the stadiums look, when we're playing the game we spend most of our time staring at the players. If they take a big step forward with the realism of the player models --- without breaking anything else --- it will have a huge impact on our experience of the game.

It may seem to be ungrateful to ask for more from a game that already looks so great, but games like NBA2K and EA's UFC have raised the bar for how realistic humans can look in a next-gen sports game; in this area, MLB:The Show is still lagging a little behind.

[artgamer72]

I have not played the game yet. Having said that, based on the feature lists and discussions about additions or bug fixes, the reviewer scored this one pretty accurately. Same goes for metacritic. Here are some things as to why MLB The Show 15 isn't getting the accolades many seemed to think it would:

* lack of a real career stats model. If you want to see a baseball video game that does stats the right way, check out OOTP....this year's version or any of them in the past. There is no way The Show can be considered a simulation product until they make stats a very real part of the game. As it is, The Show is a really pretty arcade game that has only dipped its toes in the sim aspects of its real life counterpart.

* DD just isn't challenging enough long term, nor does it have much suspense to it. They could have had the players be represented in baseball cards for their representative years. Not nearly enough all time great players. No "common card" type players from the past. They could have made revealing the players more like opening a pack of cards.

* lack of a truly customizable camera. In this day and age one should be able to view the action from any seat in the ball park.

* Manager Only Mode is weak. It hasn't really improved. The options available seem to be the same ones available if you're at the plate or on the mound. In real life managers do not have the same responsibilities as players. One should be able to challenge calls, argue with umpires, have more detailed control over the bullpen and defensive alignment changes. One should truly be able to converse with the players and multiple factors affect whether the pitcher stays in or not.

* pickoffs are still broken. The AI does not attempt pickoffs at a normal rate as in real life. Stealing and getting caught or in run downs isn't realistic. Pick off attempts should tire the pitcher and break his concentration, but they don't.

* fan animations need some work. If you are looking at the action in broadcast camera view you should feel everything going on behind the player is realistic. Moonwalking fans look weird. Whether there is a foul ball, a single to left, a drive to the gap in right or a homerun the fans (head movements, scrambling, other body movements) should suggest the fans are connected to the action, but they are not. They look planted there.

* uniforms should change in appearance as the game wears on, due to field or weather conditions, or the number of times the player has been a part of the action.

* attendance should change depending on the day, the opponent, said team's position in the standingss, or whether it is late in the season or not. Instead there is a disconnect between what occurs in the field and all of the other nuances of the game.

That is my two cents

[KennyJ1976]

I'm guessing this reviewer has never played PES before if he thinks this commentary is the worse in the sports genre.

[artgamer72]

I have not played the game yet. Having said that, based on the feature lists and discussions about additions or bug fixes, the reviewer scored this one pretty accurately. Same goes for metacritic. Here are some things as to why MLB The Show 15 isn't getting the accolades many seemed to think it would:

* lack of a real career stats model. If you want to see a baseball video game that does stats the right way, check out OOTP....this year's version or any of them in the past. There is no way The Show can be considered a simulation product until they make stats a very real part of the game. As it is, The Show is a really pretty arcade game that has only dipped its toes in the sim aspects of its real life counterpart.

* DD just isn't challenging enough long term, nor does it have much suspense to it. They could have had the players be represented in baseball cards for their representative years. Not nearly enough all time great players. No "common card" type players from the past. They could have made revealing the players more like opening a pack of cards.

* lack of a truly customizable camera. In this day and age one should be able to view the action from any seat in the ball park.

* Manager Only Mode is weak. It hasn't really improved. The options available seem to be the same ones available if you're at the plate or on the mound. In real life managers do not have the same responsibilities as players. One should be able to challenge calls, argue with umpires, have more detailed control over the bullpen and defensive alignment changes. One should truly be able to converse with the players and multiple factors affect whether the pitcher stays in or not.

* pickoffs are still broken. The AI does not attempt pickoffs at a normal rate as in real life. Stealing and getting caught or in run downs isn't realistic. Pick off attempts should tire the pitcher and break his concentration, but they don't.

* fan animations need some work. If you are looking at the action in broadcast camera view you should feel everything going on behind the player is realistic. Moonwalking fans look weird. Whether there is a foul ball, a single to left, a drive to the gap in right or a homerun the fans (head movements, scrambling, other body movements) should suggest the fans are connected to the action, but they are not. They look planted there.

* uniforms should change in appearance as the game wears on, due to field or weather conditions, or the number of times the player has been a part of the action.

* attendance should change depending on the day, the opponent, said team's position in the standingss, or whether it is late in the season or not. Instead there is a disconnect between what occurs in the field and all of the other nuances of the game.

That is my two cents

I should have also mentioned that the trading isn't as realistic as it could be. Trades by the computer should be based on team needs for the present or the future, or payroll shedding.

* roster movement and player development isn't realistic. These procedures should run well on their own, but there is a big difference between what happens when the AI manages players and what is likely to happen when the human player takes over.

[Bobhead]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

Literally reviewing a game you haven't played yet?

Come on...

[Knight165]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

Literally reviewing a game you haven't played yet?

Come on...

...and is just flat out wrong on a few of his talking points!


M.K.
Knight165

[artgamer72]

Literally reviewing a game you haven't played yet?

Come on...

Sorry, I do not think it is necessary to purchase a game to express an opinion. I am completely open to being told that I was incorrect, as long as facts are presented ti prove I am wrong. Here's the thing. I don't think I am wrong in anything I stated above. I have seen the same screenshots, gameplay and live feed video presented hereand elsewhere that everyone else has seen.

[japinard]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

I still laugh when people talk about the commentary being boring and stale. I play countless hours of The Show, NBA 2k, Madden, and NHL every year and it's all the same. All of the commentary in these games gets old rather quickly. I think it's just extremely difficult to get enough lines in and make it dynamic enough to sound like real commentary.

To me, the only way commentary in these games can be bad is if the commentators they use sound really irritating. Gus Johnson annoyed me to no end when he was in Madden ("and he's down... AT THE 19!!").

As for other things mentioned... I love the way they make a lot of steady improvements every year. Each year is always a lot better than the last. I'm hoping the next thing they focus on (aside from game modes, which I think are always improving) is improving the player models. Uniforms/body types/faces/animations (which are getting better). They already added in new skin tones so they may start heading in this direction. MLB 15 will definitely be my go to game until the end of summer at the earliest... just a fantastic baseball sim

NHL, FIFA, and 2k NBA commentary are a billion times better and more varied than the stale effort they've made in this game. Ironically commentary form baseball is leagues easier to do than in those games so it kind of amplifies the law bar set in The Show.

[Smallville102001]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

While I agree that a complete overhaul isn't necessary this game has gone from an annual purchase to one that I'll buy every 2-3 years. I'd like to see them do something to justify shelling out another $60 each year other than just minor adjustments.

Most sports games are minor adjustments form year to year like 90% of the time and this game already plays so great that it is going to be hard to have a big jump compared to the another sports games out there.

[Smallville102001]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

It's because most gaming websites don't have writers who understand sports. They frequently rate Madden higher than The Show.

Edit: Also, thanks for the kind words, guys.

Madden has been way way overrated since like madden 07 and mlb has been way underrated.

[Syce]

i like the paragraph about online play, while i have had difference experiences with connections, the opposing player sounds about right, too many play the game like its a arcade game. im more of a simulation type player so going up against players who act ******** to win just turns me away from online games mostly. its probably why i usually will only play online to play in a simulation online league where there are rules and people play the game more like it should.

[Factzzz]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

And let's be honest, as amazing as the crowds and the stadiums look, when we're playing the game we spend most of our time staring at the players. If they take a big step forward with the realism of the player models --- without breaking anything else --- it will have a huge impact on our experience of the game.

It may seem to be ungrateful to ask for more from a game that already looks so great, but games like NBA2K and EA's UFC have raised the bar for how realistic humans can look in a next-gen sports game; in this area, MLB:The Show is still lagging a little behind.

This is what i've been saying since last year,

the players are the center of attention when it comes to graphics for sports games, no matter how you spin it. This is why some people still say the game looks the same as the ps3 version.

And for the player models to be minimally touched since the introduction of the ps4, is pretty bad IMO. Compared to the two games mentioned, NBA 2k and EA UFC, the Show's player models are not where they should be.

With that said, the first two years on ps4, they've done an excellent job with the stadiums, even though they still don't have domed versions of the retractable roof stadiums somehow, so now hopefully they focus more on the players next year.

[CaseIH]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Review (PS4)

I never understand the phrase "take big risks to move forward. "

There isn't a whole lot that I would want to change to enjoy the game.

There is a saying that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Changing some of the game engines radically could destroy what we love about the game.

I'm hoping that they continue to add refinements and build the game modes to the next levels.

Yep, I agree, just look at what NBA2k typically does each yr they try to add a bunch of new stuff, only to have important modes practically unplayable because of bugs they cant or wont fix. Madden typically screws thing up too each yr.


MLBTS is the only sports game you can count on yearly to be playable early on in the season. Other games sometime stay broke the whole season with so many issue to key modes. Reason why I will buy MLBTS day1, even though I typically don't play it much till OSFM rosters comes out because I know they don't screw things up so bad.


I hope these devs don't fall forth few who whine about not enough new features each yr, or big changes. Ill take a slow improvement that done right from the get go.

[BizDevConglomerate]

Im big on creating players, and being black no game except this years 2k has really done a good job with hair options. I wish every game would just allow us to pick from the hairstyles of the current player's. This would be the easiest way to deal with this feature.

Outside of that, I waited two days juat for the game to install. Some craziness. After waiting, I was just ready to play, and wasnt that blown away. The game felt slow. Even though baseball is a slower paced game, everything aboit this was slow.

I found the fast counts and things got better, found the fast play, and again better... What really excited me about the game was the pitch break. I use to pitch, my brother pitched , we threw curve balls and seeing its break properly is dope.

I hit my first home run with the mariners, it was nic. But i wish they would follow the ball in the air. The ball has no business going out of our view. Thats crazy. And we shouldn't have to watch the ball from the plate. I juat think they stayed vanilla on this. There we're things they left out. And all player's arent wearing the real shoes. Many players wear New Balance, and the necklaces come out the shirts. I mean our hispanic players go hard with the rope chains.

Lastly id realy have liked to see the WBC TEAMS. a full mode or something were we can play as those teams. And a new presentation team karros has to go.

But i bought the download, so I'm stuck. It'll have to grow on me now.