MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

[johnlnames]

So your not getting line drives hit right at your shortstop and him ducking like a coward?

You start a paragraph with "The core gameplay is perfect." I completely disagree. While it is great from a hitters and pitchers perspective, the fielding and throwing is atrocious.

Don't get me wrong, I love this game but if somebody bought a PS4 and The Show just by reading this they would be highly disappointed.

I agree, the fielding in this game can be awful most of the time. You get stuck in animations and their reaction time can be unbelievably bad. I still love this game, but you're right. I got a few people to buy this game and they have already turned it in, due to the defensive flaws in this game.

[supermanemblem]

I have to disagree. This year's game has some great qualities, but the overall gameplay is the horrible. The comeback code is alive and well in this game. Umps start squeezing the zone, .200 hitters turn into Ted Williams and defensive players run around blind-folded. I know about the sliders. I fiddle with the sliders and I cannot get them to simulate a decent game.

1. The CPU has 100 times more hit paths than human. I play zone and cannot believe the CPU is hitting HRs when their PCI is no where near the ball.
2. The CPU has 10 times the defensive range. If I don't hit a homerun, it's not going over the outfielders heads. On base hits with a man on second, the outfielder is 5 steps off the infield grass when they are throwing to the plate. In my last game, my 2B ducked on a critical line drive hit directly at him. WTF??
3. I feel like I'm watching Final Destination when the CPU is about to doogle me: two out walk to the #8 hitter, the pitcher hits a bleeder over the mound, the leadoff hitter slaps a cue shot past my 3B, then the #2 slaps an 0-2 slider which was supposed to be in the dirt into the gap to clear the bases.
4. Human defenders have no awareness of base runners and can take their sweet *** time making throws at the wrong time. While the CPU players make accurate off-balance throws.
5. The fielding animations is straight b.s. on ground balls too.
BONUS: They even spelled "Champions" wrong on Arizona's banners.

MLB 13 was the best game since it came to PS3/PS4. I knew this day would come, but I never thought I would go out like this. I've been gaming since the late 70's, so I've had a great run. I had the following systems when they first came out: Atari 5200, Colecovision, Commodore 64, NES, Genesis, Super Nintendo, Saturn, Gameboy, Playstation (1-4), DS, PSP and Vita, and have been playing sports games the entire time. I think it's time to leave these sports game to the youngsters.

[TonyDanzaFan]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

The game is good. Very good, actually. But to make it even better, to make it on par with a game like nba 2k15, the flaws must be documented. While it's nice to sit back and say, this game is a masterpiece would be doing both the studio and the fans a disservice. By no means is the game bad, and likely it deserves much of the praise it gets, but what bothers me is when we're told to be emphatically positive. I'm not trashing the show, nor have I ever, but there's no harm in pointing out potential improvements. Your article was very good (this post is mostly directed towards a lot of the comments I see posted on this forum). The show is phenomenal, I play it multiple hours every day for the last ten years. But still there are things that must be improved upon that haven't been touched, for it to be the definitive best sports game period. Number one is player models. I still feel like this is a ps3 port. I don't see many pointing this out so I try to do it often. The stadiums, lighting etc look phenomenal. But the players still look like upressed last gen models. Batting stances make players feel more unique than previous years but they still feel one and the same, no uniqueness to them. They need to overhaul the models. Make beasts like Stanton look muscular. Let me see it in their jerseys and arms etc not just a singular skeleton with some girth added. Make chubby guys look chubby. Make skinny players skinnier and more petite. This is my number one biggest issue with the show. While others might not care, I care. This isn't footbalwhere they're covered in pads and a helmet, the players should each be unique. Fix jerseys. Make them baggy for players like cc, tight for players like Stanton etc. I want to feel like I'm actually Giancarlo Stanton, because right now I don't. Secondly is make rtts more immersive. It's stale at this point. I don't feel like I'm the player. I just feel like a lifeless robot at this point. Part of this is being spoiled by nba but that is not such a bad thing because it let's you know that it can be done. It was great and innovative the first few years but it doesn't feel any different from five years ago. On the gameplay side I'm content. I'm sure others have different wishes but honestly aside from commentary and presentation I'm fine. The game is great and I play it a ton and it speaks volumes that after all these years of being relatively unchanged that it still plays excellent but I'm not ready to call this their magnum opus because there is still room for improvement. I just felt like saying this because I hate being told not to complain when it's not really complaining but rather trying to make a great game a masterpiece.

[CujoMatty]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

This game is just so unbelievably good. If I don't play it every day it makes me sad lol. It has its issues like every other game ever but I can't get enough of it.

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

It's not perfect, but I think the gameplay is the best it's ever been. And it's been pretty darn good in the past.

[Pappy Knuckles]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

The developers didn't try to reinvent the wheel since the last game, but the tweaks that they did implement have made this a much improved edition. It's not something that would necessarily jump out at you when watching videos, though. It's one of those things that you have to "feel" by actually playing the game.

I've always been a big fan of online gaming because I find that many sports titles offer a mundane and repetitive single player experience. That's definitely not the case here. I find my games against the CPU to be highly entertaining and every one feels like a unique experience. I've mostly just been running exhibitions with random teams lately and having a blast.

[Steven78]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

Oh and this is the game I play 95% of the time and bought a PS4 for. I don't regret it a second.

[CaseIH]

MLBTS has been great every since I got smart and bought a PS3 back in 09 and got rid of that crap called MLB2k. The only yr I didn't really get into the game was MLBTS10, because of the relievers playing in way too many games, but other than that yr once this game comes out I have a hard time putting it down.

MLB15 is definitely the best game to date, they really nailed it with gameplay this yr and even using the stock pitching repertoires isn't as bad as it has been in the past to where the game is unplayable without pitch edits.

The new pitch movements and how fielders especially OF'ers will misplay balls is what really makes this yrs game standout. Graphics are great, but graphics every year have always been top notch in this game.

The game does have some flaws, but every game does. The announcers saying wrong names is really the only thing I have found that just annoys me to know end, although it don't happen overly often it does it enough to be annoying to me.

I would like to see Real time presentation be brought back, to where its like your at the game and there isnt replays, as I really liked that presentation when they had it in the game.

[mdiggitydawg]

I enjoyed reading this article for I feel the same way...I am 57 games into my Mets franchise and even when I lose i like it...I allow the AI to field, so I pitch and hit...that said, I too realize there are some glaring hiccups in fielding which I would like addressed, but otherwise, can't argue with the fact I usually have become bored or frustrated with a baseball game by now...but not with this...bought my PS4 for MLB this year...have not regretted it at all.

[KBLover]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

Exactly right. This game captures the variance of the sport with amazing fidelity. It's hard to overstate how right they got this aspect of the game that is so central to the baseball experience.

Tell me about it.

I score 9 runs one day, lose 3-2 in 10 innings, lose 8-7 because Paco (Rodriguez) flubbed it (PACO! PACO! GAH PACO!).

One game, teams combined to K 28 times. Next game it was 2-0 with 5 hits combined (combined!)

And despite all of that, good teams can still be good. So long term, the quality of the team shows up, but short term - it can be all over the place.

[TexasRyan]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

Was an error (Anthony Rizzo literally dropped a ball thrown a tad bit short at first base) and a walk with 2 outs in the 9th (had him 3-2 and it was a questionable call, but you get what you get) away from pitching a perfect game in my Cubs franchise with Jason Hammel.

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

Real-time dynamic lighting and cloud/weather conditions ala Red Dead & GTA would beat the pants off what they're doing here, but I'm not really complaining. And I'm sorry but that LOD issue with the 3/4 sleeves is a real chore to ignore. I also think crowd reactions remain a bit underwhelming most of the time and framerate is inconsistent during cutscenes.

Bonus pet peeve: I'm rather displeased with crowd distribution. I play at Commerica Park and half the time all the empty seats are in the upper deck; like literally an empty upper deck with a full lower bowl. That's not how the place should distribute at all.

It should look something like this:



Instead I get a FULL lower deck + an EMPTY upper deck. That's not what I had in mind when they said "fans will now sit in the cheap seats less frequently" or whatever it was.

Can't really comment on other stadiums except to say attendance is usually pretty ridiculous - some random Wednesday game in April should almost always have plenty of empty seats scattered throughout the stadium.


...

Otherwise I agree, it's the best game in the series' history and by extension one of the best three or four baseball games ever made.

[rbiaci]

I love he shoe so far excellent game work of art and I'm just in the beginning

[rbiaci]

GREAT GAME

[vinjih]

Re: MLB 15 The Show Is the Series' Magnum Opus

I am so glad someone else shares my opinion on this. With all of the negativity in this forum this year, I truly felt that I was just about the only one that loved this game.