re: MLB The Show 17 Impressions
MY MLB THE SHOW 17 IMPRESSIONS
Well I must say, MLB the Show 17 is going to get some serious play from me this year. There are four primary reasons for this.
First of all, I sucked it up and bought it digital. I like being able to go in and out of games very quickly. I know it's silly but if a game requires a disc I think "oh I'm not sure where that is, is that downstairs?" or something to that effect and I typically pass on playing it in favor of something else that is there able to start with the click of the button.
Secondly, this game is finally accessible to me. What does that mean? Well it means in the past I've loved MLB The Show the game but I've stunk at it. More specifically hitting. I'm alright at pitching, but when it comes to hitting I'm just terrible. I hack at everything and can't get the timing of anything down to save my life.
Yes I'm the guy that makes opposing pitchers wonder if they really can get that elusive shutout or 1-hitter. No joke!
Well anyways, this year they have dynamic adaptive skill levels. Not sure if they have had this in the past or not but if so I never knew about it. This year the game has you play a test game to get your skill level and then it adapts on the fly. If you are killing it hitting everything out of the park then it'll make hitting a bit more difficult and on the flip side, that would be my side, if you're struggling the game makes it just slightly easier until you can hit.
Using this I've been able to actually play and enjoy the game on both sides of the ball. I think I'm embarrassed to say my hitting is somewhere between beginner and rookie but that's ok, I'll improve. Which leads me to another nice feature that I've found helpful...
Batting practice. It's really a great way to sharpen your skills. Or in my case, actually develop some skills. You can do various types of practice but batting is where I need the help. I spent about 30 minutes last night in batting practice and it's already helped. I'm learning to take balls and sometimes even get a walk. Yes I still occasionally hack at things that make the announcers laugh at me and then I have to cry, but overall I'm getting better thanks to this mode.
Lastly, the ability to play short games, by doing the hybrid presentation, simulating early innings and then coming up to the plate with a partial count already there...means I can tailor the game to be as fast, or as leisurely as I want. I love baseball but sometimes, often times actually, I simply don't have the patience for it. So for the impatient among us, and that's a lot of us, MLB The Show gives you the ability to play a 10 minute game or a 20 minute game or whatever. This is a godsend for me personally.
Combine these four things, being digital, being accessible to allow me to have more competitive games (and even win on occasion!), the practice modes that will help me get better and the ability to play quicker are going to mean this game will be on my rotation right alongside Madden, NBA and FIFA now. And I say, well about damned time!
P.S. Did I mention it's a visual tour de force that leaves my jaw on the ground each time I play it? Yeah, that helps too but I know, in time I'll get used to that, so it's worth mentioning but as we all know, graphics rarely keep people coming back if the core game is not there. Thankfully that is not the case here.
MY MLB THE SHOW 17 IMPRESSIONS
Well I must say, MLB the Show 17 is going to get some serious play from me this year. There are four primary reasons for this.
First of all, I sucked it up and bought it digital. I like being able to go in and out of games very quickly. I know it's silly but if a game requires a disc I think "oh I'm not sure where that is, is that downstairs?" or something to that effect and I typically pass on playing it in favor of something else that is there able to start with the click of the button.
Secondly, this game is finally accessible to me. What does that mean? Well it means in the past I've loved MLB The Show the game but I've stunk at it. More specifically hitting. I'm alright at pitching, but when it comes to hitting I'm just terrible. I hack at everything and can't get the timing of anything down to save my life.
Yes I'm the guy that makes opposing pitchers wonder if they really can get that elusive shutout or 1-hitter. No joke!
Well anyways, this year they have dynamic adaptive skill levels. Not sure if they have had this in the past or not but if so I never knew about it. This year the game has you play a test game to get your skill level and then it adapts on the fly. If you are killing it hitting everything out of the park then it'll make hitting a bit more difficult and on the flip side, that would be my side, if you're struggling the game makes it just slightly easier until you can hit.
Using this I've been able to actually play and enjoy the game on both sides of the ball. I think I'm embarrassed to say my hitting is somewhere between beginner and rookie but that's ok, I'll improve. Which leads me to another nice feature that I've found helpful...
Batting practice. It's really a great way to sharpen your skills. Or in my case, actually develop some skills. You can do various types of practice but batting is where I need the help. I spent about 30 minutes last night in batting practice and it's already helped. I'm learning to take balls and sometimes even get a walk. Yes I still occasionally hack at things that make the announcers laugh at me and then I have to cry, but overall I'm getting better thanks to this mode.
Lastly, the ability to play short games, by doing the hybrid presentation, simulating early innings and then coming up to the plate with a partial count already there...means I can tailor the game to be as fast, or as leisurely as I want. I love baseball but sometimes, often times actually, I simply don't have the patience for it. So for the impatient among us, and that's a lot of us, MLB The Show gives you the ability to play a 10 minute game or a 20 minute game or whatever. This is a godsend for me personally.
Combine these four things, being digital, being accessible to allow me to have more competitive games (and even win on occasion!), the practice modes that will help me get better and the ability to play quicker are going to mean this game will be on my rotation right alongside Madden, NBA and FIFA now. And I say, well about damned time!
P.S. Did I mention it's a visual tour de force that leaves my jaw on the ground each time I play it? Yeah, that helps too but I know, in time I'll get used to that, so it's worth mentioning but as we all know, graphics rarely keep people coming back if the core game is not there. Thankfully that is not the case here.
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