After having officially played 100 games in MLB '19 I can confidently say that SDS has once again delivered another complete game. It isn't a shutout, no-hitter, nor perfect game as there are fallacies, but overall MLB '19 plays a stellar game of baseball. The fallacies are known; bugs (Pitcher/DH Bug), missing modes (Season/Online Franchise), and on a personal level, the lack of wanted/desired improvements within franchise mode.
But with that said and taking the game for what it delivers, I am very happy with MLB '19 and my enjoyment level is as high as its ever been for this series. The gameplay, while having a few quirks (excessive contact & latest patch making ball too lively for my tastes) is easily the best of the series. The improvement to defense alone is worth the price of admission for me. I absolutely love what they have done with defense this year. The levels of caliber for the defensive players really helps to separate the gold glove caliber player from the average defender. The changes to hitting, making contact hitters matter more, is a welcome addition that I was unsure of when first reading about it. Same can be said to the changes in pitching. When they "nerfed" off speed pitches, but made fastballs a bit more "powerful" I wasn't sure how it was going to play out on the diamond. I'm happy to say that after an abundance of games, I'm starting to understand how to be a more effective thise days (I had 22 strikeouts in a game I played last night in 11 innings)
You add all three of these things together in the melting pot that delivers gameplay and you have one hell of a game on your hands. Sure I had to make a slider adjustment after the latest patch, but that is what they are for, to help re-balance the game to your liking. While I hardly ever adjust sliders, its good to know for one that they are there and two, none of the adjustments SDS makes are drastic enough that a simple slider adjustment or two can't re-balance the game to where it was before.
Presentation is easily the most under appreciated improvement to this year's game, especially within franchise mode. I wasn't sure at first about Heidi Watney as I was afraid her lines would become extremely repetitive over the course of 162 games. Thankfully, she provides stats (along with screens of those stats) that help keep her "fresh". If all I had to listen to was her talk exclusively about the happenings in the current game and the managers opinion, I would grow extremely tired of her. But with the mix up in providing stats, current game analysis, and even weather reports, it helps keep it from becoming too repetitive.
Additional improvements to the presentation; batting order screen, new scorebugs, new layout for batter walkups, new pop up stats, help deliver a broadcast feel to the presentation. I've always thought the presentation was good in the game, but this year it got better.
The mode that I play nearly exclusively, franchise mode, is virtually the same as it was last year aside from the new real life value contracts and contract extensions. Of course the mode always receives AI tinkering for things such as Free Agent logic, trade logic, and roster management logic. To say that it's overdue for additions is an understatement. The reasons as to why a majority of my wishlist for this mode remains in tact (only contract extensions scratched off), is understandable, but it doesn't erase the desire and hunger for more of that list to be scratched off. For me, carryover saves helps add to the depth of the mode, because I am so heavily invested in my own little world, that I'm enjoying watching it unfold year after year, and love the fact that I can carry it over to MLB '20 when it launches next year.
But despite the lack of wishlist items being added to franchise mode, MLB '19 is still a complete game for me because, one I do enjoy the current state of franchise mode and find it deep enough to keep me invested. And two, no matter what, gameplay will always be king in my opinion. I don't sim, so if the gameplay isn't good enough to keep me involved enough to play all 162 games (plus Spring Training, All Star games, and playoff games) then nothing else matters. No depth of franchise mode will be enough to keep me playing if gameplay isn't enjoyable. And in that regard, MLB '19 delivers.
MLB '19 isn't close to a perfect game. It's several hits away from a no hitter, and its few runs away from a shutout. But for me it is a complete game. It delivers enough in each facet of the game that I care about, to keep me heavily invested and entertained to play thru multiple seasons and another 12 months until MLB '20 hits the shelves.
Kudos to SDS.
But with that said and taking the game for what it delivers, I am very happy with MLB '19 and my enjoyment level is as high as its ever been for this series. The gameplay, while having a few quirks (excessive contact & latest patch making ball too lively for my tastes) is easily the best of the series. The improvement to defense alone is worth the price of admission for me. I absolutely love what they have done with defense this year. The levels of caliber for the defensive players really helps to separate the gold glove caliber player from the average defender. The changes to hitting, making contact hitters matter more, is a welcome addition that I was unsure of when first reading about it. Same can be said to the changes in pitching. When they "nerfed" off speed pitches, but made fastballs a bit more "powerful" I wasn't sure how it was going to play out on the diamond. I'm happy to say that after an abundance of games, I'm starting to understand how to be a more effective thise days (I had 22 strikeouts in a game I played last night in 11 innings)
You add all three of these things together in the melting pot that delivers gameplay and you have one hell of a game on your hands. Sure I had to make a slider adjustment after the latest patch, but that is what they are for, to help re-balance the game to your liking. While I hardly ever adjust sliders, its good to know for one that they are there and two, none of the adjustments SDS makes are drastic enough that a simple slider adjustment or two can't re-balance the game to where it was before.
Presentation is easily the most under appreciated improvement to this year's game, especially within franchise mode. I wasn't sure at first about Heidi Watney as I was afraid her lines would become extremely repetitive over the course of 162 games. Thankfully, she provides stats (along with screens of those stats) that help keep her "fresh". If all I had to listen to was her talk exclusively about the happenings in the current game and the managers opinion, I would grow extremely tired of her. But with the mix up in providing stats, current game analysis, and even weather reports, it helps keep it from becoming too repetitive.
Additional improvements to the presentation; batting order screen, new scorebugs, new layout for batter walkups, new pop up stats, help deliver a broadcast feel to the presentation. I've always thought the presentation was good in the game, but this year it got better.
The mode that I play nearly exclusively, franchise mode, is virtually the same as it was last year aside from the new real life value contracts and contract extensions. Of course the mode always receives AI tinkering for things such as Free Agent logic, trade logic, and roster management logic. To say that it's overdue for additions is an understatement. The reasons as to why a majority of my wishlist for this mode remains in tact (only contract extensions scratched off), is understandable, but it doesn't erase the desire and hunger for more of that list to be scratched off. For me, carryover saves helps add to the depth of the mode, because I am so heavily invested in my own little world, that I'm enjoying watching it unfold year after year, and love the fact that I can carry it over to MLB '20 when it launches next year.
But despite the lack of wishlist items being added to franchise mode, MLB '19 is still a complete game for me because, one I do enjoy the current state of franchise mode and find it deep enough to keep me invested. And two, no matter what, gameplay will always be king in my opinion. I don't sim, so if the gameplay isn't good enough to keep me involved enough to play all 162 games (plus Spring Training, All Star games, and playoff games) then nothing else matters. No depth of franchise mode will be enough to keep me playing if gameplay isn't enjoyable. And in that regard, MLB '19 delivers.
MLB '19 isn't close to a perfect game. It's several hits away from a no hitter, and its few runs away from a shutout. But for me it is a complete game. It delivers enough in each facet of the game that I care about, to keep me heavily invested and entertained to play thru multiple seasons and another 12 months until MLB '20 hits the shelves.
Kudos to SDS.
14?.......14? Go to your room.
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