MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

[Tsgeek]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

Agreed on both sentiments. I tried to love 21. I played it frequently until about 2 weeks ago. Constantly frustrated with what they had done to RTTS (now RTDD) and Franchise. Yes, the graphics are beautiful, but 20 is almost as good. I really like the smoother defense play in 21, but not enough to put up with all the failings.

I switched back to 20 around 2 weeks ago just to get a better comparison, and I haven't been back to 21 yet. It's just not fun as an immersive sim. 20 is.

The Show used to be baseball on a console. Now it's just another video game.

After putting in enough time with 21. Your post is a perfect sentiment of my view and feelings towards 21.

Something feels off and fundamentally different under the hood. Visually the game is beautiful as usual. But gameplay has simply gone backwards.

And I will say it again......they absolutely blew it with check swings. A total game killer for me that makes it unplayable using directional hitting. A pure mess and a horrendous decision for offline players.

It was a heck of a run for me...but like you, I will not be an annual purchaser of this series anymore. I see myself playing MLB 20 for several years and I hope SDS can get back to what they had been doing....making a great simulation of console baseball and not cratering...that is right cratering into the demands of online players.

But we know that is not going to happen. The trend is clear. And the direction of the game is going where I do not want. So...it is what it is. No ill will towards this great team of developers. They just have to do what the trends direct them to do.

If you are getting frustrated with the game.....and are on the PS. Simply go back to 20 and you will feel right at home.

I think guys who love classic rosters and ratings based gameplay will run back to 20 in due time (it is already happening).

Sent from my HD1900 using Operation Sports mobile app

[Funkycorm]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

Agreed on both sentiments. I tried to love 21. I played it frequently until about 2 weeks ago. Constantly frustrated with what they had done to RTTS (now RTDD) and Franchise. Yes, the graphics are beautiful, but 20 is almost as good. I really like the smoother defense play in 21, but not enough to put up with all the failings.

I switched back to 20 around 2 weeks ago just to get a better comparison, and I haven't been back to 21 yet. It's just not fun as an immersive sim. 20 is.

The Show used to be baseball on a console. Now it's just another video game.

Sent from my HD1900 using Operation Sports mobile app

I had went back to RTTS almost right away because I loathed what they did to it.

According to my PS5, I put in just under 100 hours in 21 before fully switching back and starting season 4 in my Indians future franchise.

I think that is definitely a fair shake for the game. And just something felt off the entire time. As you said the fielding did feel better but there are too many bobbles by infielders and outfielders seemed to get the ball out of their hands just a bit too fast.

I won't rehash my thoughts about franchise here but suffice it to say it is my main game mode and 21 isn't worth the admission price for it this year because the on field play regressed in my opinion.

I really wanted to love 21. It's why I put in near 100 hours before I stopped playing.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

I might be alone but I like 21 and I like the tightness of check swinging. As good as the game has always been, I lost a bit of immersion knowing that I’d clearly not managed to check my swing without breaking the plane yet rarely was called out for it. Now I’m forced to be more disciplined and I love it.

I guess that’s just me.

It is 90% ring up on plenty of checks that are clearly not strike swings for me (where I clearly show no intent...like barely a tap and the bat barely moves). It is totally unbalanced. They went way too far...and nerfing the discipline rating took the ratings based element completely out....now it is a true "video game" twitch skill vs the players ratings ability to have the plate discipline to hold up. One of the great things The Show did for a decade was truly having ratings based RNG gameplay. It was a huge part of the attraction of the game for many of us. It was a refined and far better version of the High Heat Series (which was the last baseball game that had this same simulation ratings based approach).

While I don’t disagree the animation on 20 sometimes (sometimes too often) failed to match the result...I still get rung up on 20. But not at a 90% clip like on MLB 21. I would say it was 60/40 to 65/35 holding up. Far better balance than what 21 has brought. Not even close.

They simply changed it for online play reasons. It had nothing to do with ratings and better balance. It had to do with a constant whine and cry from ranked DD players not getting strikeouts because ratings still mattered and animations sometimes did not sync. Perception.

We can agree to disagree. Some people love it. By all means....keep on loving it.

IMO they totally went in a direction I simply do not care to go in. And IMO this is just a start (along with bunting which although I have been able to have some success with....it was never the same after caving into again....the online whine about bunts being exploited online which they were....but why ruin it for offline franchise players?).

What is the point of touting simulation/stick skills/casual when you clearly can’t separate a core function like check swings.

That is window dressing and Madden does it too with their so called Simulation/Competitive/Arcade settings. Yes some things are different.....but things bleed into the simulation setting side you just wish did not.

Core coding overrules that stuff. Once you start messing with the core or for lack of a better term the “soul” of a game that is when things start to “feel" a lot different.

Again we can disagree on this point (or any point for that matter). But I think it really put a crimp into the game for a lot of us around here.

I hope they can balance it better on future versions.....or actually bring back the discipline rating.....but I doubt it will happen. And I think we all know why. The priorities have changed for what fan base they really are focused on now.

MLB 21 is a product of that.

[canes21]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

Although I hate the new check swing mechanic, playing on Legend with max pitch speeds makes it near impossible for the system to work in a way for me to get checks, I'll say purely on the field this is a better game than 20 in my opinion.

The smoother fielding animations alone are a big enough change for me to not want to go back to 20. I'm also seeing the best hit variety I've ever seen in the series or probably any baseball game.

I'm seeing fielding errors which I was convinced didn't exist in 20. I'm seeing new throwing errors I don't recall seeing before.

On the field I really do enjoy the game. The only issue I have with the game on the field outside of the check swings is I cannot find a hitting camera that helps me consistently lay off the low ball. Well, that and I wish pitch speeds could be made faster. Even on max pitch speeds possible in the game I find them way too slow. I feel like any pitcher throwing softer than 98 is one I could take a nap against before the ball got to the plate because it still takes so much time. It feels like at max pitch speeds in the game they're 10-15 mph slower than real life and unless it is 100 I am early constantly.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Funkycorm]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

It is 90% ring up on plenty of checks that are clearly not strike swings for me (where I clearly show no intent...like barely a tap and the bat barely moves). It is totally unbalanced. They went way too far...and nerfing the discipline rating took the ratings based element completely out....now it is a true "video game" twitch skill vs the players ratings ability to have the plate discipline to hold up. One of the great things The Show did for a decade was truly having ratings based RNG gameplay. It was a huge part of the attraction of the game for many of us. It was a refined and far better version of the High Heat Series (which was the last baseball game that had this same simulation ratings based approach).

While I don’t disagree the animation on 20 sometimes (sometimes too often) failed to match the result...I still get rung up on 20. But not at a 90% clip like on MLB 21. I would say it was 60/40 to 65/35 holding up. Far better balance than what 21 has brought. Not even close.

They simply changed it for online play reasons. It had nothing to do with ratings and better balance. It had to do with a constant whine and cry from ranked DD players not getting strikeouts because ratings still mattered and animations sometimes did not sync. Perception.

We can agree to disagree. Some people love it. By all means....keep on loving it.

IMO they totally went in a direction I simply do not care to go in. And IMO this is just a start (along with bunting which although I have been able to have some success with....it was never the same after caving into again....the online whine about bunts being exploited online which they were....but why ruin it for offline franchise players?).

What is the point of touting simulation/stick skills/casual when you clearly can’t separate a core function like check swings.

That is window dressing and Madden does it too with their so called Simulation/Competitive/Arcade settings. Yes some things are different.....but things bleed into the simulation setting side you just wish did not.

Core coding overrules that stuff. Once you start messing with the core or for lack of a better term the “soul” of a game that is when things start to “feel" a lot different.

Again we can disagree on this point (or any point for that matter). But I think it really put a crimp into the game for a lot of us around here.

I hope they can balance it better on future versions.....or actually bring back the discipline rating.....but I doubt it will happen. And I think we all know why. The priorities have changed for what fan base they really are focused on now.

MLB 21 is a product of that.

I agree with everything here.

The game is moving in a direction that I am not happy with. You can already feel that in the gameplay in 21 and them adding the different modes and the check swing changes. Oh how I loathe the check swing changes.

There was nothing wrong with it before. It was a nice mixture of stick skills and ratings. Honestly makes me wonder what ratings will not matter next. Vision? Clutch? It's a slippery slope and they have started down that hill.

Never played the high heat series but had always heard good things about it.


--------

Across the board as a whole, 20 just delivers a better product than 21.

[wizfan2]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

I agree with everything here.

The game is moving in a direction that I am not happy with. You can already feel that in the gameplay in 21 and them adding the different modes and the check swing changes. Oh how I loathe the check swing changes.

There was nothing wrong with it before. It was a nice mixture of stick skills and ratings. Honestly makes me wonder what ratings will not matter next. Vision? Clutch? It's a slippery slope and they have started down that hill.

Never played the high heat series but had always heard good things about it.


--------

Across the board as a whole, 20 just delivers a better product than 21.

I've tried to give 21 a chance, wanted to like it but has others have said something about it just seems off in the gameplay can't quite put my finger on it, had to go back to 20, just plays a better game to me. Maybe I will come back to it at some point but I've got a great 30 team franchise going in 20 so that's where I am right now.

[Formula1Racing]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

It is 90% ring up on plenty of checks that are clearly not strike swings for me (where I clearly show no intent...like barely a tap and the bat barely moves). It is totally unbalanced. They went way too far...and nerfing the discipline rating took the ratings based element completely out....now it is a true "video game" twitch skill vs the players ratings ability to have the plate discipline to hold up. One of the great things The Show did for a decade was truly having ratings based RNG gameplay. It was a huge part of the attraction of the game for many of us. It was a refined and far better version of the High Heat Series (which was the last baseball game that had this same simulation ratings based approach).

While I don’t disagree the animation on 20 sometimes (sometimes too often) failed to match the result...I still get rung up on 20. But not at a 90% clip like on MLB 21. I would say it was 60/40 to 65/35 holding up. Far better balance than what 21 has brought. Not even close.

They simply changed it for online play reasons. It had nothing to do with ratings and better balance. It had to do with a constant whine and cry from ranked DD players not getting strikeouts because ratings still mattered and animations sometimes did not sync. Perception.

We can agree to disagree. Some people love it. By all means....keep on loving it.

IMO they totally went in a direction I simply do not care to go in. And IMO this is just a start (along with bunting which although I have been able to have some success with....it was never the same after caving into again....the online whine about bunts being exploited online which they were....but why ruin it for offline franchise players?).

What is the point of touting simulation/stick skills/casual when you clearly can’t separate a core function like check swings.

That is window dressing and Madden does it too with their so called Simulation/Competitive/Arcade settings. Yes some things are different.....but things bleed into the simulation setting side you just wish did not.

Core coding overrules that stuff. Once you start messing with the core or for lack of a better term the “soul” of a game that is when things start to “feel" a lot different.

Again we can disagree on this point (or any point for that matter). But I think it really put a crimp into the game for a lot of us around here.

I hope they can balance it better on future versions.....or actually bring back the discipline rating.....but I doubt it will happen. And I think we all know why. The priorities have changed for what fan base they really are focused on now.

MLB 21 is a product of that.

I have to agree with you Armor. It so unfortunate that it has come to this.

I've been a fan for so long that I still remember 989 Studios now called SDS when they first presented in a demo video their new game engine and graphics that started it all in "MLB 2005" PS2 with Eric Chávez on the cover. That was the start of what it is now called MLB The Show. Those were the golden years of Sports Video games I believe.

Of course, there's been a lot of progress since then but man there's been some head scratchers as well these past years with MLBTS. I am more disappointed that there are no other AAA game developers willing to take on SDS in making another MLB Baseball game title to compete with. And no, that other "MLB Official" baseball game is not even close to being comparable with MLBTS.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

Playing Spring Training game against Mets last night.

Jeff McNeil laces one down the right field line. Justin Williams takes a poor route (I take a poor route) to the ball and it gets past and rolls to the wall.

Jeff McNeil is on his horse and decides he's going to try for inside the park homerun, (or double and error depending on scoring) as he's hitting the 3rd base bag as Williams is picking up the ball, but Justin Williams grabs the ball, fires to Marwin Gonzalez who then fires the ball home beating McNeil for the tag out.

The animations that played out made this an "effortless" smooth chain of fielding events that was beautiful to watch unfold. Especially since he was out.

I absolutely love the fielding in '21.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

Not only is Nolan Arenado launching bombs in Spring Training, but he's doing trick shots to boot


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[RogerDodger]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

There was something wrong with it though, I could break the plane and still not get a strike. It was ridiculous. I like simulation baseball and ratings to matter so maybe they be need to figure it out again but reverting back to how it was isn’t going to happen. Ultimately if I didn’t want stick skills to matter then I’d aim every game and not actually play them myself because at the end of the day my skills matter more than anything to my teams W-L record.

I agree with everything here.

The game is moving in a direction that I am not happy with. You can already feel that in the gameplay in 21 and them adding the different modes and the check swing changes. Oh how I loathe the check swing changes.

There was nothing wrong with it before. It was a nice mixture of stick skills and ratings. Honestly makes me wonder what ratings will not matter next. Vision? Clutch? It's a slippery slope and they have started down that hill.

Never played the high heat series but had always heard good things about it.


--------

Across the board as a whole, 20 just delivers a better product than 21.

[Funkycorm]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

There was something wrong with it though, I could break the plane and still not get a strike. It was ridiculous. I like simulation baseball and ratings to matter so maybe they be need to figure it out again but reverting back to how it was isn’t going to happen. Ultimately if I didn’t want stick skills to matter then I’d aim every game and not actually play them myself because at the end of the day my skills matter more than anything to my teams W-L record.

I never trust the replay on anything in the show. Not since they said they ball will go through the bat in instant replay but not during actual play.

For me, I would say I had about half and half results on 20 for being called a swing and not being called a swing. Yeah it is not quite what it is in reality but players with low discipline would have strikes called more and it seemed to average out.

It should not have been disconnected from discipline in 21. I still say in my opinion there was nothing wrong with it in 20 but I don't go and look at replays. I would get calls both ways so I was happy.

In 21, I would only get called strikes for me and called balls for the CPU. Fine blame stick skills but it makes so ratings mean nothing in 21 for discipline. At least it 20 the rating mattered. That is what I am after. And 21 took that away from us. To me, that is a step backwards.

[Archie56]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

I'm really just having way too much fun with this game. I honestly cannot hardly put it down. The only time I've set it aside this past week was when I got the new Ratchet & Clank game. It just sucks me right in and I love it. Also, here's a pic of my favorite player to watch right now. Akil Baddoo goin yard!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

This is the beauty of this game.

Previous Spring Training game the final score was 1-0 after 10 innings.

Current game I'm playing now, both teams combined for 6 runs in the first.

[edaddy]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

This is the beauty of this game.

Previous Spring Training game the final score was 1-0 after 10 innings.

Current game I'm playing now, both teams combined for 6 runs in the first.

That’s what I love about this game it’s random and realistic. I caught the Rockies on the second night of a back to back after I had a three day layoff I smoked them 11-2 Rockies we’re fatigued played some subs. 2 days later after a day layoff they come out completely different beat me 4-2 in a great game,. Game is great love it!!!

[baseballguy99]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Impressions Thread

Man I wanna have fun with this game so badly, the cpu offence is non existent on legend. Are you guys consistently getting competitive games against them?