MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

[MiracleMet718]

Re: MLB The Show 2025 Early Impressions

This is just lazy script writing imho. This way of thinking says it's perfectly ok to release a broken product without zero recourse because you get some card packs does not absolve them and should not absolve them. No other field of production would yield this brand of excuse or pass.

Things have changed in the gaming and tech landscape in the last 10 years. We used to get games and software that once it was sent out on disc (or floppy for those that remember), we got what we got and that was it.

Now it’s an expectation that constant updates will be supported because you can easily download a new version and have these things fixed.

SDS already released a huge patch that fixed numerous issues right before the actual release day, none of which were game breaking anyway. If people want to me mad about that, I completely understand. But at some point those people should realize that this is now the norm and should stop spending the extra $30 since they won’t be satisfied with the product for 4 days.

[mastershake88]

Re: MLB The Show 2025 Early Impressions

Things have changed in the gaming and tech landscape in the last 10 years. We used to get games and software that once it was sent out on disc (or floppy for those that remember), we got what we got and that was it.

Now it’s an expectation that constant updates will be supported because you can easily download a new version and have these things fixed.

SDS already released a huge patch that fixed numerous issues right before the actual release day, none of which were game breaking anyway. If people want to me mad about that, I completely understand. But at some point those people should realize that this is now the norm and should stop spending the extra $30 since they won’t be satisfied with the product for 4 days.

So it's the customers fault and developers are aok selling products that doesn't work. Understood.

[mastershake88]

Re: MLB The Show 2025 Early Impressions

It's not even close to being a broken product.

Stadium creator is not functional. Are you serious ?

[countryboy]

MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

So it's the customers fault and developers are aok selling products that doesn't work. Understood.

Please stop derailing the thread.

If you want to discuss the topic of broken games and crooked developers then start a thread in the appropriate forum

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jcar0725]

Re: MLB The Show 2025 Early Impressions

Stadium creator is not functional. Are you serious ?

Yes. I'm serious. And stop calling me Shirley.

[MiracleMet718]

Re: MLB The Show 2025 Early Impressions

So it's the customers fault and developers are aok selling products that doesn't work. Understood.

If you buy something once and you aren’t satisfied, that’s on the developer. If you buy it again hoping for a different result, then it’s on the customer.

EDIT: I say this while also agreeing with you that stadium creator needs fixing. It works for the most part in terms of building your own new ones, but the vault is an absolute disaster.

[mastershake88]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

Please stop derailing the thread.

If you want to discuss the topic of broken games and crooked developers then start a thread in the appropriate forum

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Allow me to refute my claim and clean up this mess so it doesn't seem like I'm straw manning here and or dereailing

Here's my steelman. All I'm saying is my impression is that this game was released early and does not work properly. I however do not understand the defense when I purchased this for a mode that does not work properly or at all. That's my 0.02 and I shall leave so everything can go on without disruption.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

Loving these new replay angles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jcar0725]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

Loving these new replay angles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Each game i see a new one it seems.

[MiracleMet718]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

Changing tune back to the point of this thread, for anyone who has issues with the new HR camera, I have a semi-solution for you.

The new HR camera is actually tied to the Modern broadcast package. If you select one of the other eras, you get the old no doubt HR camera.

I also found out that the pitch clock is tied to this as well. So if you play in a previous era broadcast package, it removed the pitch clock too. Not sure what else is tied to it but wanted to give everyone a heads up since I didn’t know either of these things.

[bronxbombers21325]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

Changing tune back to the point of this thread, for anyone who has issues with the new HR camera, I have a semi-solution for you.

The new HR camera is actually tied to the Modern broadcast package. If you select one of the other eras, you get the old no doubt HR camera.

I also found out that the pitch clock is tied to this as well. So if you play in a previous era broadcast package, it removed the pitch clock too. Not sure what else is tied to it but wanted to give everyone a heads up since I didn’t know either of these things.

You had me until you mentioned it disabled the pitch clock. I'm too OCD to not play with current rules.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

Now this is the way you do a review.

Spoiler

MLB 25 is Chock Full of Franchise Goodness (and oh....it Plays an Amazing Game On The Diamond!!!)

MLB 25 is the first game in the series I have purchased early access or regular release since MLB The Show 20. Yes it's been that long. I did eventually pick up 23 and played that thru 24's cycle and then finally got around to playing MLB 24 in December of 2024 thru 25's early access release this past Friday.

I was not really happy with MLB's direction on 21 and 22 but 23 is where I saw the light again and then on 24 I really felt much better about the direction of the game.

Well I am very happy to report MLB 25 is shaping up to be a very special game. It's early and we have logged 17 hours thus far.....all in offline franchise (yes we already started our proper Yankees franchise as the latest live roster was more than adequate to begin).

So let's get to it.

Gameplay

This is where the series has always shined and 25 is no different. But something is absolutely more special this year. I am talking ball physics both in hitting and pitching has gone to a new level of wow......that is super realistic. The ball spins when you are in the batter box are legit. The introduction of the Sweeper is already giving me nightmares vs guys who can sling that pitch effectively. But the ball out of the hand .....is marvelous. I have never seen it look so real. Hitting has gone to new heights with that combination of fantastic audio off the bat combined with the far more responsive haptic feedback.

You see.....you can't watch a video and judge what is going on. You absolutely need the controller in your hand and "feel" the difference combined with your favorite headset to hear it......it is just that great.

I have already seen several new infield animations making picking and grinning look absolutely photo realistic. Dirt and grass are improved......and this game in motion is absolute baseball beauty.

There are new quick menus for making player substitutions and handling your bullpen...as well as a more intuitive defensive shift menu. Once I got used to the new quick D-Pad menus the more and more I like them better. They are much quicker and easier to navigate. I do know there is some push back on not seeing the pitchers warming up in the pen (your pitchers). I liked that but it's not a deal breaker for me.....not in the least.

If you want to see the defensive alignment, badges, ratings etc hold down R2/R3 at the same time and it will come up.

Bullpen Logic has been updated and I am happy to report it works contextually with the modern game with hook and stamina settings set to default 5. Yes it does work a lot better than the past when we had to shuffle the bullpen and make slider adjustments and ratings adjustments etc.....a huge welcome and a long time ask.

With Classic rosters I will have slider adjustments to properly reflect the era we play in.....that is not hard to do.

The bottom line for me is gameplay has never....ever been better.

9.5/10

Presentation

Now here is where the magic has taken place with MLB 25. None of this was really talked about or expanded upon with detail at all in the deep dives leading up to release. Why I don't know....but for me "Presentation" is as much as huge franchise feature than anything else you can add. When you are a player who takes on the grind of playing all 162 (yep that's me) the deep appreciation of the little things and presentation upgrades take on a much more important role.

There are lot's of new stat swipes and OSD's with the pre-game taking on a lot more depth with the Farm Report and Storylines. The Farm Report allows you to check on the home teams system in detail pre-game by selecting each prospect on the report, their current season stats, ranking in the system and value number as well. I actually now have a "farm scouting reprot notebook) on my table next to me to jot down notes on prospects around the league who I want to potentially target in trades or free agency (if they develop and then make it to FA after a team loses control). Yes it's that immersive.

Then we get to the Storyline screen pre-game which allwos you to selct a storyline to be talked about pre game.....it is dynamic, you will have several to choose from and it adds another layer of immersion. You will have several to choose from for both teams!! It is dynamic feature that seriously amps up the feeling of you entire universe being ALIVE. SDS listened and man they delivered.

The new camera and replay angles are outstanding. You are also getting more UMP cams on guys who go yard, more Show Drone replays.....it's great.

Now let's talk about themes!!!!

Franchise player rejoice!!!! We got some amazing QOL upgrades for Franchise mode in terms of being able to choose your presentation themes. What do I mean?

You can select either your team or the road teams Regional Broadcast package!!! That is huge. Now you can on the road get a taste of every teams Regional Broadcast packages to keep road games fresh!!! At home you can use yours!!

But wait.....there is more.

When using the MLB The Show National Broadcast Package you have the option of selecting from the following themes:

Modern
Pre 70s
70's/80's
90's
00's

That's right!!!! You get the score bug, batter walkup graphics from all those era's available to you. Guys this is huge for retro classic roster junkies and the classic roster community......a fantastic addition and IMO a nice little love letter to us old school pioneer Show fans. I am extremely happy they added this. It only opens up more immersion and allows us to go back to simpler time of presentation vs too much information on our screen.

We also have the ability to choose our PA announcer from all three in the game.


9.5/10

Franchise Mode

The big addition to franchise is the new GM Experience in the off-season with Free Agency. I am very much looking forward to my first off-season and I went ahead and test simmed one and it was extremely fun and worked pretty well. I did not find anything wonky about it. I do wish we still had the ability to front load or back load a contract....but my thinking is the team just could not get the logic to jive with this new, huge and bold undertaking reworking all the free agency logic. So I get it. And we have to remember this is not OOTP baseball. It's not a text sim. It's a game designed to be "played" not simmed IMO.

I know plenty will find faults or things to pick at......but for me Franchise mode in baseball is about playing the games and seeing the storylines play out over the course of 162.....then it all comes together in the off-season with roster moves and they drastically improved free agency.

Scouting remains unchanged as well as he draft. I feel this is an area that needs to further be worked on in terms of more scouts, expanded rosters and a larger draft pool. My hope is they can work on and build upon the improved logic and prospect generation.

Also historical stats and league history needs TLC and more development for those of us who play multiple seasons.


8/10



I will come back and report on RTTS in the future. I have not yet even peeled that onion nor have dove in.

I will also play moments for fun but I am no hardcore DD player.

MLB the Show 25 has something for everyone. But for the hardcore base of long time franchise players and those of us who love to play every game.....we got a special release.

9/10 Highly recommended

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

You had me until you mentioned it disabled the pitch clock. I'm too OCD to not play with current rules.

I just wish they could figure out how to get the cpu to be affected by all the rules too, balks as well as pitch clock.

Also, I wonder if he meant the rule is still in effect if you have it optioned on, but the old broadcast styles don't show the clock ticking those final five seconds. This is easily testable.

[jcar0725]

Re: MLB The Show 25 Early Impressions

I just wish they could figure out how to get the cpu to be affected by all the rules too, balks as well as pitch clock.

I turn off balks every year because they're annoying, and the cpu never balks.

I also turn off the pitch clock because I tend to sometimes put down the controller for a few seconds or have a brief convo with my wife or kids. Also I don't think the cpu would ever violate the pitch clock.

[Therebelyell626]

Re: MLB The Show 2025 Early Impressions

I mean, I’ve had a blast the past 4 days……. Money well spent imo, $30 is lunch money [emoji2371] [emoji23] but in all seriousness this is the best version of The Show I’ve ever played……. I’m a baseball junkie and former player and its virtual representation of the sport is spot on


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

“$30 is lunch money”….. sheesh! Okay Jeff Bazos 😂