Re: MLB 12 The Show - PS3 Impressions Thread
I concur with just about everybody when I say the new physics are great. I love the way there are tons of different groundballs/choppers in the infield. It seems like it's gone a long way to help reduce the somewhat too common double plays from previous versions. It is every bit a good (and important) as advertised.
The new pitch speed is great. This is the first time ever in this series where if feel I can jump all over a fastball and really pull it. It is still appropriately difficult, but I couldn't do it before even when I totally sold out to do it.
It's going to take weeks and weeks to even begin to get zone + analog hitting, but I love it. Just a great feel. By June, I am going to have just amazing thumb coordination.
One of my favorite things is that pitchers seem to a) throw a few more balls and b) those balls aren't all RIGHT off the corner. Part of this might be the new view that allows me to read pitches better, but I can really draw walks this year, and I've always been a very patient hitter.
There is only one real gameplay issue that I think the SCEA guys have left to solve. Everyone knows about the issue with throwing guys out a first on shots to RF this year. And in a sense, yeah, just don't do it. But I think this is indicative of a somewhat larger issue relating to the outfielders and the way batted balls travel out to them. On the whole, it seems balls get out to the outfielders very quickly, and they have very accurate rocket arms to get it back in. (infielders also make tags so quickly it is almost like a force play). During a (real) baseball game, you'll see a ton of liners that 3-hop out to the outfielder. In MLB 12, I really only ever see one-hops. High, fast bounces rule the day (edit- see also ground-rule doubles). Also, I've gotten thrown out a second on hits down the line (that go to the wall) and, more troublingly, fly ball shots in the gap. Part of it, I think, is that outfielders can run to the wall, turn, and throw as if they got a running start (like a tag-up play). The relay thrower behaves similarly (back to infield - quick turn and accurate bullet throw.)
On the whole, the guys at SCEA have made a bunch of improvements this year, and they're getting close to something that, gameplay-wise, will be close to perfect. Next year, I'd like to see them focus on really cleaning up the 'feel' of the outfield play. This includes positioning, speed, arm strenth and accuracy, and the way the ball behaves after reaching the outfield (including bounce height and 'friction' of the grass. But no doubt I'll have great fun with this year's version. Good step up from '11.
BTW, am I missing something, or is there no 'arm accuracy' slider? I'd kill for one.
I concur with just about everybody when I say the new physics are great. I love the way there are tons of different groundballs/choppers in the infield. It seems like it's gone a long way to help reduce the somewhat too common double plays from previous versions. It is every bit a good (and important) as advertised.
The new pitch speed is great. This is the first time ever in this series where if feel I can jump all over a fastball and really pull it. It is still appropriately difficult, but I couldn't do it before even when I totally sold out to do it.
It's going to take weeks and weeks to even begin to get zone + analog hitting, but I love it. Just a great feel. By June, I am going to have just amazing thumb coordination.
One of my favorite things is that pitchers seem to a) throw a few more balls and b) those balls aren't all RIGHT off the corner. Part of this might be the new view that allows me to read pitches better, but I can really draw walks this year, and I've always been a very patient hitter.
There is only one real gameplay issue that I think the SCEA guys have left to solve. Everyone knows about the issue with throwing guys out a first on shots to RF this year. And in a sense, yeah, just don't do it. But I think this is indicative of a somewhat larger issue relating to the outfielders and the way batted balls travel out to them. On the whole, it seems balls get out to the outfielders very quickly, and they have very accurate rocket arms to get it back in. (infielders also make tags so quickly it is almost like a force play). During a (real) baseball game, you'll see a ton of liners that 3-hop out to the outfielder. In MLB 12, I really only ever see one-hops. High, fast bounces rule the day (edit- see also ground-rule doubles). Also, I've gotten thrown out a second on hits down the line (that go to the wall) and, more troublingly, fly ball shots in the gap. Part of it, I think, is that outfielders can run to the wall, turn, and throw as if they got a running start (like a tag-up play). The relay thrower behaves similarly (back to infield - quick turn and accurate bullet throw.)
On the whole, the guys at SCEA have made a bunch of improvements this year, and they're getting close to something that, gameplay-wise, will be close to perfect. Next year, I'd like to see them focus on really cleaning up the 'feel' of the outfield play. This includes positioning, speed, arm strenth and accuracy, and the way the ball behaves after reaching the outfield (including bounce height and 'friction' of the grass. But no doubt I'll have great fun with this year's version. Good step up from '11.
BTW, am I missing something, or is there no 'arm accuracy' slider? I'd kill for one.
Comment