MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

[jeffy777]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

I gotta say, I thought it felt great.

Positive:

• The new cameras for both offense and defense are welcome!
• The pitching still is the king of analog controls. And I am usually a Show fanboy, but I have to admit, 2K owns the analog system.
• The player faces and models look VASTLY improved. Barry Zito looks perfect, right down to his broad shoulders. Buster Posey looked perfect as well. The only player I felt was 'off' was Josh Hamilton, who seemed a bit too skinny.
• The lighting, the graphics, the sound...all improved.
• Variable umpire was very noticeable and welcome.
• The broadcast angle was dead on!

Negative:

• I saw two botched plays in 3 innings.
• The default pitch speed is agonizingly slow and un-realistic.
• Can't change any settings
• The Ball Trail is still on by default.

Thanks man, that's good to hear.

Sounds like all the negatives can be fixed with settings and sliders.

[krazak]

Played 2 innings of the demo this morning.

1. I was pitching with Cain, and his line was 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 Ks.
2. I had a couple pitches while pitching and batting that nicked the black of the strike zone and got called for balls (last year if it hit the black it was a strike 100% of the time).
3. I also had 3 hits through the 2 innings, all singles. It seems to be more realistic in that all 3 of my hits were fastballs that i was ahead of and pulled over the IF with a line drive. Last year it seemed like the majority of my hits were opposite field.
4. Very first groundball to 3B ate up Sandoval, and he wasn't able to recover in time to throw the guy out at first. It's cool to see, but i hope it isn't too obvious. Last i checked Sandoval isn't a 25% fielder, so he should still make the majority of plays.
5. I like the way the camera after the hit works, but there is no ball indicator, so it makes it hard to figure out if your ball is going to land, get into the gap, etc... Will take some getting used to.
6. I can't comment on fielding too much. It seemed like it was easier to react to grounders in the IF and try to make a play (dove for a ball between SS and 3B but missed, in 2K10 i hardly ever had time to dive).
7. They never hit a flyball in the 2 innings i've played so far, so i can't comment on that.
8. I gave up 2 singles to start the game, and Cain was rattled. Vibrated a little, but it's not like it was impossible to hit the zone. You just can't be as precise on the corners, but i was able to strikeout Hamilton.
9. Took a walk in my second AB, and worked several counts to 3 balls. Personally that's why i like having the pitcher farther away, it gives me more time to react and judge pitches. I've never been good at working counts and taking walks in other games (until MLB2K10).

Overall i'm really excited for the game. I don't own a PS3 (and i refuse to buy one for one game) so i can't compare it to the Show, but i really enjoyed MLB2K10 (despite its flaws), and i'm even more excited for MLB2K11.

[humaca80]

Ouch! These animations are downright ugly. I like the batting though!!

[humaca80]

The pitching interface is also well done too. Very rewarding. I just wish everyone didn't look like zombies and move like robots. Solid gameplay, hopefully 2k can clean up the gfx for next year

[Giants4Natic]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

Since we don't have a demo questions thread yet... Giants4natic, I'm assuming we're getting Giants vs Rangers, yes? Also, is hitting still the same as far as pushing up is normal, back and up is power? (I'm not a fan of that, as I wish every hit had to be loaded, ala 2K8 and The Show). How are the player models and lighting?

Thanks for all the impressions dude.

Is the same match up as the show with the same stadium but one less inning and no options to change at all

The hitting is the same, down to start your motion and up to swing.

The lighting is ok, I did not see any big wow to it but it was afternoon game and not dusk like the show

Colors are rich and the jaggies have been cleaned up

[silverandblack]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

How is the batting? The main reason I stayed away from 2k10 was because they took away Cursor Hitting. Simply pulling the hit stick back and forth, and using only timing didn't sound like fun or realism to me.

Is that how the batting is this year? What are the changes, specific to batting in this years game?

[humaca80]

Batting is the same, just pull back and push forward. No zone batting. At least on the demo. I may be wrong though, but the batting seemed the exact same to me

[BigBlue]

How is baserunning looking? I'm particularly interested in the CPU baserunners. Are they retreating to the bag on 2-out hits? Are they advancing when appropriate? Did the rounding of the bag when running the bases improve?

Thanks for the impressions, guys!

BigBlue

[Giants4Natic]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

Here is a situation I hope is fixed. When I struck out Hamilton with Timmy it was the last out and Timmy walked back behind the mound looking towards CF and the catcher dropped the ball and ran to the dugout with the rest of the fielders but Timmy acted like he did not know it was the 3rd out and then the it cut to the next inning

The smootheness is there but animations still need tons of work and on one hit to the outfield the outfielder still does that little hop step to throw back in. Real eye sore after this many tries

[Giants4Natic]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

How is baserunning looking? I'm particularly interested in the CPU baserunners. Are they retreating to the bag on 2-out hits? Are they advancing when appropriate? Did the rounding of the bag when running the bases improve?

Thanks for the impressions, guys!

BigBlue

The running seems fine on both sides. Is hard to gauge real A.I with it being on pro level


Pitching is way to easy and hitting as well.

Also did I mention that those dumb soft liners to the ss or 1b happened 4 times in one 3 inning demo. yuck

[boomhauertjs]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

I hear people complain/compliment about things like the catcher throwing back to the pitcher, the pitcher walking around the mound, batters stepping out, etc... I'm just curious how many people actually leave that stuff turned on. Personally i just want to play the game. I always turn on the hurry up mode. I don't want a 9 inning game to take 2+ hours (or even an hour for that matter). To me that's what makes High Heat one the best baseball games ever. You could play a whole game in 20 minutes! If the pitcher/batter interface is good, there is realism (injuries, errors, etc...) and fielding is good i'm happy.

Co-sign! That extra stuff is nice, but I'd rather just be playing the game.

[Blitzburgh]

This game is FUN! Let me get my negative impressions out of the way first from the demo build: 1).The graphics while improved are not on the same level as the other game. 2). the transitional animations still need work. 3). Swings are still to quick in some instances. 4). Players still need more life to them- can be zombie like at times.

Now the good stuff! 1). The cameras all around are a thing of beauty! 2). Fielding is the best in a BB game I have ever played! 3). The bat off the ball for the most part feels like that is where it should go! 4). The cpu steals and I threw them out on all three of their attempts! 5). The new tag animations are really cool. 6). You can really tell the difference between fielders. 7). The added subtle emotions to the game that really add to the suspense of the play. I can see how they are on to something there!

Over all the demo is pretty basic unlike the other game but to me besides not looking or animating quite as good, this game is just really fun. I think this is the one I run with this year! Looking forward to MLB today games and maybe a short franchise and some my player.

This is a much improved game and if they get the graphics and transitions ironed out this game will be REALLY good!

[Giants4Natic]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

This game is FUN! Let me get my negative impressions out of the way first from the demo build: 1).The graphics while improved are not on the same level as the other game. 2). the transitional animations still need work. 3). Swings are still to quick in some instances. 4). Players still need more life to them- can be zombie like at times.

Now the good stuff! 1). The cameras all around are a thing of beauty! 2). Fielding is the best in a BB game I have ever played! 3). The bat off the ball for the most part feels like that is where it should go! 4). The cpu steals and I threw them out on all three of their attempts! 5). The new tag animations are really cool. 6). You can really tell the difference between fielders. 7). The added subtle emotions to the game that really add to the suspense of the play. I can see how they are on to something there!

Over all the demo is pretty basic unlike the other game but to me besides not looking or animating quite as good, this game is just really fun. I think this is the one I run with this year! Looking forward to MLB today games and maybe a short franchise and some my player.

This is a much improved game and if they get the graphics and transitions ironed out this game will be REALLY good!

The animation transtions are not that good as you explained and that is what makes fielding not as good as it should be. Fielding cannot be considered the best around if the ball has zero weight to it when throwing and the outfielders still do that silly hop before throwing in.

Those are things that should have been fixed from fans complaints last year.

[goosedennis]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

Just downloaded, will be posting my impressions soon.

[Giants4Natic]

re: MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

I hear people complain/compliment about things like the catcher throwing back to the pitcher, the pitcher walking around the mound, batters stepping out, etc... I'm just curious how many people actually leave that stuff turned on. Personally i just want to play the game. I always turn on the hurry up mode. I don't want a 9 inning game to take 2+ hours (or even an hour for that matter). To me that's what makes High Heat one the best baseball games ever. You could play a whole game in 20 minutes! If the pitcher/batter interface is good, there is realism (injuries, errors, etc...) and fielding is good i'm happy.

The hurry up function is no good in baseball games. Baseball is the one sport where patience is a virtue and in order to get cemented in the novelty of the sport you have to go through the little things that make it great.

Having a pitcher thow and then the batter morphin into the battings stance takes away from the game of baseball completly. That is just my opinion but I am sure many die hard fans feel the same way.

Is like in basketball games, if you hit a jumper and all of a sudden the inbounds passs does not happen and the other team is going up the court already.

It is about pagentry and it is needed in a baseball game