MLB Grudge Match: The Show vs. MLB 2K

[RaychelSnr]

Baseball is one of the few sports with direct competition within our genre, and as with year's past (2010's version here) we have decided to do another grudge match to compare both of the top games for our national pastime. Our baseball reviewers for the past two years, Christian McLeod and Caley Roark, are joined by OS Staff Writer Dustin Toms to chime in on what they thought of each aspect of both games and which game is better overall. Check out their thoughts and let us know yours!!

Read More - MLB Grudge Match: The Show vs. MLB 2K

[Prometheus]

I went with 2K11 this year because I felt The Show was getting stale. If 2K had made any effort to QA/QC this game they probably would've been able to eliminate a lot of the quirks that keep it from being better than it is. The game is pretty much an afterthought as far as the developer is concerned which doesn't make sense to me. Doesn't 2K pay MLB big bucks for an exclusive license? Why release such a sloppy effort?

[rudyjuly2]

I went with 2K11 on the PS3 over the Show. There are a couple specific reasons that the Show could easily fix and I would go back but right now I'm with 2K11 although the problems and annoyances with that game hurt the long term value.

Hitting - I'll go with 2K11 primarily because of the pitch speed. The Show's slider system is far too restrictive in that it's only 10 points and has some global sliders rather than splitting everything between user and cpu. The pitch speed has always been too fast for the Show and it's too frustrating for me. The slower pitch speed in 2K11 (the default pitch speed in 2K is slower than 0/10 on the Show sliders) is just a lot more fun. I can actually work walks and pull normal fastballs. The batting camera is also great and something not available in the Show. The Show's guess pitch system is very arcade like and needs to go. Hitter's eye in 2K or MVP is better. That said, 2K made the hitting system too restrictive in that you have to go to the opposite field on every pitch on the outer half. Very unrealistic as MLB players routinely pull balls with power. This results in far too many opposite field HRs. I'll give the edge to 2K11 but if pitch speed could be lowered in the Show I would give it to the Show. 2K has a huge jeckyll and hyde personality that hurts it as well. Only big power guys hit HRs while low power guys rarely if ever hit them. Part of the problem is the gap between contact and power swing - way too far. Also need to comment that the cpu batters will almost never bunt for singles.

Pitching - I love gesture pitching. The Show's analog system is pretty good but gesture pitching is a perfect combination of player skill and attributes. It reminds me a lot of Classic pitching in the Show with some solid player input. I'll give the nod to 2K just because I love gesture pitching. I should note that the player confidence system in the Show kicks 2K's butt hard. Overall confidence and individual pitch confidence make each outing feel unique. 2K's is too all or nothing and it's only an overall effect.

Fielding - MLB 2K11 added the outfielder fly ball box and has some good ratings including a defensive rating for every position which is cool. But how can I give 2K11 the edge when it's nearly impossible to commit a throwing error? I've committed one throwing error in over 50 franchise games. The throwing meter is useless and the attributes here are meaningless as a result. Fielding errors are few and far between even with the slider maxed out. The Show is smooth and I just can't accept it would be worse than 2K11.

Franchise - have to give it to the Show. The fatigue model in 2K11 was broken when shipped and still sucks after the patch. Even a one pinch-hit appearance will fatigue a player (at least not a full game's worth this year) making pinch hitting annoying because you don't get any credit for resting a player. DH fatigue is stupid as they still get tired when they should be rested. The cpu doesn't adjust their lineup at all. There are no minor league options so you can send a veteran to AAA without penalty in 2K11. The sports blog is nice but the Show wins here.

Presentation - Tough call. The commentary is way better in 2K11 and is one of the best around period (if not the best). But the goofy animations and really crappy player faces hurts. Watch a video highlight reel of the Show and it LOOKS like a real baseball game. Even crappy MLB players look like human beings. Not so in 2K11 where Rick Porcello has a cuttoff shirt and his face is exactly the same as Phil Coke who doesn't sport a mustache for some reason. The Show just looks a lot better.

Intangibles - The Show is just so much smoother and polished. Have to go Show.

Bottom Line - I prefer 2K11 because I love the commentary, gesture pitching and get too frustrated with the pitch speed in the Show. Overall I would think most people would prefer the Show.

[AllJuicedUp]

it is a bit funny that 2k has created the best batter/pitcher experience in baseball gaming history, and the fielding is vastly improved (to the point where it is arguably as good/better than the Shows), and yet it still loses out in most peoples eyes when you look at overall best game.

How many other games can nail the most important aspects of the game, and yet still be second best?

It makes me sad that if 2k just had some quality control (as the person above me mentioned) and polished up their animations, it would be baseball heaven. So close, yet so far.

[PatriotJames]

This makes me want to try out the MLB 2K now. I'll put it in my queue for Gamefly. The Show has been a no brainer but even Game Informer had it just behind The Show.

You just can't beat the realism of The Show. MLB 2K has always been ahead in graphics & presentation but if realistic stats are your thing, The Show is the way to go.

[rudyjuly2]

@PatriotJames - 2K's graphics aren't better than the Show's this year. The player models certainly improved from last year and the game looks good from a distance but the horrible player faces (outside the top players in the game) hurt. Plus the game isn't nearly as smooth. The Show probably runs at 60 fps while 2K11 runs at 30 fps max. It's a little choppy while the Show is silky smooth. The worst thing are the animations. 2K's base running animations are still goofy and they don't round the bases well at all. It sticks out like a sore thumb when playing.

[infam0us]

I've always liked 2ks batting and pitching over the Show but like rudyluly22 said the Show is visually superior. They have better animations, they do a better job with the little things that baseball fanatics will appreciate.

2k is on the right track though, I'm hoping they take it to another level next year.

[bms715]

I happen to own both games this year, and after extensive use of both, I have to say that they are both exceptional in their own ways. The Show looks and plays more realistc than 2K, but they each have their strong points and weak points as far as realism goes. I think anybody will tell you that the commentary in 2K is phenomenal, and that The Show isn't as strong in that department. Which one is more fun? It's hard to say really, because while playing each one I'm left thinking about which parts the other game did better. For now I'd have to stick with The Show, but honestly, if they could just combine these two games it would be a perfect baseball experience.

[supermanemblem]

2K's hitting system is wack! I love the gesture pitching and the in-game stats. Other than those two features, The Show wipes the floor with 2K, which I haven't played outside of demos since '07, and I stopped playing it as soon as the show came out. My two gripes with The Show is lack of collision detection on the field and the "final destination" rallies the CPU is notorious for to win the game.

For those who say the pitch speed is too fast, man up. It's baseball, not softball. Use your instincts and the tools available to get your pitch. I can see Albert Pujols asking a pitcher to keep his fastballs to no more than 90 mph.

[jeffy777]

I happen to own both games this year, and after extensive use of both, I have to say that they are both exceptional in their own ways. The Show looks and plays more realistc than 2K, but they each have their strong points and weak points as far as realism goes. I think anybody will tell you that the commentary in 2K is phenomenal, and that The Show isn't as strong in that department. Which one is more fun? It's hard to say really, because while playing each one I'm left thinking about which parts the other game did better. For now I'd have to stick with The Show, but honestly, if they could just combine these two games it would be a perfect baseball experience.

This is a good read. It's nice to see the writers showing some good, objective sense. I get tired of hearing people say, "The Show is better in every way" or "2K is only for casual fans." So it's refreshing to see the writers bring a less biased view to the table, as there truly are good and not-so-good things about both games.