MLB 14 The Show is better on the PlayStation 4 than it is on the PlayStation 3, but only really on the graphics side of things. The gameplay is initially the same, but we can talk about that right now.
It’s all about the User
What I mean by ‘user experience’ is that they’ve put together options for the baseball gaming community to create challenges and experiences for each other, while still maintaining that online component (such as the Home Run Derby) that we’ve come to expect. One neat feature added to this year’s game is a mode called Community Challenges. Players put other players in baseball situations where players can bet and win (sometimes lose) currency called Stubs. Stubs are basically MLB The Show’s version of coins in a game. You can use them to improve players and to purchase additional in-game content.
Anyway, the Community Challenges consist of things like hitting a grand slam in the ninth at Yankee Stadium when you’re down 5-2 against the Yanks. If you can pull it off then you win a certain number of stubs designated by the creator of the challenge. It’s a neat system and it plays off the Little Big Planet proof that community-based gaming can thrive when the users can pretty much do what they want. Having the ability to create your own situation and share it with the baseball world is a neat feeling. Although, I’m sure there are going to be some a-holes out there that make challenges impossibly hard. Should you run into a challenge that seems impossible, you get the chance to vote whether you liked the challenge or not, which helps others when they’re trying to select a challenge to participate in and bet stubs on. On a side note, when this game went live on Tuesday, the challenges started filling up quick, so expect a bunch right from the get-go.
More user-based experiences in MLB 14 The Show include an Online Franchise mode, which gives you the freedom to create a good experience with friends, while still maintaining that core experience you get from the offline Franchise version. Honestly, I don’t have enough friends who are interested in baseball to make this as fun as it should be, but I can see how people will absolutely adore this mode. Baseball fanatics should eat this up.
Both user experiences are great and reinforced with the typical online play and other challenges presented to the player. You will still find your head-to-head online stuff, as well as Home Run Derby competitions. You know, the stuff you really love.
Another great mode that I should mention before moving on to the offline stuff is the Challenge of the Week presented by SCEA. These are random challenges where players can score points for doing well. The more points you score, the more you move up in the ranks. If you should happen to be at the top of the rankings by the end of the week then you win an actual prize (not sure if it’s going to be that way forever, but it is this week). This week you’re asked to play as Miguel Cabrera and try to get consecutive hits off of Kansas City Royal’s pitcher James Shields. Should you do this consecutively, the points calculated keep going up and up. The top person this week has 140 million points from this challenge (that is insane). Should he/she win this challenge then they will win an actual signed Detroit Tiger’s hat from Cabrera. That’s pretty cool stuff and, again, it adds to the user experience.
The final online mode worth mentioning, and one that I’m still kind of in the middle of working with, is the Diamond Dynasty. It’s an offline/online mode that allows you to create an entire team from scratch and go head-to-head with other players. My team the Canadian Sorries from Bumville, Alabama still have some work to do before going head-to-head with anyone. I’m sure they’re going to do fine once they’re up and running. Until then, they’ll just have to apologize for losing every game and drink from their bags of milk.
It cannot be understated the value of a good online experience. User online experiences is where its at when it comes to changing a sports game up a bit and MLB 14 The Show does a good job of bringing some much needed variety to the table. Now, let’s talk offline stuff.
Still the best part of MLB 14 The Show
One mode that I absolutely adored when I played the PlayStation 3 version of this game was The Road to the Show. It’s the reason why you pick up a game like MLB 14 The Show and that reason just seems so much smoother than it typically should be. EA and the folks over Madden could probably learn a few things from SCE San Diego when it comes to building a career mode in a sports gaming title.
Instead of going into the game and naming my player something obnoxious, I just went default. Joe Random was his name and he played centerfield, just like Bitchman in the PlayStation 3 version (I always thought that was the coolest position in baseball — I know shortstop is, but what can you do?). His progression and his stamina throughout his minor league debut was pretty impressive. The game gives you some high and low points as you progress. You score points by doing things well (such as fielding and batting) and you get some extra points here and there for effort. These points put you closer to making it to the show, which would be on the field for Tampa Bay for Mr. Random. It also allows you to track your players progression, which is important because you want to feel like you need to do more or that you’re doing a good job — everyone likes encouragement in a game.
Along the way, you’re going to run into some opposition in the game, mainly from a well-built A.I. in MLB 14 The Show. Teams and players learn your habits and focus on your weaknesses, which is some Skynet like stuff, if you ask me. Pitchers learn your player as you go through the Show and at times you learn the other team as well. For example, the BayBears were horrible, as were the Braves in my division. My team the Montgomery Biscuits (no, seriously) tore through the division and specifically ate up the Braves and the BayBears along the way. Both opponents had horrible pitching, which meant high scoring blowouts. Playing teams like this gave me a chance to improve my averages, as well as move up in the hitting line-up. When the games were easy, the games were incredibly fun, which made for a fantastic experience.
Of course, once those series were over, the harder teams reared their heads and Joe’s luck changed dramatically.
I found it fascinating that some of the tougher teams with better pitchers weren’t giving me the time of day with pitches, which is the way it should be. For example, I had a pitcher who saw me miss on a slider and then kept feeding me sliders and change ups. I’m pretty sure I struck out three times in that game and had an infield out. When situations like this occurred, I had to wait until they replaced him with someone more fastball attuned to find success. It was neat seeing it go down, though. Frustrating, but neat. It also made me as a player grow within the game. That’s important because blowouts are fun, but a good grind out is more fun and satisfy for someone who isn’t a beginner with this title.
Anyway, The Road to the Show is still the end all, be all for me on the offline/online mode. I like building careers and getting hooked and SCE San Diego does this better than anyone in the industry with MLB 14 The Show. Now, could they please jump on the NFL license and get 989 back together to make some NFL The Show game? Please? Wishing-hoping-etc.
Where the separation in the game truly shows in The Show
So what’s the big reason you want the PlayStation 4 version of this game? The visuals are absolutely breathtaking. While I will say the faces and hands still need some work (the faces still have dead eyes and weird structures), the animation, clothing, the shadows, reflections and general girth of the ballpark environment is nothing short of clean and crisp. While the PlayStation 3 version showed its age with a major amount of jaggies and blur effects (especially on faces and clothing), you won’t find that here in the PS4 version. When you see the uniforms on the player react properly with the player’s muscles and body structure, you will be impressed. When you get the player point of view when your guy is on base and the X/Y shift of the axis with the player movement is in effect, you’ll be impressed. This visually feels like a baseball game. Someone walked into my office yesterday and saw me playing this and thought I was watching a baseball game on the television. That’s how good it looks. They realized it was a game when it pulled back to the reveal the player faces — not pretty at all.
As for the stadium environments, SCE San Diego has made my crowd dream finally come true (and to preface, this is a stupid dream that I’ve had since the first 2K basketball game on the Dreamcast). The crowd, while it does repeat in a random pattern (you’ll see people wearing the same stuff here and there, but not in a pattern), is active as hell. You will find hotdog/popcorn/beer vendors going through the stands interacting with people. You will find fans getting up and going to the concession or restrooms as the game progresses. It’s completely random and it’s gorgeous to watch if you’re needing some eye candy. Don’t watch too much or the pitcher will throw you out on base.
The stadium themselves are just enormous and full of detail and life. You will find all your favorites out there with incredible detail accompanying them. For example, Great American Ballpark looks beautiful and actually has no jaggies, sans the net in the background during pitching (I’m not sure why that wasn’t fixed, but oh well). Pure beauty, gorgeous depth and active backgrounds really do make the game visually better than the PlayStation 3. The gameplay might be similar, but the graphics are leaps and bounds apart.
With all this said, let’s wrap this puppy up!
