Is anyone really surprised by MLB The Show and how it paves the way for bringing meaningful content every year and trying out new modes that are actually worthwhile? I’ve stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop with this series, as every year they have managed to meet expectations and make each game in the series more than just a roster upgrade. Seriously, Electronic Arts, you need to take a long, hard look at what San Diego Studio is doing. Do that.
MLB The Show 24 proves the studio is consistent. MLB The Show’s gameplay and graphics have been considerably improved, including wonderfully accurate umpire AI, a new way to play defense on the field, the introduction to women in baseball, and the second season of the Negro League. Also, that sweet player animation will make you blink twice thinking you’re watching a real game. This year ups the ante, boldly tries new ways to make baseball entertaining, and for the most part, they pull it off.
So, let’s take off that bat weight, let’s get to the plate, and get swinging on this review.
Definitely a good Show
The gameplay for MLB The Show 24 has certainly come a long way. While this year’s game isn’t too far off from the typical structure you would find with the series, it has added some new items of interest to keep the game fresh. And there is nothing wrong with trying new things out to keep the gamer interested.
The first big part of the game is the inclusion of women in the series. While this should be an actual thing in MLB, it’s neat to see it play out. The Road to the Show mode adds the ability to play as a woman in building a career. The mode doesn’t play any different than it usually does, but the inclusion is a big step forward for opening the door to female fans of the game. Inclusion is a big deal in general and I’m glad that San Diego Studio recognizes this and took a chance. I’m sure there is going to be some unnecessary pushback from MLB gaming fans because there are always idiots out there, but it’s a good step forward to making this a normal part of The Show. Maybe the MLB could take note. Who knows.
Now, related to this journey, the Road to the Show features a new piece called the MLB Draft Combine. Instead of just getting drafted randomly, the game puts the player through the ropes of impressing scouts. Depending on the type of player you create as your career person, the game puts you to the test to see how well you get drafted. I think this was a cool inclusion, as it makes sense within the journey that San Diego is trying to build for the gamer. It adds some good challenges and puts pressure on the player to perform well. That makes for an exciting time.
Within the Combine, your player will go through fielding, batting, and pitching. The fielding is interesting. While I think the devs corrected some jankiness from last year’s game with fielding, especially with understanding the direction your player should be turning and how to properly get the ball to the right base, they also included quick time events in the process. While I appreciate the need to quickly press button combinations in the right order, something I thought was cool eons ago with Shenmue, it feels a bit too restrictive for my tastes with MLB. I can’t tell you how many times I had errant throws because I messed up the button combination. It’s tough to wrap your head around the right buttons when the timer is going by so fast. It was a chance taken and it adds to the tension and drama of making it in the Combine, but, wowsers, it’s not easy. But what in life is?
Overall, the Road to the Show mode is as solid as can be. I spent a good chunk of time as a pitcher trying to get a perfect game in this mode. I can safely say that it’s as rewarding as it is addictive.
Other modes of interest for this year include the return of Diamond Dynasty, a mode I have some mild interest in, though not a huge fan of packed cards, and the return of The Negro Leagues. The latter of the bunch is a treat, as you get to learn more about Black players within the league and their journey. It’s as fascinating as it is creative in how it is presented, it’s also so darn informative. Most importantly, it’s done tastefully and well.
The final mode of interest that captured my attention was the inclusion of a Derek Jeter set of moments where you get to travel his journey from young player to all-star. You basically play as Derek Jeter and make your way through famous scenarios in his career. If you were around in the 90s and got to experience the domination of the Yankees, then you’ll enjoy the hell out of this. For the rest of us, it’s a terrible reminder of how the rest of the teams in the MLB during this time period just sucked. In all seriousness, it’s a neat mode and it’s respectful for a well-loved guy. The presentation alone is something to behold, as it’s New York-themed and contains pictures of a young Derek Jeter. It’s a neat mode that I hope they repeat next year with another Hall of Fame player.
As for the rest of the game, it’s what you would expect. You have a franchise mode that gives you a bit more control over your team. You get solo and online modes that put you against friends and strangers. It may sound ho-hum, but MLB The Show 24 is so well done that all of this combined is just a bunch of fun baseball. It makes baseball look better than the actual game of baseball.
Overall, the gameplay here is solid. The modes are entertaining as hell, especially the Road to the Show. The tweaks and betterment of the game over the last year are firmly intact, as everything feels a bit tighter with controls and response. MLB The Show 24 is really quite solid and just another feather in the cap of San Diego Studio.
Now, a few more notes of interest.
Umpire AI
Does this deserve its own section? Probably not, but, dammit, it’s getting it. This is a minor detail for the game but something that caught my attention. The umpire reactions and calls seem like they’ve been tweaked to act like actual umpires. This includes calling very close, sometimes questionable balls and strikes. It also includes consistency with individual umpires. For example, there was an umpire who called more strikes than balls and generally gave me the benefit of the doubt more than not. There was also an umpire who didn’t call as many strikes and sometimes missed calls. I know in my little gaming heart that this was intentional, as I found myself yelling at the screen when I thought I was within the strike zone…and when it clearly showed I was within the strike zone.
Anyway, this is an element of the game that was improved over last year’s. The AI has been upped in some way where the umpires act like an actual, human umpires. I mean, when you get into it and yell at the game for a missed call, you know there is some realism kicking in.
Unrivaled visuals in a sports game
Every year the team at San Diego Studio seems to either make a major leap in visuals or tweak small things to make the game visually more realistic. This year, I think they’re on the tweak train, where they touched up some animations and made smaller strides, but damn good ones. Make no mistake that this game is probably the most beautiful sports game on the market, even better than NBA 2K and Madden.
So, what did they tweak this year? The clothing on the players now bends and moves as you would expect it to when a player is in motion. You can specifically see it in the leg wear of the pitcher (when they have pants on), as the pants crease at the bottom and squish as the pitcher goes through the motion. Again, I know it’s small tweaks, but the game truly is getting eerily close to realism. It was close about two years ago, but it’s far closer now.
Player expressions are another big plus, as facial features, movements, and emotions are firmly in sight now. Just today, I saw a player adjust their mouth and move their cheeks. I have never seen that before so defined.
The only knock I have on the visuals is the hair and beard. I guess when you have to give up some detail to save resources, you make sacrifices. There were jaggies present and the beard, especially on one Philly player, looked strangely off. I’m certainly not expecting Aloy hair graphics from Horizon Forbidden West, but they do stand out when attached to really pretty animation.
Anyway, the graphics for MLB The Show 24 this year are out of this world great. You won’t be disappointed. It’s definitely the little things.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap this review up.
Conclusion
MLB The Show 24 is spectacular this year. It hits more than it misses. It takes some bold chances and they pay off. It’s just another example of how to do a sports game well.
