Video Game Review: ‘MLB 10: The Show’ Wins Sports Game Championship

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CHICAGO – Like the New York Yankees last season, the Bronx Bombers of the baseball video game world have put together another championship enterprise, a video game remarkable in its depth, bar-setting in its visual presentation, and simply must-own for baseball fans. “MLB 10: The Show” is not quite yet that “perfect baseball game” we all hope will someday come but it’s the closest to it yet.

Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0

First and foremost, “MLB 10: The Show” is the best-looking sports game in history. Not just baseball. Any sport. The graphics are not only remarkably refined in this new version but the attention to detail is ridiculous. It’s the little things like the way a player’s batting stance has been perfected or even just that the bats are pink on Mother’s Day if you play through a season that make a title like this one stand above all other. On a graphics level, it’s simply amazing, almost to the point that if someone quickly glanced at the television while you were playing, they might think you were watching an actual game.

MLB 10: The Show
Photo credit: Sony Computer Entertainment

But how does it play? Remarkably smoothly. Not only are the pitching and batting mechanics perfectly designed but they are tuned to the actual players and the situation. Joe Mauer should perform differently with a 2-0 count and one out than he would with a 0-2 and two outs and the developers of “MLB 10: The Show” have refined it down to that level. If you’re playing against the CPU and you get down 0-2, it will be just as hard for you to dig out of the hole as it would for a real player.

At the same time, pitchers must vary their game in the manner of their real life counterparts. If you work a fastball inside over and over again, batters will make you pay. And if you leave a pitcher in too long in your managerial role, things can get ugly quickly. (Almost too much so as Carlos Zambrano often goes from a 1-hitter to giving up three or four in a row, but I suppose Cubs fans could argue that’s realistic.)

MLB 10: The Show Photo credit: Sony Computer Entertainment

Fielding is traditional using a classic face button system with the four buttons representing each base. Cut off throws are a weakness of the title as it seems incredibly difficult to hit the cut off man with the right urgency to make a quick play. Infield plays are great, but every time the ball makes it to the outfield, there’s the potential that it won’t feel quite right.

Running and base stealing have been excellently refined, especially in the “Road to the Show” mode in which you’re actually on base waiting to see if the pitcher will pick you off or if you can get a jump.

Batting is simple enough to learn but very difficult to master. You can predict the pitch, aim with the left stick, and swing at just the right minute. I think the learning curve on “MLB 10: The Show” is pretty steep and this is coming from a regular sports game player. To be blunt, this is no easy, pick-up-and-play game and new players will likely have to adjust some difficulty levels and sliders just to make contact.

As for modes, “MLB 10: The Show” offers what players would expect even if the menu screens seem a little antiquated for the rest of the game. (One of the few areas I would say that “MLB 2K10” beats the “The Show” is in “MLB Today” and how easy it is to feel like you’re staying in tune with the real world of the sport.) It’s easy to play a quick game, start a franchise, rock a home run derby (which is new to the franchise), work your way through a season, or continue the “Road to the Show” mode.

MLB 10: The Show Photo credit: Sony Computer Entertainment

“RTTS” allows you to take one player from the minors to the Hall of Fame. If you’re a position player, you’ll play your at-bats and defensive moments. If you’re a pitcher, well, you know how that goes. New to this season, if you’re a catcher, you’ll actually call the game, an interesting strategic addition to an already-rich title. Some elements of “Road to the Show” seem a bit unrefined. The way accomplishments are graded and skills are improved seems a bit arbitrary and it takes a truly patient player to get all the way to the majors.

The “Franchise” mode is remarkably deep with the ability to run all 30 teams on every level including not just drafting and minor league management but setting ticket prices and working on the stadium to get more fans in the door.

Commentary is expertly provides by Matt Vasgersian, Dave Campbell, and Rex Hudler. They can get a bit repetitive, but Vasgersian is a very good play-by-play guy. Overall, the audio is remarkable with crowd sounds (which you can actually record yourself and insert into the game) and the noise of the actual sport coming across perfectly.

These may sound like small details but realism is crucial to the success of a sports title. We want to feel like we’re recreating the sport we love with the best possible graphics and sound and “MLB 10: The Show” has given fans exactly what they want. It’s just short of a perfect game.

Before picking up your bat and stepping into the box, check out this trailer:

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com