Customer Reviews

MLB 10 The Show

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

First of all, let me just say this is a fantastic representation of a high level of baseball. I am a former pro and I love the realism of this game. The pitcher/batter interface is perfect. The new gameplay cameras are outstanding. The immersion factor is just like a real game, both playing and watching it on TV. The more you understand the mental part of baseall, the better you will do, if you execute what you know. Job well done Sony!

It is a nice, solid upgrade over 09. If a few people have trouble seeing that, they need to look in the mirror. The new upgrades are definitely there, in presentation and gameplay.

I have noticed a theme in the reviews about the difficulty of hitting the ball and recognizing if the pitch is a Ball or Strike. I think it is very well done and realistic. Hitting a round baseball with a round bat has been said to be the hardest thing to do in sports, especially when its got late movement and coming in 90+ MPH In reality, getting a hit 3 out of 10 times makes you an all-star. Which means failure 70% of the time for the very best players. That is the nature of the game and it is represented very well in The Show 10.

Walks have always been difficult to come by in video baseball games, due to user imput and patience. Plus if you are good at squaring up the ball, you have less of an opportunity to see enough pitches to get a Walk. That is the nature of video baseball. However, this game will reward you greatly for your patience and achieving Count Leverage. I use the default Catcher view to hit. It is a GREAT view in this game for that purpose. The pitch physics are excellent and batter response is very quick. When you face a teams top Starting Pitchers, it is very challenging. Which is how it is in reality. I got shutout 2-0 by Zack Greinke of the Royals my last game using the Angels. It was a great game and I loved the challenge. With more discipline, I might have gotten to him, but he had nasty stuff, which he does in real life. You will chase pitches out of the strike zone against pitchers with nasty stuff, especially if you are down in the count. That is the reality of the game. It is not The Show's fault, I didnt have the patience that was necessary at the plate to be successful against Greinke. Next time I will make the adjustments and have better success. That is how the game of baseball works. That is what I want represented in my video baseball and that is what I get with The Show 10.

This game will make you a better baseball player, if you want to have success at it. You will become more disciplined and put into play your real baseball knowledge and hand/eye coordination. One without the other will lead to a lack of success. On the other hand, if you want to blame Sony for your lack of baseball skills, both mental and physical, then you need to maybe go with MLB 2K10. It is made for the arcade crowd and people who dont really know the game of baseball, and get upset when they cant be successful the majority of the time. People who dont have the patience and makeup to look in the mirror and take responsibility for their own shortcomings might look away from The Show. The fun for me is in the realism and challenge of a real video baseball game simulator, which is what MLB 10 The Show is. Best sports game in my 25+ years of video gaming.

I've been playing The Show series since it's inception, and have previously offered my reviews concentrating only on the baseball gamer who enjoys playing through a full MLB season vs: the CPU. This review will be much the same, emphasizing the pros and cons of this game, largely compared to previous game versions. I'll only mention the other available game modes in passing (Road To The Show, Home Run Derby, etc), as I don't play those much, if at all. I'll start with my background, since I think it's helpful to know where a reviewer is coming from, in terms of specifically baseball experience/interest, and also in baseball gaming experience- particularly since with this series (Road To The Show), it should be clear by now that this is NOT a game for casual gamers, or those with only a passing interest in baseball. I'm 55 years old, played competitive baseball up to a college level, and have remained an avid fan since hanging up the spikes about 33 years ago. I've played just about every variation of baseball games down through the years, starting with (and still with) the Strat-O-Matic baseball board game (more on that below), and then through most (if not all) the videogame versions, from the earliest pc versions to the present console games. Every year, I play through an entire season (Spring training and all 162 games, and playoffs) with one team vs: the CPU (my home-town Chicago White Sox). What I like in a baseball videogame is much the same as what I enjoyed about Strat-O-Matic baseball as a board game: fun gameplay, challenging to win (I don't want to "master" any game, since the best MLB teams rarely do better than a .600-.640 win percentage),steeped in strategy, and perhaps most importantly, realistic stats/outcomes. This review will likely appeal most to gamers who share a similar background and interest in gaming. The following is my take on MLB The Show 2010, PS3 version, concentrating mostly on playing a full season on Franchise mode with one team, vs: the CPU. As with my review last year, the comments section will provide more details, for those interested.

Graphics: the best yet, in both this series, and in any current sports videogame, for that matter. The player models are spectacular, with many more individual batting stances, pitching motions, and mannerisms than even last year's excellent game. The stadium graphics are still a bit bland, but also better, with more individuality in crowds from park to park, and the addition of variable lighting effects as the game progresses (stadium shadows, etc) is not only spot-on, it also adds an element to gameplay (picking up a 96mph fastball as it goes in and out of a shadow around the plate, for example). Player uniforms get realistically dirty with play during a game. Crowds tend to be thin in parks where the home team isn't doing too well, and appropriately huge (and loud) in big games, with contending teams.Only complaint here is sometimes during day games (particularly in Spring Training parks), it can be VERY hard to pick up the ball off the bat (too much glare).

Animations: I consider this separately from the graphics. A game can look real nice, but that doesn't mean too much, if the player motions on the field aren't right. In most respects, this game captures player motions quite well. The main exceptions being: Many animations for swing-and-miss are still pretty awful (when you miss a pitch badly, the animation rubs it in your face); representations of fielder throwing errors are still hokey (most often , the guy still takes his time winding up, then calmly heaves the ball 10 rows back into the stands); and tags of baserunners in close plays at the bases seems to bear no correlation with the outcome (player beats the throw by 5 feet, yet is called out, etc). And once again : NO COLLISION GRAPHICS (other than the pivot man getting upended on some double plays), which could add so much to not only the visuals, but gameplay as well (influencing outcome of the play, injuries, etc). It would be nice to make you choose whether or not you want to risk colliding with another outfielder going after a ball in the gap, for instance- but since those kind of collisions still don't occur in this game, you can go get everything. Missed opportunity for more challenging gameplay there.

Sound: sounds of the ball hitting the bat, the glove, the crowd noises- all of this is excellent, and creates a very immersive and believable stadium experience. The announcers, however (same trio again) are still stale, and pretty awful- though you will notice this most only if you play a lot of games. Many instances of where the commentary doesn't match up with what happened on the field, and way too repetitive in what they say.The two "color guys" are particularly awful- pretty irritating to even have to be insulted by these repetitive bozos too, when you are having a bad game. It seems as if almost NO upgrade was even attempted to the commentary this year, and it shows- those who have been playing this series the last few years will be particularly irritated by this: same old thing as last year, almost to the letter. What desperately needs to be added here, is more individual player info by the commentators, as is done very well in the MLB 2K series, for instance. Unfortunate, too- since good gameplay announcing and color commentary can add so much to a sports game experience- I always point to the NHL game series an an example of how well it CAN be done. While the MLB 2K series remains an inferior overall product compared to The Show, it does continue to have superior game announcers. Come on, Show developers: get this right!

Gameplay: the Big item in any sports videogame. Get all the rest right and mess this up, and any game will stink. Most serious baseball fans want a game that just FEELS RIGHT, especially with gameplay. Major ongoing complaints about "CPU control" in this game, where humans feel like gameplay results are ultra-pre-programmed: see my comments section about this, if interested (many definitely are). The most outstanding gameplay element of The Show series, this one included, has always been the spot-on physics of how a baseball travels. The Show perfectly captures the realistic feel for the variety of batted balls that occur in any game: dribblers, line shots, Texas Leaguers, towering pop ups, bad hops (a particularly new good animation), and best of all, the way individual pitches move coming out of the pitcher's hand. It's a major rush to blow 96mph high heat past a hitter for a K in a tight situation, or to snap off a knee-buckling Uncle Charlie for a called strike three, or to freeze their big hitter with an unexpected 3-2 changeup, with the bases loaded. And here's something that many reviewers to this site find irritating about this game, that I find ultimately gratifying (though still VERY frustrating, at times): just because you do everything right with your gamepad does NOT mean everything will go just right on any given pitch. See my comment section on this, as space does not allow me to do this topic justice here.

Gameplay excels particularly in the batter-pitcher duels, where knowing your baseball is paramount to any success. This isn't just a chuck it and slug it game- as a hitter, you have to always be aware of the game situation, the pitcher, the count, the tendencies of what to expect in any given moment of play on the field. This game, needless to say, requires total concentration, if you expect to succeed. This is NOT a game for someone who just has a passing ineterest in baseball, and/or who wants to just play a game every now and then, and wallop the CPU every time, while you are eating chips and listenting to your I-pod tunes. The game rewards the hitter who works the count to his advantage, and who is patient and selective at the plate. Appropriately (though many who like TOTAL gameplay control of results may disagree), the game rewards you with a hit more often than not, IF you are hitting ahead in the count- and punishes you, also quite realistically, if you swing at everything, and are always in a 0-2, 1-2 count at the plate. I've found that if I work the count to my advantage (and this IS very hard to do, especially against the better MLB pitchers), even swings that I don't locate or time perfectly will often go for hits, and if I'm hitting 0-2, even a perfectly timed/placed swing will result in an out more often than not. I think the game developers HAVE introduced a major "pre-determined" element in gameplay with that, but that I also don't mind, since it IS realistically reflective of MLB averages, when hitters are either ahead or behind in a count.

Fielding and baserunning, on the other hand, are still only mediocre in this game. The worst aspect of baserunning is pickoffs: no matter what you do with your gamepad, you will get picked off a lot, and this seems to be very random, and not even just with your worst rated baserunners, either. No matter how quickly you react to a pickoff move and hit the return-to-base button, your runner will randomly just freeze, and get picked off. VERY frustrating.
Fielding still is way too UN-interactive, too. You move your fielder to get in the circle to catch the ball, then you press the base button to throw it. That's it. On the plus side, more balls get past fielders (based on their fielding ratings) than they used to, and bad hops do occur, and the number of spectacular plays by the CPU has been toned down somewhat. The disappointing thing about fielding to me is it hardly seems to matter what I do with the gamepad, particularly with errors- these also occur very randomly, without anything that I have done wrong with the gamepad to blame for it. Slider bar adjustments have allowed me to reduce the number of silly throwing errors, so how often they occur is at least more realistic- but the animation for them is still pretty silly (see above).

Pitching, like hitting, requires more than just good button-mashing ability. As before, each pitcher has his real repetoire of pitches, and reasonably good ratings for all the same (which you can also edit to your heart's delight)- you choose which pitch based on what you'd like to throw, but also by what your catcher is calling for, and what pitches have been most effective for you, in any given game (and this may vary, from game to game, and inning to inning). You have the choice with each pitch to throw easily, or "reach back" for some extra- the trade off being that if you like to overthrow every pitch, your pitch accuracy/location will also suffer. Less power on the upswing of the pitch meter means more accuracy on your release, provided of course you are reasonably accurate in timing your release. Pitchers fatigue realistically (which, like just about everything else in this game, you can modify/edit if you like), and you need to be quick to get a tiring pitcher out of there in time, or the CPU will light you up. And again, what many find frustrating with pitching (just like hitting), even if you do everything right with your gamepad, there will be some days when even your ace just "doesn't have it", and most of is pitches will be fat, and you'll get clobbered. But that's just real-life baseball, folks: even Cy Young LOST over 300 games.

If I had to say what I appreciate (I didn't necessarily say "enjoy") most about the gameplay is the realistic VARIABILITY. Some of that is determined by whether a given player is on a "hot" or "cold" streak, but a lot of it is just what happens in real-life baseball. Some days you have it, some days you don't, and some days it won't even matter all that much what you are doing with your gamepad either- but that's not to say this game is "pre-determined", as many critics would have you believe. The better teams will still generally come out on top, over the long season, just as the better players will do so, over the long season. Play just a random game every now and then, and you might conclude this game is unrealistic, and not under your control. But play this game over 162+ games, and you'll come away feeling two things: you had plenty of influence over how your team did, and the statistics come out pretty believable too. And btw: the game tracks a huge variety of stats, too- which I dare say is an absolutely vital part of any game that wants to call itself a serious baseball sim.

As always, the Franchise mode is very deep in giving you the option to either micro-manage every aspect of your team (right down to setting hot dog prices), or you can choose to automate as much of team management as you want. The continued irritation here is that they STILL haven't got player movement options down right, so you'll find yourself having to use a player option just to move a guy in and out of the MLB lineup, in SPRING TRAINING!!! Why this hasn't at least been fixed with a patch, beats me. Only hard core baseball fans will probably even notice this, but there it is. Still.

Once again, MLB The Show also incorporates a nice save game feature (which for some reason Madden and NCAA football games, basketball games, hockey games do not), so you don't have to set aside an hour of uninterrupted time to play this game. You can also fast forward within any game, to either sim the entire game, or inning by inning- which sometimes comes in handy when I am getting my brains beat out by the CPU, and I just don't have it in me to finish.

As with previous games in this series, there are several difficulty levels of play to choose from, and then slider bars to adjust numerous individual gameplay facets, so you can find a level of gameplay that is right for you. Some critics maintain that, even on the easiest difficulty settings, this game is just too hard. I guess all I can say to that is : I don't agree. I'm hardly a videogame whiz, folks, and I'm getting the results I mentioned on one of the higher difficulty levels, with all the visual aides to hitting and pitching turned "off". Like just about any sports game I've ever played, though, I think most will find that you get better at this particular game the more you play it (especially with hitting, which you can also PRACTICE, btw, in a batting practice mode). If you have little baseball experience, don't get into the strategy in the game, aren't very patient, want instant winning results, and just don't get it that the best teams lose about 4 out of every 10 games, then you certainly will not enjoy this game too much.

I think I'll confine the rest (plenty more) to the comments section, since otherwise this might rival "War and Peace", in length.

Final conclusion: if you have owned/played MLB The Show for the last few years, this year's version is a mild upgrade; nothing too much has changed, but the subtle changes still make it worth buying (but mainly only for those fans who are in it for an entire season). So far, after playing about 100+ games (on All Star Level, with the White Sox vs: the CPU, Franchise mode, with slider bars generally set to favor me slightly, compared to default settings), I have experienced very believable results: team batting average around .290, team ERA around 4.20, average around 10 hits, one+ home run, and 5 runs scored per game, and have a winning percentage right around .600. I've experienced every variety of game, from low-scoring pitcher's duels, to big time blowouts, on both the giving and receiving end of the deal, too. This is, by far, the most challenging game in the series, but also the most fulfilling, for the die-hard baseball fan/gamer. There is currently nothing even close in the videogaming market, when it comes to the competition. For those picking up this game for the first time, however, with only a passing interest in playing a game every now and then, this game will be too hard for most (especially hitting). To be successful with MLB The Show 2010, you not only have to know some baseball, you have to be "in it" for the long haul.

Recommended for anyone who loves baseball, but probably best enjoyed by those who want a good (but realistic) struggle.

I'll tack on a few comments over the rest of my season, to expand on the pros/cons of this game, but if you are a baseball fan who has always been looking for a game that comes pretty close to the real thing, this is it.

I will come back and write a more in-depth review of this game once I have established the newer dynamics of MLB 2010: The Show. I will say this, the pitching aspect of this game is virtually the same as last year. The challenge comes on the offensive side. They have definitely made hitting more of an artform on this year's game as opposed to last year's version. Basically what I have noticed is you have to absolutely square a ball up to make solid contact. On last year's this was critical as well, but in this year's version there is no way you can pull a ball on the outside corner of the plate and expect to get a base knock unless the pitcher just throws you a floater. So far, I have played 4 games, and have yet to win playing on the Legend mode on both the hitting and pitching side of the ball. Like I said, you will not notice a great deal of difference on the pitching side, but the hitting side has definitely become more of a challenge.

Another thing I am glad they have improved is the trade aspect of the game. Now, the trades are more realistic, and it is much harder to build your team. Right now my lineup for the Florida Marlins is Coghlan, Uggla, Ramirez, Delgado, Cantu, Hunter Pence, Cody Ross, and John Baker. I obtained Hunter Pence by signing Jermaine Dye in free agency and trading him to the Astros. I also signed Delgado, but I have to get into a groove hitting with him. Another neat feature is this year's version is if you are in the franchise mode and you get tired of playing your home games at your team's stadium, you can change the location of the game.

One other aspect of the game that becomes challenging on the offensive side of the ball is the angles the game throws at you once you have made contact. I don't know how many times I have already made bad baserunning decisions based on some of the angles the game has given me. It definitely makes it frustrating at times, but I think once I get use to some of these different aspects, I will enjoy this game even more. Long live MLB:The Show! :)

I haven't played a baseball video game since 2002. I always felt it was the same ol' same ol'. I've heard about the MLB: The Show series for a while but it wasn't until I finally picked up a slim PS3 that I considered buying a baseball video game. I've had this game for a week now and here are some of my thoughts.

The graphics and animation of course, are amazing. Players often resemble real life counterparts and they pitching and hitting animations looks accurate. The game takes patience to play. You can't just swing at any pitch and expect to score a ton of runs. Yes, it is challenging but as a gamer I swallow my pride and adjust the difficulty. There are sliders that help you improve your pitching and hitting. I also changed the setting for baserunning to Auto, because I found that the controls for having the lead runner take an extra base was difficult to master. I kept either accidentally choosing the wrong runner to take an extra base or kept getting thrown out because of delays in running.

There are tons of gameplay modes to keep you busy - Quick Game, Franchise, Season, Road to the Show, Home Run Derby. After five hours of practicing I felt confident to try out Road to the Show. I was amazed that they had many pre recorded first and last names. It was pretty cool to hear your name being called. RTTS is a nice mode but I don't think I'll be spending a lot of my time there.

I like playing Season. Playing a game takes me about an hour to hour and a half to play. With the right difficulty, the game is not too challenging or too easy for me. My team is the Angels. I have won in a blowout (12-3, hitting 4 HRs) and I have lost only scoring 1 run. One game was pretty close, I was up 1-0 in the late innings but I left the starter in too long and ended up giving up a game tying home run. Then in the 9th my reliever gave up a 2 run homerun making it 3-1. In the bottom of the 9th I was trying to come back. With 2 outs I was able to get a single to make it 3-2. Runner on 1st & 2nd, two outs still. The controller rumbling heavy to indicate pressure. Alas, I ended up flying out to lose the game, haha. Still it was intense, just like how baseball could be. There would be moments when I'll get out of a jam with a timely double play and I'll be pumped up about that.

The game is not perfect of course. The announcers are pretty good most of the time, but some of their audios will get repetitive. There are some minor details that bug me, like for the Angels, the fans are dressed in either red, white or blue shirts. Nobody wears blue at an Angels game. Juan Rivera always gets a loud cheer when he comes up to bat, as if he is the fan favorite. Seriously? Tori Hunter is more of a fan favorite. The attention to detail is still overall pretty good and the production value is excellent. I tried the demo for MLB 2k10 on my Xbox 360 and the MLB 10 The Show makes MLB 2k10 look like a bargain bin game. The graphics didn't look as nice in MLB 2k10 and animations just didn't flow as smooth as The Show.

I don't plan to buy another baseball game in this current generation. I just need one. I could easily see myself playing this game for over 200 hours over 3-4 years. It's that good of a baseball game. You could always save money and buy older generations, as I had considered getting '08 for under twenty bones but I find that since it's a Sony product price reductions will take a long time. With all the new stuff that '10 have, it was definitely worth it to get the latest version. I have had no regrets pre ordering the game (for the bonus 6 stadiums).

OK, so I have it on Rookie League, with my pitching sliders all the way up to 100%, their batting sliders all the way down to zero, my batting sliders all the way up to 100% and their pitching sliders all the way down to zero. I have them always throw strikes and never try to pick me off. I've been to online forums a number of times to learn the nuances of pitching, batting, fielding, and especially baserunning. And if that weren't enough, I also traded to get a team of All-Stars and Hall-of-Famers. My lineup consists of Ichiro, Ty Cobb, Pujols, Babe Ruth, A-Rod, Jeter, Mauer, Rogers Hornsby, Tris Speaker, and my pitching staff is Lincecum, Bob Feller, Nolan Ryan, Cy Young, Lefty Grove. Yet for all this, I still regularly get rocked by the CPU. My pitching staff has an ERA over 5, fielding is difficult at best, I'm unable to draw a walk or differentiate between a fastball below the strike zone and a fastball strike to save my life, and I'm successfully stealing base less than half the time despite having Ichiro, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby and Tris Speaker. My record currently is just above .500 in a league I doctored such that I should be close to 1.000.

I willingly admit that I'm probably the worst The Show player in the history of The Show. However, that's why a game should allow you to set it a Rookie and turn all your sliders all the way up and the CPU's sliders all the way down--so even the worst player can have an enjoyable time. The game is just far too frustrating, as a lot of the reviews here that are less than five stars (which is over half the total so far) either hint at or explicitly state.

Baseball is "my sport," lately my only sport. As I've gotten older I find I follow the NBA and NFL less and less, and even tell myself every year that this is the last season I'm probably going to pay attention to baseball. This usually lasts until early March, and on some cold early morning I catch myself surfing to [...] and picking out who is going to be my fantasy fan-boy pick this season. Ever since the wonderful MVP Baseball 2005 came and went there has been a void for me in gaming. For the past two years I invested hopefully in 2K Sports "Major League Baseball" franchise and watched 2K play whack-a-glitch, fixing one part of the game while breaking another. This year there is a new development in this struggle to play a good game of hardball: I am the proud new owner of a PS3. Anxious to be free of 2K Sports mishandling of my beloved sport, this year I ran out and bought a copy of MLB 10: The Show. So, did Sony manage to outdo 2K sports? More after the break.

Like Being Back At Wrigley

This is the best looking sports game I have ever played. Period. There are a ridiculous number of details, textures, and animations everywhere you look. Typically how good a player looks in a sports game ranges with their salary - developers take more time with the stars and just 'get it done' with the minimum wagers. It was a surprise then to find that if I squinted at Mike Fontenot standing on base, it was hard to tell the difference between what I was looking at and actual game footage. Yes when virtual Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez come up to bat they swing the way their flesh and blood counterparts do, but so too does Kosuke Fukudome.

And the animations are wonderful. As Tommy Hanson slung a questionable 12-6 curve (IT WAS!) across the plate to catch Ramirez looking in a recent game, Ramirez turned to argue the call and Hanson walked slowly back up the mound quitely pumping a celebratory fist that he seemed to think only he could see. In the fifth, play was halted because a fan had thrown a beach ball on the field (perhaps a Simpson's homage.) The Braves Jason Heyward ran over and tossed it back. It's these interstitial details that elevate a video game beyond the fun of it's core mechanics to making it feel like a true recreation of the sport.

Who knew getting punched in the genitals was this fun?

ouch

Thanks for buying the Show!
As a video game baseball player, if I had a real life counterpart I'd say it might be Ryan Howard or Carlos Pena. I like to swing the bat, walks are for the elderly. Traditionally games have rewarded this tendency. And sometimes, as in the case of 2k's game of hardball, ridiculously so. I'd swing at everything and somehow when 9 innings were in the books my power hitters had homeruns, my contact guys had hits, and my utility players had done what they could. It was as though those designers had created a game that would sculpt a realistic box score in spite of my compulsive button mashing and complete inability to take a pitch.

This Pavlovian response to an incoming white sphere did NOT serve me well when I started playing The Show. For whatever reason, the game decided that if I was going to swing at everything it was going to start bouncing pitches over the plate and throwing a pitch out to get strike three. And it was undaunted by the curse words I screamed at my television and the, I won't say tearful (but it might have been), accusations of cheating the game refused to throw me strikes. Average to terrible pitchers were having career outings against my poor Cubs. Out of pure spite, I started refusing to take the bat of my shoulder. Recognizing the change, the games AI then relentlessly pounded the strike zone and set my men down with even greater precision. Slowly, I realized that the game was not going to let me play it the way I wanted to.

Things are better now. I have had about 500 at bats. In a recent game against the Brewers I took 5 walks (in fairness one of them was an HBP but it COUNTS) and had 10+ hits. However with just a small dose of aggravation I am still capable of rapidly degrading into my old ways, as I found in just the next game when I gifted Livan Hernandez 11ks and didn't score until the bottom of the ninth.
[Your Worst Nightmare]

Your Worst Nightmare

Finding your chi when a game gets dodgy is made even more difficult by a couple of features included to, I think, make the game more realistic. The most headache inducing is the "Umpire Personality" feature. With this turned on, the game will miss calls. You'll be in a ten pitch battle with a particular player, throw a nice backdoor slider which lands perfectly on the inside edge of the strike zone, and the umpire will flat-out miss the call. Missed calls occur several times an inning and mostly (though in fairness, not all the time) happens with a strike being called a ball. Absolutely this is a part of baseball, but is it a FUN part of baseball? Should player strikes, steroids, and players that get into trouble with the law be a part of the game then too? Thankfully, this is a setting that can be turned off.

Now, I know what you're thinking: So what? Taking a walk is a part of the game. And I would agree with you, except for one point. I was playing on the LOWEST setting the game had to offer. There is no casual setting here for players who just want to sit down and play a few innings with their favorite team. Those who try may end up prying their controllers from their shattered television screens. The game REQUIRES that you learn concentration, patience, and self-control. While I can say that getting to the point I am at now has been a rewarding and satisfying experience, I can't say that it was actually "fun." But, I keep asking myself, as I'm sure the designers did as well, SHOULD there have been a casual setting? And if there were, given the challenge seen at this level, would I ever have gone back and turned the level up? Probably a question I don't want to answer.

"It's a great day for baseball. P.S. you suck ass at this game."

What made the first few hours even more frustrating was the commentary. While of serviceable quality for a sports game, the commentators will often razz a team that is performing badly, and when you're getting your teeth kicked in by Jamie Moyer for 15 strikeouts just pours gasoline on the fires of frustration. Any sports video game commentary is going to eventually start repeating itself but I was hearing repeats in the first two games of my season, most notably (but not limited to) how bad I was at the game. Still there were a number of other repeats, mostly from Rex Hudler, and the announcers complaining about bad calls by the umpire (with the umpire personality feature enabled.)

Sounds on the field are all well done, with many chants and cat calls for specific players. Not only that but the game allows you to customize your own cheers and jeers for your team, a feature I have yet to take advantage of.

Question: Why is the first baseman running away from the ball?



Wait...I thought I was the 3rd baseman?
Answer: Because I thought I was going to be controlling the second baseman. It's an old problem with baseball games and The Show doesn't solve it either. On a sharply hit ground ball that's splitting two infielders the game will switch from the hitting to fielding view and there is a 50/50 chance that the AI is going to give you control of the one you didn't want. But it's too late because you were already trying to control the other guy and so send the one you did get running away from the ball as if it terrified him.

Other than that old problem that NO baseball game has really solved yet, the controls are pretty tight. The issue you may have seen in "other" baseball games where you would move an outfielder under a fly ball, line him up perfectly, and then watch ball drop a foot or two in front of him is not here. Controls are strong and the team plays well. Most of the issues I've seen have been mistakes with my own play and not ham handed defensive AI. The only exception to that is I have yet to find the control that allows me to switch away from the player the game selects for me to control. On balls hit in the gap there may be a fielder closer but until the computer switches you to them you're stuck running toward the ball with the one you started with, though it will eventually switch you the guy you want.

And then there's off the field...

Given the brutal difficulty level of the on-field AI, it was a little surprising to find that the team and franchise management were not of the same quality. For instance, no player is safe from being traded and trades happen often. In the game I was able to trade Buster Posey for Jose Reyes. This then made Ryan Theriot expendable so I ran through some pitchers and traded him straight for Felix Hernandez. Other odd Some trades that absolutely should have gone through did not. In one fantasy season I was playing I offered Tim Lincecum, Ryan Braun, and Evan Longoria, for Aramis Ramirez (totally worth it for me) and the Reds REFUSED to do it. When I was toiling in the Cubs farm system during Road To The Show mode, the Cubs dealt two starting pitchers and two outfielders. At one point I traded two minor league-rs to get Pujols. Chris traded Rick Porcello and two minor leaguers to get Evan Longoria. Whatever the math is that's driving the computers value system for it's player's it's beyond broken. When i just simmed through a season without making any trades myself a quick check through other teams rosters showed the AI had decimated them without outside influence. The game seems to value talented prospects WAY more than proven ability.

Still, I could accept if some teams wanted to trade a player for less than he's worth, but there are a short list of players that just should have been completely off limits. It's doubtful that players like Derek Jeter, Pujols, or Todd Helton will ever play for anyone else again. A simple inclusion of a "Franchise Player" checkbox might have solved this problem.

And Yet

If at this point you're getting confused, let me clear something up: this is a great game. It's the closest yet to the feeling of actually being at the ballpark and the "Road to the Show" mode (which I've omitted because this review is already out of control) is a digital narcotic. If you're willing to put in the time and patience to learn to take balls and wait for a pitch to hit this is a very satisfying game of baseball. It can be frustrating at times and some parts of the game are lacking the polish that other parts have, but if you give it time you'll start to feel almost close enough to smell the grass.


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First of all, I do not write many reviews but after I bought my PS3, one of the first games I was loaned was The Show 10. At first, I was frustrated and thought the game was impossible. Over time (a few hours of play) you get the hang of it and the game comes more easily. I decided to give the game a chance and it was rewarding. One of the biggest things reviews do not seem to understand is that yes, this game is a challenge but if you overcome them, you will reap many rewards.

I often will play a quick game in the pros with my favorite teams and just have some quick fun but the real meat of this game is in the road to the show mode where you create a player at any position (I am a starting pitcher) and either enter the draft or choose your favorite team and are inserted into the lineup of their AA team. Over time, you will work your way up through the minor leagues and into the majors at your chosen position. At the present time, I was recently called up to the Phillies AAA team and am used as their starting pitcher. THIS is where the true value of the game comes through and you can really see how you are improving and it makes you a better player.

To put this into perspective, this is the first baseball game I have ever owned and I love it because as I said earlier, if you put the time in, it will pay off well. So if you are willing to put in some time to develop a player, this game is for you. If that's not your style, playing casual pro games is a lot of fun as well. I would recommend this game to anyone.

Finally, there is almost too much to do in this game - it is loaded with features, modes and tons of bells and whistles - in a word it is extremely AUTHENTIC.

I hope this review has been helpful and if you enjoy "The Game" you will enjoy this game so much more.

With over 44 reviews at the time of creating this one, I'm going to take a different road in writing this review. This is dedicated for those who play "The Road To The Show exclusively. I will add online play at a later date. This is a great game that still has room for more added features and improvements. Here is a list of bugs I've encountered while playing as well as some improvements that would be nice to add. I've also included what is good. All and all, I love the game and the series. Unfortunately, the bugs in this one are sooooo easy to spot.

Bugs/Improvements needed
*When you see players/umpires talk, their lips don't move (not realistic)
*The home plate umpire only has 2 animations for "strike" call (would like to see some "replay value." Look at all the different "types" of umpires in the real MLB. For example, the ones who scream strike one, the ones who lightly call it, the one who takes a while to call it, and the very animated ones)
*The umpires clap during the game (seems biased lol)
*The field practice sometimes deducts points when you've actually reacted how you should (it's one of those minor issues where you just scratch your head in amazement)
*The fielding has gotten better but still can become a major headache (the ball slowly goes by the second baseman and the player just stands there) The out fielder goes back back back and stops; the ball flies right by them and no error called (another "what was that all about")
*The amount of balls hit on the line drives me insane, how about you?
*See above, and in most real MLB games, 90% are actually doubles yet in RTTS, it's a single, even for a speedy batter.
*The AI can be brutal and drive you insane to the point of destroying your controller out of disgust (I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm on my 4th controller and it's got some "battle wounds" lol
*Sometimes when your RTTS player is dominating, the AI kicks it up a notch to "make you know your place" lol It can get very brutal...a little lightening up would be nice
*The animations are very noticeable. Show (slow) motion, which is a nice addition shows the catcher catching a ball, with his glove closed!!!!
*See above: A strike in Show motion, revealed that the strike called, was a ball that pretty much was called where your ankle meets your foot, WOW that was a low strike!
* On 2 occasions, while loading to the actual game, it stayed in perpetual loading making it feel like it crashed. Luckily I just completed a practice session, so it saved at that point; loosing nothing.
* Simulating the offseason is sooooooooooo sllloooooooooooow! I get scared when the season ends lol!
*Loading is slower than last years
* Wish list: more negotiating contracts, talking to manager/gm for that added realism
*it was weird to see in the minor league stadiums how easy the ball flies behind home plate and into the spectators. In real life, someone definitely would of gotten hurt
*The minor league stadium facing the Manhattan skyline shows no headlights on during the night on the suspension bridge. Yikes, it's amazing you don't see an accident when playing!
*Why can't the cheering/booing be more pronounced and lifelike. Especially if your stats are amazing and you are not the home team. Or if your clutch is high, your team is loosing, yet the bases are loaded, with 1 out; you're at the plate. If we can create it, why can't some be already included.
*The broadcasters are sometimes out of touch with what is going on and are so repetitive.
*How about that if you had a bad injury or were out a long time, be sent to the minors for rehab games. There are times you want to shut them up.
*Walking (BB's) is a little off this year. My scouting report shows (D for control) that he needs to throw more strikes, yet the way I'm pitching, I'm throwing 80%-90% strikes with 1-2 walks. I had a pitcher who threw for 150 innings but only walked 3 batters total even though his rating for control was "D"
* This one kills me! A ball is hit into the outfield and the CPU fielder lines up but misplays the ball (by misplay, I mean he stands there, and if it were real, he would of gotten hit on the head). It rolls to the warning track while the fielder just stands there. Inside the park homerun!
* You can get hit by the ball on the knee, shoulder, or leg by a comebacker (if you're a pitcher) but the manager doesn't even check to see how you are. You don't get to throw some pitches to make sure nothing is hurting. It seems also that the hardest of comebackers seem to bounce off you. Not very realistic.
* Baserunning bug in RTTS- I hit a double, "the outfielder didn't even reach it yet, but the man on 2nd ran to 3rd and stopped while the man on 1st stopped at third. Yes, they both were on 3rd base, and one was out. I was credited with a single, no RBI. Could of meant a good amount of points if it was the playoffs or if you were about to get a career milestone.
*RTTS "hair" is not realistic.
*No weather (would be realistic to see rain, and if it pours or thunderstorms, there is a delay or the game is called. Doubleheader???

Good points:
*Added field/pitching practice is a very nice touch
*The fielding got a little better (but see above in quirks)
*The AI didn't get tougher (in '09, it was tough) but lets you know it can "take it up a notch" For those who like a challenge, it's not overbearing
*Takes a longer to develop your RTTS player which is more realistic.
*The controls stayed the same, which is good: don't fix what was not broken!
*The faces look so real
*It's funny to see the spectators try to get the ball hit out of play
*The added practice toss/hitting is a nice touch
*A lot was left untouched, which is great because '09 was a great game
*If you walk a batter, the 90% chance of them scoring, is gone. Walking is more realistic yet the stat for its possibility is way off
*Show motion is fantastic (one problem though, it exposes some quirks...see above)
*Good amount of types of pitches for a pitcher
* Love the spectator animations, especially when they reach for a ball or fall out of their seats when a line drive goes past them. You see them try to scoop up the ball. Some fall onto the field....gives you a nice little chuckle!

Wish list:

*Wish your drafted player played in the much lower minor leagues; perhaps the rookie leagues. Most of the times, it's too fast to be called up when in Double AA. If you're really good, you can advance quickly. My pitcher went through AA and AAA within one season and was called up at the end of 2010 in September (while he was 18 yrs old).
*If you leave for free agency or get traded, the home team stadium remembers it and boos you.
*Add whether or not you can be a clubhouse presence or are quiet. The "talk to your manager about team chemistry seems to never work."

I've played both MLB 2K9 and MLB 09 The Show more than a hundred games each, and felt that 09 The Show was the better game of the two... and now, I've bought MLB 10 The Show and played it about 15 or 20 games so far... here are my early impressions...

Right now, it feels like the best baseball game I've ever played. Ever. Hands-down. I'll continue to play and edit this review in the future as need be.

For the novice: This game can have a sharp learning curve, but there are sliders that can alter the gameplay to your style... use them.

My only pet peeves?

1. The franchise mode doesn't stat track categories like doubles and triples in the career stats. Stat junkies care about this kinda stuff.

2. The play-by-play commentary is good... but the color guy is brutal. You should be able to turn his cheese off in the menu.

3. It's still too difficult to determine balls and strikes on the lower half of the strike zone in a 2D experience, and as a result, you never walk, which kills some of the realism. Then again, maybe I just have no patience and swing at everything near the plate like in real life. Who knows?

And that's it... and now, I must end this review and go play until my eyeballs fall out.

To start, this game looks fantastic! Without a doubt, visually the best baseball game I've ever seen. Great sound effects and good music, but the announcers are so-so. The controls are tight and responsive. Tons of features and Practice Mode really helps.

Here's my problems...
1) "Baseball Tonight Top 10" defensive plays happen WAY too often. SS jumping to catch a liner 10ft over his head. 2B sliding on his leg toward 1B to stop a ground ball then 4-6-3 double-play, sorry your arm doesn't bend that way.
2) Stupid AI for your fielders. Maybe I'm still learning, but routine ground balls that roll by the fielder have been way too common. I had a fly ball off the LF wall so I moved to pickup the bounce, and he kicked the ball...to Right-Center, Really?? This isn't FIFA 10 The Show.
3) CPU Batters foul off everything when they get behind in the count. What should be a 4-pitch batter turns into 8-10, wearing out your pitcher, increasing his pitch count, and bringing down his confidence level.

For the casual baseball gamer, its only a 3-star game. I can see the potential as I keep playing and get better at it, but those 3 issues knock off 1-star for me. Overall, 4-stars for a more dedicated fan.