MLB The Show 16: A Must Have For Baseball Fans
If you can't get enough baseball - you watch, listen, and think about the game all day - MLB The Show 16 needs to be in your life.
Whether you are the type of person to get The Show each and every year, or you're just a casual fan who is looking for a good baseball game to play, Sony has created an excellent game play experience in this year's game.
While many of the changes from last year's game are very small, they make a noticeable difference in the enjoyment and speed of the game.
Here are some of the biggest positives and one negative aspect of MLB The Show 16.
Positive - Quicker Play In Road To The Show
Road To The Show has always been one of the more popular modes in this game. However, one of the most annoying parts was the amount of time the entire mode would take.
Whether it was watching the simulation until your player came to the plate, exiting to the menu after every game, or just trying to work through the minor leagues, the game ate up a lot of time.
On The Show 16, Sony did a great job at cutting back the amount of time consumed in Road To The Show.
In a game, it automatically cuts to your player's at-bats or fielding opportunities. Once you reach base, it will jump to the count in which the batter puts the ball in play.
When you finish the game, you can now jump straight to the next game without exiting to the main menu. It gives users the ability to play two or three games in the amount of time it used to take to play one.
Positive - ShowTime
Have you ever heard people say, "the great ones can slow the game down?"
That's exactly what you can do with the new ShowTime feature in Road To The Show. The feature allows you to slow down a pitch while you're at bat, the pitcher's motion while you're on base, and a ground ball or fly ball when you're in the field.
The feature allows you to make a big play in a crucial situation, or just show off your player's skill in the field.
But beware, you do have a limited amount of ShowTime to use in each game. It's best to save it for big moments in the game.
Positive - Captians
The new game mode helps users earn player, sponsorship and equipment cards.
In years past, you would earn random cards after playing a game, or purchasing Stubs, but Captains allows you to accomplish achievements to help bolster the collection.
There are six different Captains to choose from in the game and each one will tell you how many tickets and Stubs you need to earn to unlock different cards.
Negative - Broadcast Remains The Same
If you have played multiple versions of The Show, you would have noticed that the broadcast never changes.
It is literally the same three broadcasters: Matt Vasgersian, Steve Lyons, and Eric Karros. Having the same broadcasters isn't really that bad, but keeping the same lines and phrases can get annoying.
There are a few new lines thrown in, and the developers made it a point to connect to each player a little better, but the changes aren't significant enough to keep you entertained.
GRADE: A-
Almost everything in this game is perfect for baseball lovers.
The graphics, game play, and game modes create an experience which no other baseball game provides.
The Show has completely shut down the baseball video game market. The only real competition The Show has is the people of don't have a PlayStation.
If The Show can improve the broadcast quality in the game, it would instantly move to an A+.
