MLB 07: The Show
Score: 88% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Developer: SCEA San Diego Studio Media: Blu-ray/1 Players: 1 - 2; 2 Online Genre: Sports (Baseball)
Graphics & Sound: Although Sony's sports division has come on hard times in the last couple of years, its baseball games have usually been pretty good. After success with MLB 06, a few more fans are finally beginning to give the series credit. MLB 07: The Show looks great, though it isn't exactly a visual showpiece title. Players likenesses are pretty good and there is a lot of variety between player models. Unlike past baseball games, you don't feel like you are playing with a team of clones. Player reactions and animations are the only stand out feature and give the game a more realistic feel. Transitions between animations aren't very noticeable and flow into each other. Some players even have their own personal animations like pre-bat rituals and throwing styles. Regrettably I've never had the chance to watch a baseball game at a major league park, so I can't vouch for how authentic the parks in MLB 07 look. While some fans will probably be able to point out little things like the font size and type on sections in Wrigley Field or the exact tint of green on Fenway Park's Green Monster, everything matches what I've seen on TV, which is enough for me. Matt Vasgersian handles play-by-play duties and does a great job. The move to the PS3 hasn't done much to improve the frequency of comments, but I never found it annoying. As for the rest of the sound, MLB 07 sounds like a baseball game should. You have legions of obnoxious fans, screaming umpires and announcements over the PA system.
Gameplay: MLB 07: The Show features nearly all of the play modes found in the PS2 version. In addition to standards like Quick Play, Season, Franchise and Online multiplayer, MLB 07 also features a Manager Mode and a really cool Career Mode. Franchise Mode gives you control over every aspect of a team. Not only are you responsible for management decisions like roster changes, pitching line-up and player contracts, but you'll also have to negotiate TV deals, arrange promotions and set prices for merchandise and food. On top of that, you will have to stick to a budget and meet fan expectations and team goals. If this all sounds overwhelming, well... it is. On the plus side, you can delegate responsibilities like a true manager, so if there's something you don't want to deal with, you can let the A.I. handle it and focus on other aspects. The main attraction in MLB 07 is its Career Mode, The Show. Here you create a player and try to earn a spot on a team. Although you still take part in games, the catch is that you only play when your created character is on the field. If you are a pitcher, you can only pitch when the manager decides to put you on the mound. The same goes for other positions as well. After doing your thing on the field, the game goes on until your next turn. In Career Mode, you don't just play your position; instead you try and meet a series of assigned goals. These include striking out players, making a double play or any number of other things. You also have goals for your at bats like batting a runner in or just getting a hit. As you complete goals, you earn points that you can then spend on training your player. Which stats you choose to improve depend on your position. Reaching goals also raises your stock as a player. The better you do, the more difficult your goals become. Eventually you'll get the attention of a team and earn a contract offer from a team. Career Mode is different from what you would usually expect in a baseball game, but the change is welcome. It took a while to really get into the mode, but once I changed my mindset, I was able to get a contract. And, while Rick Vaughn Jr. didn't have quite the impact as his old man, he still had a pretty good career. Oddly enough, one of Career Mode's bigger problems is the camera. It always focuses on your player, or at least it tries to. Sometimes it is successful and gives you a great view; other times it finds the most awkward position and forces you to make the best of a bad angle. MLB 07's online experience is great. After creating your profile, you can play in either Ranked or Unranked games as well as create leagues, share settings or even check out news from around the league. Games generally run smoothly, though lag will rear its ugly head every few games.
Difficulty: Hitting a baseball is one of the more difficult things to do in sports, and personally I've always had a problem with batting mechanics in games. Hitting in MLB 07: The Show takes some work to get down, but is enjoyable once you learn what you are doing. In simple terms, all you really have to do is time when to hit (X), though sticking to the basics doesn't always result in hits that have a great influence on the game. While at bat, you can use the right analog stick to try and "steer" the ball after hitting it or, if you are feeling really lucky, try and guess the location and type of pitch being thrown. Alright, so the mechanic behind hitting the ball isn't too difficult. Instead, the difficulty comes from watching the ball. In MLB 07, the ball isn't super slow, nor is it so fast that you don't have time to react. Instead, it hits a sweet spot between the two, making it challenging, but also giving you enough time to decide if you want to take a swing at it or not. If you are the type of player that expects a lot of home runs, MLB 07 isn't the game for you. Although they happen a little more frequently than in real-life games, they aren't as frequent as in other baseball games. You may luck into a hot streak, but more often than not, you'll have to work for your big hits. Fielding is another aspect that either works really well or not that well. MLB 07 does an okay job of making fielding easy, though it doesn't always work the way you want. Once the ball is hit, control is switched to the player who can best make a play on it - only the best player isn't always the one that is selected. Sometimes you'll end up controlling your right fielder when the ball is closer to center field. Eventually you'll learn to work with the system when this happens, but I really wish I didn't have to make it work. Everything else works well enough and can be adjusted to fit your needs and play style. The A.I. is competent and never feels too cheap. Since you can adjust it, the difficulty curve is more about learning the game's mechanics and how they relate to smart play.
Game Mechanics: MLB 07: The Show uses the same pitching mechanic as past games, but with a few minor adjustments. Pitches are assigned to face buttons. After selecting a pitch, you can move the analog stick to choose a location and then press (X) to start your wind-up. Pressing (X) a second time sets the power and a third determines how accurate it is. It's an old mechanic, but like the cliché goes - if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Each pitch also has a meter by it that changes based on how you are playing. If a pitch is working well and you are able to throw a lot of strikes with it, the meter improves, making it easier to throw that pitch. If the pitch goes cold, then the meter goes down. In order to get the most out of pitches, you'll need to watch your catcher, who will suggest pitch types and locations. Your pitcher's calls aren't always the best choice, though for the most part he won't lead you wrong. SIXAXIS support is limited to controlling sliding. You can push the controller forward and slide or you can slice it a bit and try for an outside slide. It works okay, though I honestly forgot about it most of the time. I've always had a love-hate relationship with baseball games, but MLB 07: The Show is one of the more enjoyable baseball games I've played in a while. Although it isn't a perfect game, most of the issues are minor and can easily be ironed out in future iterations. MLB 07 offers a complete baseball experience and is easily the best baseball game available on the PS3.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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