(andPOP) - It's time for another edition of The Show ladies and gentlemen. Sony Computer Entertainment presents MLB '08: The Show for all you diehard baseball enthusiasts out there. Available for the PS2 and the PSP as well, this is the yearly addition to the PS3's baseball series and with every new version comes new tweaks and features.
This is a virtual game of baseball. The bare bones of it all are all the same as the previous year's titles, the same as the real major league and the same as all the times people got together to play America's favourite pastime, it is in the end, baseball. The Show brings extras to the game that you otherwise couldn’t experience by playing a real game, however. First is the ability to play in the major leagues of course, but deeper still the game offers different modes of play. Modes such as "Road to the Show", which is basically a career mode. You get awards and penalties for the way you play and eventually (hopefully) make it to the Hall of Fame. The "My MLB Music" option gives players the chance to make their own baseball soundtrack using MP3s.
The Show also provides you with one of the most detailed character creation modes I've ever witnessed in a sporting game. It has everything from nicknames, to crow's feet, to your batting stance. The only thing missing is choosing your own blood type. Other options include "Headlines", which automatically creates custom newspaper articles about how your team and others in the league are performing with specifics from the games previously played. Big additions to this year's title are the batter and pitcher analyses. With these, you can figure out the best way to play against specific opponents and even predict their next moves. Franchise mode allows you to control all of the aspects of your team, such as contracts and rehab. You also have access to all the requirements in a baseball game: season mode, manager mode and two player series mode. Of course, you can hop online and check out the MLB ticker for the latest updates, check out the leaderboards, get emails, and play against someone half way around the world. The online option even updates the current team rosters. As with all the game modes, there is also an overabundance of options to tweak every aspect of the game to create your perfect baseball experience.
The game sounds amazing for a Baseball title, with a standard yet solid soundtrack including classics and new rock anthems. Players also have the option of using their own MP3's to create a soundtrack to their likings. The sounds of cracking bats, cheering fans and whizzing balls all sound superbly realistic and along with the realistic custom-feeling commentary, which is specific for each stadium and player, you rarely hear the same comments twice.
MLB '08: The Show looks great. From the first time you pop in the game to the World Series winning home run, every aspect of this title looks detailed and polished. When the stadium first loads up, the attention to detail in every little facet of what you see is amazing. They even have the crowd attendance available for you to see. Each stadium is the splitting image of the real location, and if you've been to the stadium in real life, you could attest to this. The player models are outstanding as each player looks startlingly like his real life counterpart. When they come up to bat, they even have little information bubbles about their careers, as if you were watching the game on TV. The players move and act realistically as well. If you were to mentally take away the shiny polygon count of a player and replace it with skin, you would feel like you're watching a game live on TV. Menu setup and option control are all crisp and easy to navigate. When playing a game, it is easy to call up the analysis menus and make split second decisions.
Controlling The Show is similar to the 2007 version in many aspects. One of the biggest improvements comes from the batting and pitching analysis. With the click of a button you can see what the trend of that pitcher or batter is, how they hit against specific types of pitches, and even predict how they will act in the future. This new feature creates a whole new level of competitiveness online. Knowing that the opponent can see your trends, it becomes more of a mind game than ever before. Or it can be the leg up you need to beat a computer opponent. Besides a few little tweaks and a plethora of customization choices, The Show keeps it as simple or as intricate as you feel comfortable with. Along with the long list of features, a little extra window caught my eye. There is a tab in the main menu that doesn’t really provide any real addition to the game but rather, it explains all the new additions to the game itself. Players who want to see the difference don’t have to test the game out for hours or rummage through the manual. They can go straight to this menu and read about all the new aspects of MLB '08.
Well, there you have it. Another baseball game, another updated roster and tweaked features. A welcome addition to any sports enthusiast's library or that of the casual gamer who hasn’t picked up a baseball title in a few years. MLB '08: The Show offers up what players want and have expected year after year. With new additions and the always welcome online option, this title will definitely hold you over until MLB '09 or even MLB '10 comes out.
Graphics: 4.0 / 5.0
Gameplay 4.0 / 5.0
Sound 4.0 / 5.0
Replay value 4.5 / 5.0
