MLB '08: The Show Review - PS3

This has definitely been a rough off-season for baseball, its players, and most importantly, the fans.  The HGH and Steroid allegations have definitely put a dark cloud over America’s pastime.  With the dim skies comes a ray of hope.  Spring Training is here along with our yearly dose of MLB video games.  Sony introduces the latest version of its annual baseball franchise with MLB 08 The Show for the PlayStation 3.

BASES LOADED

The gameplay, like Daryl Strawberry’s career, has its ups and its downs.  The game delivers an ultra realistic sim experience.  Players are now able to look up players stats for each batter and pitcher.  As a pitcher, your catcher will call for the pitches and their location.  Each of the 17 pitches has a bite to them, based on the movement of each ball thrown. If you throw an off-speed pitch, the location will dip lower from your intended target.  Knowing each pitch and the type movement it has is very important.

The batting system has slight improvements as well.  Looking through the pitcher’s analysis is very helpful in figuring out his tendencies.  Players also have the ability to guess where the pitch will land and what type of pitch the opposing player might throw.  You can’t just hit the first pitch. You work the count and tire out the pitcher, just like in real baseball. 

Fielding is the biggest problem in the game.  Sometimes players are late to react to where you want them to throw, causing the other team to reach bases safely.  The timing is also off when making diving plays, just like playing for the Devil Rays.

SEEING EYE SINGLE

The presentation is fairly good in MLB 08 The Show. The game looks a little better than last year’s version and the play by play is spot on.  The announcers, unlike most sport titles, are not repetitive.  There are plenty of interesting stats and stories about each big leaguer.  The player’s attributes are constantly updated as the season rolls along.  Sony also added a Live In-Game MLB Scores which lets baseball fans follow actual games while they play the game. 

The stadiums look fantastic but the crowds are still a little off.  The animations are very repetitive and not as detailed as last year’s MLB title.  The loading times are also unbearable.  Waiting for the game to start can feel like hours on end.

NEW SEASON

There are a few additions to MLB 08 as well as improvements to previous modes such as Franchise and Road to the Show.  The In-Game Pitcher and Batter Analysis, which we touched upon earlier, is a welcome addition which helps this game feel more realistic.  Players can also review highlights from the game with the new replay vault. 

MLB 08 The Show also introduces a progressive batting performance.  Players are rewarded with upgrades based off of their work.  If the players are slumping, their abilities will struggle as well causing them to be prone to errors and strike outs.  Avoid Nomar’s career struggles and do your best by constantly training your player and upgrading him. 

The Road to the Show experience returns.  This is a good, innovative approach to sports games that have been pretty much the same over the years.  Create your player and control him as you work your way from the minor leagues all the way to the Major Leagues.  This mode undeniably makes this game worth buying, especially for those of you who have never played this series before. 

THE BIG SHOW

Last year’s game felt a little bit rushed.  MLB 08 The Show improves on some of the problems apparent in last years version while updating the gameplay to make the experience more realistic.  It’s an exact baseball sim. You can’t just swing away at every pitch and expect to get on base.  The game is the pretty much the same as last year, but with a more updated roster.  If you purchased last year’s title, this game is not worth forking over another 60 bucks for the same experience. 

Review by: Albert Iskander