MLB 13: The Show Review (PS3)

Sorry this one's a little late guys. We've been a little busy personally as of late. However as they say, better late than never!

MLB 13: THE SHOW

            San Diego Studios hit another home run with this year’s release of MLB 13: The Show.  Year after year this franchise continues to impress by taking an already astounding baseball simulation and somehow improving upon it.  It is like going to the movies for the release of (Insert Movie Title Here) 2 and having high expectations that are not met… except The Show meets them every time.

            MLB 13: The Show appears to take an old adage and modify it slightly: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… just add more of it.”  Gameplay in The Show 13 is relatively the same as in years past, the controls are identical with multiple configurations to chose from.  The major addition is a Beginner Mode which is, you guessed it, for beginners in The Show franchise.  The AI starts off by feeding you pitches that even an American League closer could hit until you get the hang of it.  Slowly the difficulty picks up as you advance through Beginner Mode.  It is a nice new addition to the franchise.  A new throwing meter is also introduced for those who have familiarized themselves with The Show over the years.  This meter has a sweet spot in the center and accuracy gets increasingly wilder as it fades from a green center, to yellow, and red at the ends.  It takes some getting used to, but adds a degree of difficulty to throwing.  This can always be switched to the old style by accessing the controls menu.

            The Road To The Show Mode returns and is as good as ever.  This year, San Diego Studios takes you onto the field with the presentation.  You still get the preshow experience of the television broadcast as well as occasional “Prospect Spotlights” on your major league hopeful.  The telecast experience pops up after your player has completed an at bat, batter faced, or fielding opportunity.  But for the most part, you hear what your player hears.  There is no commentary during your game events, just the sound of umpires, coaches, players, and fans.  Hitting and base running has been improved upon as well.  When you hit the ball, the camera drops to your hitter’s shoulder so you can more accurately track the hit from the player’s prospective.  You can also lock on to the ball or third base coach with the simple push of a button to see exactly what is going on.  Fielding opportunities now have a more personal feel as well by allowing the player the option of catching the ball by pressing a button when the virtual player should close his glove.  This adds a nice little timing factor and a little more realism, if the player so chooses.

            Two major game modes have been added this year as well.  The Show Live allows the player to jump right into a game scheduled for today’s date, similar to the NBA 2K franchise.  The other game mode addition is Postseason Mode which allows you to skip the regular season and jump right into the playoffs.  The atmosphere of Postseason Mode games is intensified to give you the impression that this game means more.  San Diego Studios recorded crowds from actual playoff games to accurately get a feel for the noise level.  The presence of rally towels also adds to the excitement.  Having been to three postseason games in the last two years, I can vouch that the atmosphere is pretty accurate to the way the postseason feels as a fan.

            Presentation received many new additions this year.  Steve Lyons returns to the series, replacing Dave Campbell in the commentary.  When creating a player, you now have the option for “warrior” style Bryce Harper eye black.  Batting animations have been broken down into stance, follow through, missed swings, etc.  Various scenes have been added to games as well.  For example, after your first virtual home run in RTTS, you just might receive the silent treatment from your teammates before being congratulated with high fives and back slaps.

            Overall, MLB 13: The Show took an already astounding franchise and made it better.  They did not tinker with things that work well, but did make some slick additions for new and old gamers alike.  San Diego Studios continues to impress year after year with easily the best baseball simulation available.