It’s quick, addicting, and scratched my RPG itch… again. As before, you start the career of a MLB hopeful, level him up by performing well on the field, and work your way up to the big leagues. The flagship Road to The Show mode has gone mostly unchanged. I have to point out, though, that Sony’s announcement that the online modes for MLB 14 will be turned off in June has shaken confidence that MLB 15’s online modes will be around for long. I haven’t experienced a single lag-related hiccup so far this year, but I have seen the occasional glitch. First of all, I’m happy to report that the online modes The Show are vastly improved compared to last year, when the lag made MLB 14 unplayable at times. The entire list of game modes from last year are back and slightly better than ever. On defense, players respond realistically wherever the ball lands, and controlling their fielding is smooth and easy. It’s a happy balance that’s nuanced and challenging, but not overwhelmingly complex. Meanwhile, we’ve still got the solid pitching options available, including my personal favorite: pulse pitching. Now, aiming where I want my ball to go feels more logical. Being accustomed to lining up my bat with the ball, this more intuitive approach to hitting actually took me a while to understand. On the field, the biggest addition this year is directional hitting. As long as you don’t look too hard at what’s behind the bleachers, the environments are completely believable, and can be remarkably immersive. There’s so much variety that I had a hard time spotting the same models or animations twice when the camera cut to the crowd: families, friends, couples and season-ticket holders are all distinct. Fans hold up clever signs, dance when something great happens, and boo when something bad happens.
MLB THE SHOW 17 GRAPHICS SKIN
MLB 15 has also enhanced its exceptionally detailed player models by adding more skin tone variations that are much more true to life.Īnd the crowds feel alive. Adding a real-time seasonal sun makes a big difference, thanks to striking shadows in each beautifully crafted ballpark that realistically shift throughout the course of a game.
As great as last year’s MLB 14 looks on the PlayStation 4, MLB 15: The Show looks even better.
Focusing in on those improvements, the first is an incremental graphics upgrade.