We tried the preview of MLB The Show 22, which will be officially released on April 5 for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch: here is our review.
MLB The Show 22: our review of the new chapter dedicated to baseball
There is little to say: spring has arrived and therefore it’s that time of the year again, when baseball fans get ready for Spring Training, the new season and the new video game. Sony San Diego Studios. All while singing “take me out to the ball game”. There is very little to say: for that niche that loves this sport in Italy, it is pure passion. The new MLB The Show 22 will be officially released on April 5th on Xbox, PlayStation and – for the first time in the franchise’s history – even Nintendo Switch. The collaboration between Sony and Microsoft is also renewed, with the title that will be available from day one on Xbox Game Pass. We have tried it in preview for this review dedicated to American baseball.
After watching an introductory video with the histrionic Shoei Othani (true protagonist of the cover and of last season) we find ourselves catapulted into a mini-tutorial, which will make us choose which settings we prefer for the three game mechanics (batting, throwing and fielding). Here already appears a first novelty, with the disappearance of the possibility of using the pure analog for the joke, a feature that was much appreciated in the previous chapter. The game menu also highlights a new feature: the implementation of new Co-op mode, which will allow us to play online in 2v2 or 3v3 games. For the rest, with slight disappointment, everything appears almost identical to MLB The Show 21. But this, after all, is something common in sports video games, having to release a new chapter year after year.
Those who have purchased the MVP Edition, in addition to having early access to the game, will benefit from a special cover dedicated to Shoei Othani of the Los Angeles Angels
The co-op mode: matchmaking and operation
Although the game has not yet officially released, the 4 days of early access guaranteed to those who have decided to purchase the MVP Edition have allowed us to try the co-op mode. The matchmaking is fairly fast, and the game allows players of a team to alternate in the various stages of service. During the defense, on the other hand, only one member of the team will take care of the pitches, while the other (or the others) will be in charge of fielding. Considering that the co-op is the only substantial novelty introduced, the result is decidedly pleasant, especially for those who are tired of the usual modalities already seen in the previous chapters.
The Road to The Show it is in fact practically identical, both in history and in dynamics. We will in fact be a promising young baseball player, who from the draft will have to play in Major League Baseball, obviously passing through the lower leagues, with difficult playing fields and little public. In this sense, the modality suffers from the same problem as in previous years: repetitiveness. This year, however, the transition between the various game phases will be automatic: we will therefore only play the actions in which our player is involved. A function that was also foreseen last year, but which had to be activated at the beginning of each game. The progression of the player is also identical: by making good plays on the field and training in the day offs (through minigames) the statistics of our ball player will grow. We will also be able to equip the player with items that will boost his attributes.
Other game modes: Diamond Dinasty is a FIFA FUT in a baseball key
The proven Diamond Dynasty is also back, a mode that will allow us to field a dream team on the diamond, with today’s MLB champions and legends of the American favorite game. Also in this case we will be asked to complete missions to obtain packages to be discarded containing new players to add to our dream team. In short, a FIFA FUT but with clubs. Note that the game supports cross-play, so in addition to being able to play on different platforms without losing our progress / items / cards, we will be able to play online with other players on different consoles.
Other game modes, already present in the previous chapter are:
- March to October: in which we will have to lead our team towards the World Series
- Franchise: the career mode in which we will guide our favorite team through the entire Regular Season.
- Exhibition e Exhibition Online: the classic free match in which, in addition to the official teams of the league updated in real time, we will also be able to choose the two All Stars teams and three selections of game legends. The catalog of stadiums at our disposal is very accurate in this sense, which also include the famous Field of Dreams from the film The Man of Dreams, which returned last year in a real Regular Season match.
- Challenge of the week: will offer us weekly challenges in exchange for prizes and packages. The first is a head to head between Shoei Othani and the unforgettable Babe Ruth.
- Moments: A series of challenges based on iconic events and games from Major League Baseball history.
- Home Run Derby: it’s the week of the All Star Game, when the Regular Season stops to make room for the real stars of the Season. This mode allows you to challenge the best hitters in the league in the classic Home Run Derby: whoever hits the most home runs wins.
MLB The Show 22 review: let’s sum it up
The need to release a new game does not do justice to MLB The Show 22, which thrives on the obvious and thankless comparison to previous chapters. The improvements are there, but the absence of a real change (excluding co-op mode and a subtle tweak in the batting mechanics) tend to overshadow all the beauty of an incredibly realistic title. The ability to choose broadcast mode during games will take us into the magical world of baseball games that only America can do. The ironic commentary of the commentators, the fans, the sounds, the stadium and the matches that begin with the light and end at sunset. In short, everything a baseball fan loves is within this chapter, which therefore unfairly suffers from a lack of revolution that everyone would like when a new game of a franchise comes out.
The cut scenes between one hitter and the next and the statistics faithfully reported by the announcers makes it all extremely immersive. The game of baseball is complex, and the variables of a play are many. Despite this MLB The Show 22 manages to simulate with incredible realism everything that could really happen on the diamond. And this also includes the wrong ball and strike calls and the warm-up of the pads in the bull pen. The landing of the game on Nintendo Switch will then delight fans who want to play on the go, while the unusual collaboration between PlayStation and Xbox started last year allows players on Microsoft consoles to enjoy the title for free from Day One, thanks to the presence on the Game Pass. In short, controller in hand and everyone singing “take me to out to the ball game, for it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, at the old ball game”.
PRO
- Extremely realistic gaming experience
- New co-op mode
- Also available on Switch and Xbox Game Pass
- Cross Platform
AGAINST
- No substantial changes from the previous chapter
