MLB Show 25 Comments

I don't envy the work required to keep an annual series like MLB. Whether it's adding new features, fixing things people don't like, or writing and making a new season of the entire Neg Negro League, there's a lot to do and there's very little time to do that. This is especially difficult when all the time and energy are often distilled to a problem: Is it worth upgrading from last year? Thanks in large part to the fundamental changes in the way the performance and the Diamond Dynasty model work, MLB Performance 25 questions answered this question with loud affirmation.

I don't mind that there hasn't been a lot of changes in actual baseball this year, but there have been some good adjustments throughout the process. For beginners, recent changes such as two-way players, adjustments to shift rules, and pitch clocks have been completely merged. When you lock in control of a player instead of the entire team, some new fast time events can occur, the most notable of which is the new swimming moves to avoid labels. I was a little nervous because it would make the stealing base too easy, but it only seems to appear in time, and it is rare and more like a snack than a clutch. Now, infielders have several different initial reactions that can have a significant impact on their speed. This mainly means poor defenders are more like it now, so net effects are worse, but I think it's a worthwhile trade-off to make great defenders more valuable, especially in franchise mode.

There is also a new ambush feature where you can “cheat” the inner or outer court, making it easier to hit the side of your choice, and harder to not the side. In theory, I like it, although I ended up having greater success, so I rarely use it. Overall it still feels great, although it seems a bit unfavorable about perfect contact. You will still get the same satisfying bat crack, but it feels like it will cause a huge blow or just once, which should be the best hits with too little reward. Hopefully, it will be adjusted over time.

The franchise can control your favorite team and correct ownership mistakes (such as adding much-needed shock bats to my beloved sailors) is very similar to last year. Custom game entries allow you to automatically simulate the game until a high leverage situation occurs and control is selected, which is still one of my favorite features. This year, the way you offer a free agency contract has been overhauled: you now prioritize a small number of goals and you will accumulate their interest as the days go by. It does a great job of simplifying the free agent process and I love the strategy of deciding to join Marquee Free Agents vs. my roster.

All said that the core of G25 is still as solid as ever, with the focus on some small but appreciated updates to the overhaul. Although they may not have fundamentally changed, both the franchise and March to October take advantage of new production elements, such as player-to-player comparisons. The new goats are also hard to sound, and the court is fast, positive breakouts on the ball and very small plate coverage indicators. I will be free to admit that this is too difficult for me, although I hope people who are eager to punish the challenge will enjoy it.

The road to performance

The road to the show, where you can control your own custom golfers and then eventually go to Major League Baseball, where you will find some big changes and they do a great job of revitalizing mode. Unlike previous years, you attended the combine before joining the league and now you’ve been an amateur since high school. In short, but playing at the end of senior year and trying to impress the scouts and recruiters while chasing the championship is an interesting twist. My two-way pitcher and first baseman Pinky Rogers ruled the game and found himself firmly on the crosshairs of the twelve major league clubs, in another new member of the show, the College Scouts.

This leads to a very interesting choice: Am I jumping straight into the pro ball and starting to rise, or am I going to college, time to the end of my senior year, and trying to be a highly polished, highly drafted blue chip prospect? I chose the student-athlete route and accepted a quote for playing for TCU, one of eight real college teams. The authenticity is impressive, from the entertainment of each team’s homes when I played in the college baseball playoffs and the unique tinkle bells when metal bats come into contact with the ball. Taking this route means I've reached a minor league with higher statistics and can make the jump from AA to AAA much faster than in the past few years, which is a big improvement from a bit in history.

Another big change is how to upgrade players. Previous iterations of the show have the “Use It to Improve It” model, like in the Elder Scrolls RPG, where success in taking specific actions, such as hitting a left-handed pitcher or strike with a specific pitch, slowly improving those specific attributes. Now it is replaced by the token system where you can assign an index. This may sound like a subtle difference, but it greatly changes the way you develop as a player. Every skilled in bats, pitching, playing on the field or training courses accumulates progress, which makes playing “only one game” attractive. When you can easily make progress in simple ladder training, but it's a worthwhile tradeoff, which makes it hard for me to put down the game, and it's hard to justify doing some longer or more difficult training mini games, such as between-field games.

Storyline

One of the big-subtitled features of the show is the storyline of the Black League, which returns to its third season. It remains one of the most impressive modes in any sports game, combining mini documentaries about Black League stars such as “Cool Dad” Bale or Kaleb “Turkey” Steins, and playable moments in their careers. It once again builds on the story of Bob Kendrick, the magnetic chair of the Black League Museum, and continues to stand out as an excellent overlap in history and gameplay.

That said, except for the new story, this pattern is the same as the first two iterations, which puts it in a weird position. I praised my black league for its debut MLB Show 23 Commentsbut the lack of progress over the past few years has been disappointing. It's still a great little episode and basic game challenge (with a long load time), but the challenge itself is usually just to get some hits or hit a few people, which is the same gameplay moments for Diamond Dynasty. I know them able Do more unique and fun things, for example, when you were Satchel Paige in the Black League Season 1, when the entire defense sat next to you, they didn't do more, which felt like a missed opportunity to make the gameplay of this mode stand out.

Another insistent work is that the notable storyline does not exist with a focus on the same single player as Derek Jeter on show 24. The broad view of the captain is not perfect, but the path and rewards of the branch seem to be the next evolution of the storyline model. It feels like we're just scratching the surface of the storyline, especially when there's no shortage of incredible stories in the history of baseball for a century, so performing 25 runs without that momentum is a hard pill to swallow.

Diamond Dynasty

Diamond Dynasty is the live service corner of the show, where you can collect players through card collection of baseball teams and restore some great changes. First, the set and season (before retirement in most modes, cards and seasons are available in a specific time frame, which is officially over, and I am very happy about it. Some great cards are rewarded for honing through a multifaceted program, and it never seems worth putting the work on players who end up being forced to the bench. Now, if you work hard to get a card from top Roger Clemens from his plan, you can keep it, earn XP to upgrade it, and make your favorites the cornerstone of the team. It's a really, really good change.

Another big update is the inclusion of a new single player mode called Diamond Quest, which is a bit like a Roguelite-inspired board game. It sounds weird, but honestly, it's a very fun way to play. You roll a death for each turn, and every space you cross can hide gameplay challenges, rewarding some kind or nothing. The goal is to get to the stadium (or stadium) and win three innings with your squad. If you win, you can keep the accumulated rewards and get a chance to get a premium card. It's fun and very replayable because the content of the tiles is random and rewarding a lot. I especially thank you for your difficulty in choosing a stadium game. Sometimes it’s a pleasure to win easily, while other times it’s worth losing the risk of a goal challenge as this increases your chances of ultimately getting the best drop.