![]() This is where the game’s presentation shines brightest. Presented alongside the narration of Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, you’re able to relive moment after moment of some of the most legendary players the game of baseball has ever seen. San Diego Studios brings The Negro Leagues to the forefront with their brand-new Storylines mode, detailing the journey of eight different greats from that era, including Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Jackie Robinson, Andrew “Rube” Foster, Hilton Smith, Hank Thompson, John Donaldson, Martin Dihigo, and John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil. There is nothing stale about this next mode, though, and it is quite easily the best aspect of MLB The Show this year. The good news is that’s entirely up to you. Not all Dynamic Challenges are created equal, of course, and playing it safe early on may be the move. So, what about when it comes to playing through the actual games? Well, players will be prompted with Dynamic Challenges throughout the game, with a successful challenge resulting in specific statistical boosts. At the dish, you’ll have the choice to focus on either Power, Contact, or Fielding. As a Pitcher, whether it be of the Starting or Closing variety, players can focus on Velocity, Break, Control, or even strive to be a Knuckle-baller. Where I will give it points is this: the option to be a two-way player now exists (thank you for that, Shohei Ohtani), and the options provided ahead of time are just customizable enough for you to set off on the path you wish to take as a player. What it comes down to, simply, is how often you feel like playing and checking off the same set of tasks game after game after game. While NBA’s MyPlayer can certainly come off awkwardly with its fair share of cringe-filled moments, and FIFA has entirely done away with their story-driven The Journey series of the past, Road to the Show provides no story at all. There is little-to-no draft process, as your player can essentially just end up on your favorite ballclub if you feel like going that route. Unfortunately, Road to the Show feels flatter than ever this year. To start, I appreciate when a sports simulation puts time and a particular level of care into their career-focused mode. Fortunately for the player, there are countless options to choose from - though, with varying levels of attention. Sometimes, a game is going to take as long as it takes. Depending on what you’re looking to do in The Show, that’s not always going to be the case. With an accelerated play clock in Madden, not to mention an ability to focus only on Key Moments, an NFL game can be wrapped up in 15-20 minutes as well. You can breeze through a FIFA match in 15 minutes if you’d like, for instance, and even quicker if you’re not playing Ultimate Team. And every year, particularly with The Show, that is where things seem to break down most often. First, though, let’s talk about a potential sticking point for anybody looking to play quickly.Īs I continue to learn through playing various sporting titles, the battle between patience and impatience can become very real. The latest entry from San Diego Studios plays the hits all while bringing history to the forefront, and that is where it shines. Not necessarily because of everything we’ve come to expect from the series, but rather the steps they’ve taken to improve on past missteps. And while I would argue that no simulation ever strikes said balance exactly right, MLB The Show’s latest offering comes closest. With each passing year, this craving for a heightened sense of realism grows, which oftentimes can lead to a glaring imbalance in the final product.
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