User Rating: 7.1 | MVP Baseball 2004 PS2
Diving catches EVERY time. Come on!!! This game sports some awesome graphics. Kudos to EA for coming out with a game that is progressive capable and sports some unbelievable surround crowd noise/effects. Play with the Brew Crew and you hear vendors sellin brats like you were at the game. Only one exception to this rule, please turn off the commentators. They will often botch a call...."That ones outa here!!!" even when the play was out after the outfielder caught the ball BEFORE the running track. They get unbelievable redundant after awhile not unlike many other sports games. Now for the unfortunate parts of the game. The fielding has a ton of improvements that need to be made. I have seen my share of baseball games. I don’t think I have seen im my existence the total amount of diving catches that were made in comparison to the amount that are made in only one game on MVP. It is unbelievable unrealistic. In assist/automatic mode fielders also have a nasty knack of freezing on otherwise easy plays. Throw a ball to short and the recipient won’t even try and go after it. The fielding charge meter puts an unnecessary lag to the flow of the play. Pitching is very well designed and I feel it gives the most realistic approach to maintaining a pitcher that is tiring. Batting is good although it does take a bit of getting used to in comparison to the pitching. One complaint on batting. Ben Sheets while a great pitcher is probably the worst hitter in the league. But yet I can still manage to hit a standing double with him more than seems realistic. Batters tend to seem generic with the only difference between them is the area that they like to hit at. I have managed to slap homers from the most unlikely players. Overall this game still is worth picking up, especially if you are a sports/baseball fan. The game does have some quirks, but what game doesn’t.
