MLB 07: The Show: Career Mode Spotlight
We check out the new "road to the show" mode in Sony's upcoming hardball game.
More than perhaps any other professional sport, the road to baseball's highest echelon is one of the longest and most convoluted. Unlike in other sports, where players transfer directly from college and (in some cases) high school, even the hottest baseball prospects can expect to spend a good amount of time grinding in the minor leagues before ever getting a chance to step to the plate in an MLB stadium. The development team behind the upcoming MLB 07: The Show understands the long and winding road to the show, as evidenced by the improved career mode found in this year's game.
Career mode was first introduced in last year's MLB 06: The Show, and it proved to be one of the game's most compelling features. Instead of taking control of a team and being responsible for its financial and on-the-field success, career mode put you in the shows of an up-and-coming hardball hero trying to make it in the big leagues. With MLB 07, the career mode has been split into two modes: the traditional career mode from last year's game and a new style of play called "road to the show." The main difference between the two modes is how you will play the games. In the traditional career mode, you played the games as you would a regular exhibition or season-mode game, playing all the innings, taking all the at-bats, throwing all the pitches, and so on. In road to the show mode, the player you create is your sole focus, and how you play the game depends on what kind of player you create. We tried a couple of different players to see how the mode differs from position to position.
Our first task was a first baseman. Character creation in MLB 07 is very similar to last year's system: you pick a name, look, and accessories for your player, then assign a pool of attribute points to such attributes as right- and left-handed contact, fielding ability, and speed. After creating your character, you're off to the races. Like all burgeoning baseball pros, you start off road to the show mode in spring training, which is where you'll be expected to produce against other players during the month of March to prove to managers you're worth a shot. From there, you pick a team you want to try out with--a handy graphic shows you where teams are deep, balanced, and thin at every position on the field. Your best bet at getting a contract is to find a team that's thin at the position you created and try out there. It may not be your favorite team, but you can always demand a trade later.
Once we found a team to play on (the St. Louis Cardinals), we hit spring training running. You can track your career progression via the career home menu option on the main page; here you'll find information on any contracts you have waiting, interactions between you and your teammates or manager, training points you can spend (more on that in a bit), and your locker room, which is where you can find notes from your manager regarding your performance.
One of the things the MLB series has gotten right for a few years now is the ability to quickly get to the games that matter on your schedule. One key tool here is the ability to fast-forward to your next appearance in a game. Of course, for everyday players, such as our first baseman, that's less of a concern. But when you create a starting pitcher, it's nice to be able to skip directly to the games in which you are taking the mound. Road to the show mode is all about your player, and tools like this help emphasize this.
In keeping with that philosophy, the actual games in road to the show mode also play out differently than you might expect. MLB 06 veterans will remember the feature that allowed you to skip to your next at-bat while in the game. In road to the show games, every play that you take part in features you in one role or another. Naturally, you'll play every at-bat, but you'll also be taken to every fielding situation that involves you. It's important to note that, as a first baseman, you don't play every routine throw to first that comes your way. Instead, defensive plays usually find you fielding a ground ball and running down the batter at first or tossing the ball to second to set up a double play while the pitcher covers first. In road to the show mode, you play defense from the point of view of your created player and cover all your player's responsibilities accordingly.
MLB 07: The Show Quick Links
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- GameSpot Score8.5great
Check Prices: $6.99 – 49.9
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MLB 07: The Show Review
Not a lot has changed since last year, but the new road-to-the-show mode is a fantastic addition and MLB 07: The Show is a great game.
- Mar 7, 2007
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