Ok, let me set the record straight right off the bat (no pun intended). I wanted to hate this game. I bought MLB the Show 09 and enjoyed that, however, I found it very frustrating in terms of it's realism. Not that I didn't appreciate how difficult it was, just that when you want to play a quick pickup game and have some fun, that isn't possible. You have to work the counts, wait for the right pitch, etc. That's fantastic, but it gets annoying after awhile. Who has time for a season when each game takes about 60 minutes to play? So, for 2010, I didn't bother getting a new baseball game because I had the feeling that it was going to just be a roster update, which, from what I read from reviews, it was just that. For 2011, I didn't really feel the need to buy the Show again, but as the videos started to come out on it, I hemmed and hawed and then decided, oh what the heck, I'll buy it. Even though, I feared it was going to be more of the same. WAY WRONG!! Although, I still say that MVP Baseball 2005 is the greatest baseball game ever made (the gameplay hasn't been matched to this day), The Show 11 is a stud in it's own right. Quite possibly the most gorgeous sports game ever, you will marvel at the weather effects, the dirt, the player models, the stadiums...I could go on and on. How they managed to make the game better looking than 09 is beyond me, but they did. The greatest aspect of this game is the analog controls. You actually feel responsible for your pitching and hitting for once. If you suck at this game, then it's your own fault, we can't blame the computer anymore. Don't get me wrong, this game is still hard as hell, but they have a slew of practice modes to get your timing, contact, recognition, etc. all down pat before taking your cuts in the field. Another great addition is you are able to silence each INDIVIDUAL announcer! Not just the whole crew. In 09, I silenced them because Matt Vasgersian gets on my nerves after awhile with his nails on the chalkboard sounding voice. Now, I can just silence him and still get good analysis from the other two commentators. Small things set this game apart. I was playing in Tampa Bay and they had cowbells ringing away when I got two strikes on the hitter. It's little nuances like that that make losing more palatable this time around. I've only played a few games (they still take awhile with all the presentations on, but they are so pretty to behold, I will leave it on awhile longer), but I have hit 2 homeruns, so it's not unbeatable, just very tough. Oh, one other great aspect is that you can change the camera angles however you want! Any way and every which way you can think of.
Bottom line is that this game is still going to frustrate and cause us to curse at the screen, but hitting and pitching is a lot more rewarding this time around than it's ever been. I will say this, though, the pitching is a lot easier to get the hang of (analog wise) than the hitting is. Not that it is hard to make contact, just making good contact is the issue. Pitching is a blast, though! Few things I wish they would fix are: real minor league players; the analog hitting needs some tweaking to be as fully immersive as the pitching is; and lastly, I wish the crack of the bat had a more realistic sound to it. But, seriously, those are nitpicky complaints. When a game is this good and my complaint is the sound of the bat, well, that's a darn good game to me!
Update: Here's some quick tips to make hitting much easier in the Show. Change your hitting method to Zone so that you can control where you want to hit the ball; gives you total control over whether or not you want to hit a grounder or a fly ball, pull it to left field or right field, etc. Next move the sliders for the computer pitching for Control and Consistency to the right. Yes, to the right. This sounds counterintuitive (making the computer a better pitcher), but trust me, it works. If you slide them down to the left, the computer will be wild and all over the place and will hardly throw strikes. If you move them all the way to the right, he will pitch like a real pitcher, hitting his spots and not being all over the place. By doing these things, I actually had to lower my Contact and Power sliders down because it was just way too easy to hit. I never thought I would ever say that for an MLB the Show game haha! Try it and I guarantee you will find the Show a much more enjoyable game.
This years MLB 11 The Show blows away previous additions by leaps and bounds. Several new features have been added, most notably, the Pure Analog Batting, Pitching, and Fielding. Pure Analog control utilizes the right th... Read Full Review
This series is the reason I bought a PS3 and this year is great....I love the analog pitching, analog hitting is going to take time to get used to and I don't like the analog throwing. The Graphics are amazing and my onl... Read Full Review
