I saw the pics and read the previews like everyone else and got excited about a baseball game done right. I played the demo and experienced the gameplay and caught myself just staring at the scenes in front of me. No other game has made me feel like I was at the actual ballpark than MLB 08 the show.
Presentation - Top notch quality and attention to detail in the smallest nuances. The different animations for fielding. The area specific dirt on the uniform when sliding either back to the bag or into your stolen base. The beautifully rendered stadium that feel huge and immersive. The fans in the bleachers chanting, cheering, or chasing foul balls. Do yourself a favor and take your time through one full game watching the highlights and just the computer AI interact with each other it's a sight to behold. One caveat is there is noticeable clipping between the players but it's forgivable and fixable for next year.
Gameplay - The game feels just about perfectly balanced out of the box. You may want to tweak a slider to get the computer AI to throw a few more balls. The ground ball to fly ball ratio is right on depending on the pitch and swing location. Yes you will hit home runs but you won't break Bond's record (unless you're cheating too). The pitching mechanic feels great especially with the difference in difficulty when the pitcher is in pressure situations with me on base. Batting is very responsive from check swings to just swinging to foul off a pitch for a better one. The one draw back I have is with the fielding controls it's almost too easy to field in Road to the Show mode but some of the scenarios you get put in really require you to think and position yourself correctly in order to make the best play. The game really makes you pay attention to the intricacies of baseball to truly be successful. You even get to read base coach signs. Try stealing a base no matter how fast the runner without timing the pitcher and see what I mean. You'll even have to adjust to the different umpires and how they call balls and strikes. Nothing is funner than yelling at your TV screen because the ump went against you on a close call on the black.
Sound - Unbelievable! The play by play is second to none. It's colorful deep and directly in tune with what is going on in the field. I haven't heard any mistakes yet by the crew and they will even criticize your play if you don't execute properly. The game sounds are fantastic. A thrown fastball that hits the catcher's glove sounds different that a curve. A foul tip that you barely get a piece of sounds definitively different than a line drive that hits off the sweet spot. You will hear a little repetition in some of the commentary but it's only because you've stuck around to play an entire season because of the experience.
Value - Road to the Show is a baseball rpg. And going back to choose the different positions to play to try to get your player to the major leagues never gets old. Life as a shortstop is different than a 1st baseman, catcher, or pitcher. Each position has skills that will be either easier or more difficult than the others. The online issues from the first few days have been ironed out and most of the games smooth and lag free. Bluetooth headsets are supported although for some reason they sometimes sound a little staticky.
MLB 08 is a welcome and must have addition for any baseball fan or sports gamer. Probably the only question left is whether it's worth it to pickup a PS3 if you don't already own one.
