Baseball season has begun on the other side of the Atlantic and, as always, that means this year’s virtual version of MLB is here. I’ve long felt that this is the best sports franchise out there and this new installment doesn’t seem to change my mind, but at the same time I’m starting to tire of the few changes that have been made in the last few years.
It can be difficult to distinguish this year’s game from the last, aside from the new menu design and similar elements. Fortunately, there are improvements where it counts, on the field. There are at least over 400 new animations and even if you only notice a few, it’s always positive to make something good better. What might be a lot easier to see are the Pinpoint style changes. This is one of the styles your pitcher can use to throw the ball, such as the classic three-touch style. Press the button once to display a meter, a second time to select how hard you want the throw to be at the top of the meter, and try pressing a third time on a small area for better accuracy . Pinpoint was introduced a few years ago and can be very difficult to master. Depending on what shot you want to take, you will need to move the lever in a specific pattern because different shots have different patterns. Also, different players have different movement speeds, so some will need to move faster. This year a new version was introduced for left-handed pitchers, which is essentially a reverse version of the right-handed patterns. Nevertheless, MLB The Show 24 is overall the game that does the most justice to real sports.
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When I started looking at the different game modes this year, I didn’t find anything surprising. There were the usual modes that are common in all sports games, career mode, a manager mode and an Ultimate Team-like mode. I wasn’t expecting much from the Road to the Show career mode, it’s been the same for a few years now, but to my surprise I was immediately offered the option to play as a man or a woman (I’ll get into that). the inclusion of women later). with two different story descriptions. Unfortunately, it was a pretty exterior without much fun inside. The entire mode is still text based, presented through crappy SMS messages. After the introduction, in which the history of women is the most interesting (Become the first woman in the MLB!), it returns to the usual static formula with new menus. Play games, improve the player, receive unimportant messages, repeat. At least you get to play a lot of baseball, which is always good.
Manager mode is a little more similar. Lead a team, make them win by signing the right players, make smart trades and maybe play a game. The only notable innovation, which I consider to be a very good addition, is that it is now possible to pre-select the conditions under which a simulated game should be played. For example, you can choose not to play until the seventh inning and only in crucial situations such as a 3-2 lead with two outs but the opponents’ bases loaded in the eighth inning. All games that meet these conditions give you the opportunity to play in person. If these conditions are not met, it will be simulated as usual. This mode is similar to the game’s other franchise mode, March to October. This other one is faster because three quarters of the season is simulated. Depending on how well you perform in a match, you will gain more momentum and be more likely to win simulated matches. If you lose, it’s the other way around.
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Diamond Dynasty, this game’s Ultimate Team mode, feels, as usual, like where all the action takes place in sports games. To San Diego Studios’ credit, this is the most rewarding mode among similar ones. They offer you lots of free players and there is always new content with challenges and other things to keep card collecting interesting and lively.
I’ve already mentioned that it’s now possible to play as a woman in career mode, but other than that there’s only one other woman in the game. She is a player named Toni Stone who was the first professional female baseball player. She is one of the players whose story was told in the fantastic documentary mode Storylines. Last year added the history of the Negro Leagues, which represents a very important time for the sport, in addition to the league in which black players were forced to play because they were not accepted into the MLB at the height of their success. Now we have a second season where we follow four different players, including Stone, narrated entirely by Negro Leagues Museum President Bob Kendrick, who is a great storyteller. Additionally, more stories will be added throughout the year, up to a maximum of ten. This year, Derek Jeter also has his own story in Storylines, where we will follow his career with the New York Yankees.
The main problem I have with MLB The Show 24 has nothing to do with the games, which are fantastic, and more to do with the fact that it feels old. Every year that goes by, I have a feeling of déjà vu: it’s the same game as last year. I would like to see the franchise have a real fresh start next year, starting with the graphics, which are good but are showing their age. All you have to do is look at the recently announced Pro Baseball Spirits 2024-2025 (Japan exclusive) and compare the player models. That’s my question about the best baseball game in the world.
