PlayStation 4
Released in 2019 by Sony Interactive Entertainment
Grade: A+
After I was disappointed by The Show’s 15 and 16 editions, I decided to skip ahead a few years, and The Show 19 feels like a return to form.
You get intuitive gameplay, expansive under-the-hood logic, and killer presentation, plus this edition has nice new touches and it’s even more user-friendly than The Show’s best years.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the sixth installment on PS4, and it’s still going, the most recent being MLB The Show 22.
Praises and gripes
I find it pretty cute that after a few years when The Show tried to push new mechanics like analog controls and “pulse pitching,” this game defaults to what has worked so well all the way back on PS2.
You’ve got the great three-press pitching meter. Pitchers still have unique attributes and individual confidence meters for each pitch, which makes each pitcher and each outing different. At the plate, you just aim and swing for contact, normal, or power. Fielders and baserunners feel natural, and their controls are so good they should be used in every baseball game until the end of time.
The graphics are stunning, almost photorealistic. Like most years, there are some new animations to go along with the same lifelike action fans of the series have become accustomed to. There seems to be a few more “in-between plays,” like long grounders, odd hops, and off-balance throws, subtle variations of in-field action that earlier editions weren’t equipped for. It makes the action feel a tiny bit more organic.
I also appreciate the visual effects for weather and time of day. In April, the night sky gets dark around the 4th inning. In June, maybe the 7th inning. Is it an overcast night in October? It’ll look like it! This even has a legitimate effect on the game, casting sunlight or shadows on critical areas of view.
Another point of new focus is in the various interfaces you encounter throughout a game. If you warm up a pitcher, the game will remind you to put him in to start the next inning. If you call in a pinch hitter and end up with fielders out of position, the game will help you sort it out. Want to see a diagram of pitch locations from the hitter’s last at-bat? Just click R3. Want to steer your bunt down the first base line? Push the stick to the right. Should you intentionally walk somebody? The manager will let you know. Is your runner fast enough to make it to third base? His speed rating is right there on the field diagram.
These little things are nice and helpful, they become second nature, and they keep things moving along swiftly. You won’t waste time stumbling through menus. You can focus on the game.
Speaking of moving along swiftly, I just love the “fast play” option. Sure, the game is bedazzled with some awesome-looking cutscenes, but I didn’t deal with them very long before switching to fast play.
Fast play makes games move at not just a brisk pace, but a perfect pace. Let’s say I foul off a pitch. I quickly check a diagram showing the pitch type, pitch speed, where I swung, and how well I connected … then I check the scoreboard for the count and number of outs … then I gaze out at the pitcher just long enough to ready myself … then he starts his wind-up. Any faster and I might feel rushed, any slower and I might get impatient.
All these details surround an awesome baseball experience. The pitching and batting logic is spot on. There are million sliders to tinker with, but I didn’t need to. Games played out fair and realistic on default settings. The action in the field is also as good as ever.
Want nitpicks? The lead-off dynamics aren’t my favorite, and they can result in some unwanted tedium. A few uniforms don’t look quite perfect (a bit too much orange for the Giants, too bright a shade of red for the Twins). You’ll see some shoddy collision detection every now and then.
I didn’t venture into Road to the Show this time around, but I read that it’s “improved” with deep RPG elements. There’s a whole bunch of card collecting nonsense, which I also ignore.
One mode that’s awesome is a retro version of the game, which is an unabashedly faithful ode to Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball for SNES. Just look at these screenshots:
And if you’ve played that classic game, you’ll be delighted by a top-notch ripoff of its music that chugs along. This mode was introduced in the 17 edition, I suppose as a response to the success of the R.B.I. Baseball series. (See R.B.I. Baseball 2016.)
Anyway, The Show 19 rocks.
Published July 15, 2022