MLB The Show 16

see deal MLB The Show 16 - PlayStation 4 $19.99 on Gamestop

When dealing with simulation games, the way real-life people and places look in the virtual world can make or break the level of immersion and believability. Here, the new lighting effects make a noticeable improvement in how the field itself and different materials on it look. For example, different types of metals are noticeably brighter, while the new matte helmets are more dull. It’s an attention to detail that stands out.

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But while ballparks look better than ever, it’s the way the players move that jumps off the screen the most. A large amount of animations from years past have been redone, and are so fluidly stitched together that passersby might mistake it for the real thing. Specifically, the way pitchers transition from their pitching animation into fielding is smooth and natural looking.

“ The real prize of this new edition is the Road to the Show career-simulation mode.

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Consumable perks can only be used once per game, but can be activated at any time. Having a “flyball hitter” perk, which forces fly balls if contact is made, really came in handy when I needed a sacrifice fly to win the game. I was able to do exactly what needed to be done, in a simple and straightforward way. Having that kind of control (which the batting system doesn’t typically offer) once per game opens up more strategies. Other perks include things like eliminating foul balls for the at bat, and forcing the next pitch to be right down the middle.

“ Perks are great because they artificially create great baseball moments.

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There is a cost to using perks, however, and that makes using them a difficult decision. Each perk, depending on how powerful it is, removes time from the brand-new ShowTime meter. ShowTime allows you to slow down time in critical moments, helping you to either make a clutch play, or make a complete fool of yourself as you miss anyway. Although it can take some getting used to, it can really come in handy when you’re batting and want to get a better read on the pitch, when you’re on defense and need a faster reaction, or when you’re attempting to steal a base and want to perfectly time your jump.

“ Is all of this cheating? Yes, a little. But it’s also fun.

The addictiveness and quickness of each Road to the Show game encourages you to play multiple games in a row, especially because this year, an entire series can be played without ever going back to the menu as long as you’re playing against the same opponent and in the same ballpark. Even if you want to upgrade your player, the training screen is available without needing to load a new page. The valuable time that used to be spent staring at loading screens in MLB 15 The Show was spent actually playing MLB The Show 16.

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Likewise, The Show 16’s franchise mode is deeper, and consequently, better than ever. Individual players are now ruled by a morale system which alters their overall rating based on a number of realistic factors. The astonishing amount of information that’s now available consistently made me feel like I was making informed decisions when making trades and lineup changes. For example, the way a player feels about his team role can range from happy when batting cleanup, to angry if he’s downgraded to eighth in the lineup. When a player is angry his overall rating takes a hit, making my managerial decisions even more thoughtful and complex. Other factors affect player morale as well, such as contracts, team performance, and distance from birthplace. The same bits of emotional information becomes especially useful during contract negotiations.

Even if the aforementioned changes weren’t enough to lure me down the rabbit hole, the ridiculous level of stat tracking certainly gave me a nudge. Every statistic you can think of, from batting average against lefties to wins above replacement, is recorded.

While other modes have been meaningfully, yet mildly adjusted and expanded, the virtual card-collecting mode, Diamond Dynasty, has been vastly improved upon. Most of the features that were previously featured are still available: collecting cards to fill out your roster, creating a logo and uniform from scratch, and using a created player to round out your team.

“ You’re only allowed to lose twice before your team is disbanded.

Conquest mode builds a turn-based strategy game in which you wager the size of your fanbase on the outcome of a single-player game to determine the difficulty, and isn’t as successful. Conquest is just a bit too convoluted, and ended up feeling like a bunch of unnecessary steps I had to make between games. It failed to steal much of my time away from the other fantastic modes.