MLB The Show 20 Review - A Great Day At The Ballpark

Written by Stephen Varner on March 16, 2020

Reviews: The real MLB season might be in a holding pattern at the moment but that does not mean you have to go without a quality baseball fix this March.

MLB The Show has long been the best and in some years it has been the only baseball game for people to choose from. That doesn't mean that Sony San Diego is willing to just rest on its laurels however and this year's game has put in a few new modes and a few new features to make sure longtime fans have some new stuff to poke around with and new players get a great on-ramp for the best baseball sim out there. No matter where you decide to start the game is packed full of excellent options to customize your experience. Spectacular detail has been put into not only visuals but also in the minutiae of the gameplay experience. The real MLB season might be in a holding pattern at the moment but that doesn't mean you have to go without a quality baseball fix this March. The Show must go on!

Presentation and customization are the central qualities on display no matter which corner of this year's The Show you decide to dive into first. If you're new to the series there's a great set of tutorial systems that not only go over the basics of how to play but present you with multiple options to quickly try before you decide which control styles you're most comfortable within each situation. From there you can either jump into one of The Show's multiple mini-game modes like Home Run Derby or Retro Mode or get serious and start one of the more intense simulation and RPG heavy modes. No matter what you decide to do you have a ton of options at your disposal to tailor the experience to your liking. Whether you're taking control of your favorite team in Franchise mode for a full season or setting up a custom playoff scenario in Postseason mode you can simulate as much or as little as you like so that you can get to the parts you like best quickly. Don't feel like pitching for a couple of innings? Skip ahead to the next frame and take over batting duties after the computer does it for you. If you just feel like playing the key moments in an accelerated season then check out the March to October mode. Just pick a bracket of teams with a preset level of expectation and complete challenges in a condensed MLB season that will help you get to the playoffs. There's plenty of choice and it provides lots of options for new players to ease into the flow of the game and take on more of the simulation over time as they get comfortable with things one system at a time without overwhelming them.

If you'd rather dive all the way in and manage every aspect of your roster and do everything possible to dial in every pitch and set the perfect lineup then you can go straight into the deep end of Franchise or create a player and take on their path to the big leagues in Road to the Show. Both offer up a deep set of tools to make the game your own and gain XP to level up your created character or universal profile in order to get rewards that can be used in Diamond Dynasty. Road to The Show is the most RPG slanted mode and here you'll create a custom character and start building them from a minor league prospect all the way into the superstar you want them to be. You'll manage not just your skill development and abilities but relationships with folks along the way. All of these tie into how you'll perform on the diamond and what your players' strengths and weaknesses will be. If you're more interested in managing an entire franchise than developing a single-player than Franchise mode is where you'll want to spend your time. You can be responsible for every bit of scouting the team does, contract negotiations and the hiring or firing of staff. You can also manage what sponsorships you have activated for any given game from your to-do list to net you more cash by fulfilling each of their requirements. You can just as easily set the game to auto manage most of these tasks so you can focus your time on playing the on-field action.

In terms of visuals MLB The Show has never been a slouch and this year is no different. Lighting stands out in particular as it realistically captures the sun saturated outdoor stadiums and contrasts them with the dome-topped stadiums like Tropicana Field. Stadium lights reflect beautifully off a batters' glossy helmet or reflect the open-air stadium uncannily well. The camera angles and closeup shots in between pitches enhance the broadcast look and feel and the animations go a long way to selling the realism of each player.

MLB The Show remains the premier baseball sim not just by default but because Sony San Diego strives to add new things for longtime players and make it easy for new players to jump in and start learning systems and game modes at their own pace. The result is plenty of on-ramp for the uninitiated and training wheels that don't get in the way of veteran players that just want to jump into their favorite mode. The slick movement and facial animations bring America's pastime to life and the solid commentary track and broadcast-style presentation make it look and feel like a televised game. If you're eager to get your baseball fix then look no further than the game that knocks it out of the park once again.