Video Game Review: Amazing ‘MLB 11 The Show’ Improves on Greatness

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CHICAGO – Sports games are like automobiles — every year produces a new release but it’s bound to drive in much the same manner as last year’s model. It’s especially rare for a bestselling, highly-acclaimed franchise to make radical changes in an attempt for an even higher level of greatness. And yet that’s exactly what’s happened with Sony’s “MLB 11 The Show,” one of the best sports games ever made.

Video Game Rating: 5.0/5.0

The most immediately striking thing about this edition of “The Show” is how it looks. I said last year that “MLB 10 The Show” was the best-looking sports game in history but this one blows it away. The lighting, the stadiums, the character models — it’s gorgeous. Even just the fluid way a shortstop goes after a grounder or a pitcher moves through his rotation can be visually stunning. Even the crowds look more realistic than in years past. The stadiums feel more genuinely alive than ever.

One can play “MLB 11 The Show” in the same way they’ve always enjoyed this franchise but that would be to miss out on the true advancement of the game — a playing mechanic that comes closer to replicating the real-life experience with a bat and a glove than any game before. The new “Pure Analog Control System” completely reimagines the way baseball games are played at home, placing an emphasis on timing and even coming closest to replicating the human capacity for unexplainable error than any sports game has in history.

MLB 11: The Show
Photo credit: Sony Computer Entertainment

The new system allows for analog control of batting, hitting, and pitching. For batting, the player uses the left stick to locate the pitch and the right stick to swing. But it’s nowhere near as simple as that sounds. The player must pull back on the stick in time with the beginning of the stride and push forward to swing as the front foot hits the ground to hit with the best contact. It’s a very difficult mechanic to master but incredibly fluid once you do.

MLB 11: The Show Photo credit: Sony Computer Entertainment

The pitching and fielding mechanics are easier to get from the beginning but also add a realistic weight to the gameplay that most sports games are missing. For pitching. the player locates the pitch, pulls down to start the motion, and pushes forward to complete it. Depending on the pitcher’s ability, energy level, and the situation, that final motion can be very difficult and will lead to many more walks than most players are used to. The fact is that, sometimes, a pitch just gets away from even the best pitchers and this is the first baseball game to really recreate that aspect of the game.

Fielding can be a little frustrating as using the control stick to throw to the base and determine the speed and accuracy with which you do so can seem a bit unpredictable. Brandon Inge has his problems, but he’s unlikely to commit two errors back to back. It could just be the learning curve, but I found myself over-throwing to first way more often than would be realistic. Still, it’s another fascinating attempt to add another layer of realism to this beloved title.

Running and base stealing feel more fluid than ever before, especially in the “Road to the Show” mode. It took some time to get used to the mechanic required to return to first base (pulling back on the left stick) without getting picked off, but, like most of the title, it’s a part of the game that just feels more advanced than years past. It will take some time adjusting to all of the new gameplay options but it’s worth it when you do.

The biggest problem with “MLB 11 The Show” is minor but frustrating — there’s sometimes a lack of urgency in the gameplay, whether it be too lazy a throw to 1st base on a grounder or difficulty rounding the bag to turn a double into a triple. I had a tough time making things happen as quickly as I believed they should if they were to be true to life.

MLB 11: The Show Photo credit: Sony Computer Entertainment

Once again, the depth of situational play in “MLB 11 The Show” is mind-blowing. Like the actual sport, so much is based on the unique combination of batter, pitcher, pitch count, baserunners, and game situation. An average hitter should perform differently in the first inning on a 2-0 count than he will down a few runs with time running out and an 0-2 count and the developers of this game truly understand that fact. It’s remarkable.

The depth is translated to the variety of modes as well. The new addition there is a “Co-op Mode,” which allows for four players offline or cooperatively to play one title, choosing specific players to control or just elements as broad as the infield or outfield. There’s also a new “Challenge of the Week,” an arcade-style online experience with prizes that are designed to keep the game fresh throughout the year.

The game features typical “Exhibition,” “Franchise,” and “Season” modes with updated rosters throughout the season. The highlight is still “Road to the Show,” which has been enhanced this year with new goals, a Player Performance Evaluator, and deep customization to make the experience unique for every player.

The “Franchise” mode is remarkably deep with the ability to run all 30 teams on every level including not just drafting and minor league management but setting ticket prices and working on the stadium to get more fans in the door.

Commentary is expertly provides by Matt Vasgersian, Dave Campbell, with Eric Karros joining the booth this year. They seemed oddly repetitive and even made a few errors pre-release but I’m guessing/hoping a patch could fix that. More than once, the situation they described was wrong (usually claiming the pitcher had done something he didn’t quite like allowing the first two batters of the inning to reach base when it had really started with an out — something that happened twice). Despite minor glitches, the audio in “MLB 11 The Show” is just as notable as the graphics.

It should be noted that “MLB 11 The Show” is no pick-up-and-play title. It takes commitment. The standard difficulty levels are tougher than your average sports game (although that could just be a personal problem caused by my Tigers team CONSTANTLY losing by one run and usually late in the game) and it will take some time getting used to the new controls. But baseball fans are the kind of sports fans willing to take time. They scoff when people say their favorite sport is “slow.” They admire the beauty of a great play at 3rd or note the differences between each pitcher’s rotation. They’re detail-oriented and devoted. And now they have one of the best tributes to their favorite sport ever made.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com