Several GameDaily staffers consider themselves serious baseball fans. Along with their morning cup of java, scouring box scores and tweaking fantasy baseball rosters are all part of the daily morning ritual. One would think that a game such as Baseball Mogul 2008, now in its tenth iteration, would be the center of their baseball lives. Some like it, others detest it, and therein lays the dilemma: it doesn't appeal to all baseball fans, and narrowing down exactly who likes it becomes maddening.
Mogul remains one of the most intricate, realistic baseball sims on the market, but calling it "easy-to-learn" (as the promotional materials state) is a stretch. It'd be like saying the game of baseball is "easy to understand" to someone who's never seen it . Neither could be further from the truth. Mogul puts thousands of facts and stats at the player's fingertips, including a new encyclopedia with over 30,000 interlinked pages that track historical leaders in over 70 categories (hitting, pitching, fielding, annual financial records, etc.)
Players assume the role of general manager and must set ticket prices, stadium concessions, modify the ball park, or trade, sign, and release players, negotiate free agent contracts ... in essence building a long running dynasty. In addition, teams can be made to have the same payroll, putting the likes of the Kansas City Royals on the same even playing field as the New York Yankees. The impressive player database goes all the way back to 1901, thus allowing fans to take control of any team during any era. The game even automatically adjusts finances based on the era.
Updated stats for all thirty Major League Baseball teams and players are included, but the game was released on March 20 with some high profile players omitted from the rosters (an update released on April 24 corrected this). Plus, a few of the 2007 opening day games were listed incorrectly.
As stat heavy as Mogul plays, a few graphical touches break up the monotony. "Play by Play" mode lets players assume direct control (to hit, pitch, etc.) at virtually any point during a game. This may give stat freaks some joy in Mudville, but most will find it boring after a few mouse clicks.
Baseball Mogul 2008 hits a homer for gamers who sit in the stands with a scorecard and keep track of every foul ball. However, unless they're part of that very specific group, which there are legions, this baseball sim will likely be as much fun as watching the infield grass grow.
Final Score: 7 (out of 10)
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