Sony, fed up with 2K Sports hogging the baseball spotlight, finally released MLB 07: The Show for PlayStation 3. The game retains all of the features from its PS2 and PSP counterparts while incorporating new animations and spruced up visuals. It still offers the same, rock solid baseball experience, though some annoying glitches prevent its developers from scoring a homerun.
The game includes numerous options that go far beyond standard exhibition games. Rivalry Mode lets them play out their favorite rivalries (Yankees/Red Sox, for example) with friends or the artificial intelligence and track all of the stats. The All-Star Game allows them to battle for home field advantage in the World Series. Season Mode thrusts them into a full 162 game season with the playoffs. Franchise Mode lets them run an entire team and construct a dynasty (or an evil empire). In addition, a feature packed online mode offers them instant messaging, friend's lists and real world sports news and scores from 31 different feeds.
On the field, they'll enjoy a solid and enjoyable baseball experience. Games move at a brisk pace, and the entire presentation, from the realistic commentary to the crowd chants fully immerses the player. During play, Adaptive Pitching Intelligence lets them follow the catcher's advice or make their own pitching decisions. The Pitch Command System grants them the opportunity to work a pitch in the hopes that it becomes more lethal, or mix things up. In addition, while at bat, gamers can guess the pitch, and if they're correct, their batter receives a power boost.
MLB '07: The Show amounts to a slick baseball game that plays well and looks good, but doesn't live up to its potential. Sony deserves praise for adding more animations and improving the look of the players and stadiums, but MLB looks like a PS2 port. Player faces still needed work, and some of the lesser-known stadiums look bad. Glitches, such as failed high fives and bodies clipping (passing through) one another mar the experience.
These issues aside, MLB provides a fun game of baseball so step up to the plate and nail one out of the park.
Final Score: 7 (out of 10)
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