MLB 14; The Show First Look Reactions - CPRoark's Blog

CPRoark's Blog

MLB 14; The Show First Look Reactions

Posted on November 5, 2013 at 08:17 AM.

After watching the MLB 14: The Show First Look live last night on the MLB Network, my first reaction was one of disappointment. I wasn't disappointed with anything I saw, but more of what I didn't see. I was really hoping for some gameplay footage; though I realize that, at this time, this was probably more wishful thinking that anything else.

Part of the reason I wanted to see the game in action is because I already trust it will look good. I think MLB The Show on the current generation is one of the better looking sports games, rivaled only by the NBA 2K series. That said, the brief glimpses of the upgraded player models and stadiums look great. In fact, I think they look better as still pictures here on OS than they did in the commercial.

Other than the improvements in graphics and crowd design, nothing firmly showcased the improvements we expect to see. Sure, there was the typical marketing speak, including a few jabs at past launches (fully featured--Madden 06?) and the excitement of working with a new platform. But nothing that definitely says that this game will blow us away.

However...

As negative as this might sound up until now, I really have no doubts that MLB 14 will be a great game. This studio has consistently been upgrading this product from year to year, adding small but meaningful improvements and certainly earning the "highest rated sports game of all time" title they proudly announce. In fact, it would be a huge surprise (and letdown) if this game isn't anything but stellar.

Again, my disappointment in the commercial was in what I saw, but what I didn't see. I cannot wait to glimpse that first gameplay footage; what's more, I can't wait to get my hands on this game in the spring.

A few other reactions:

I laughed at the "Ken doll" analogy, especially when they were hyping Werth's hair. I'm sure someone had fun programming all of those individual strands! However, the player models did look really good.
Not in the commercial, but from the blog: GENERATED COUNTS! I loved this featured in the All-Star Baseball series, as it helps normalize pitch counts and speed up games.
Transferring saves is nice, but probably only really valuable for guys who play only a single season each year. Road to the Show file transfers might be fun.
I wasn't too surprised that Sony and MLB 14 are using their leverage as the only next-gen baseball game in advertisements. It may seem like rubbing salt in the Xbox gamers' wounds, but it makes sense from a marketing standpoint. Truly, if you are a baseball fan there is little reason to choose Xbox One over PS4--this game will be the true definition of a system seller.