MLB The Show 24 Review (PS5) – Baseball has been my favorite sport since I was young. I played from Little League up to high school but couldn’t keep up with my classmates’ increased skills.
Nevertheless, my love of the sport stayed, and I was SHOWn a new avenue. My love of baseball and video games merged, and I discovered MLB The Show.
I admit that my attention to The Show ebbs and flows with how well my favorite professional team is doing; I felt MLB The Show 24 was a great year to jump back in.
MLB The Show 24 Review (PS5) – New Modes And Gameplay Outweigh Lack Luster Visuals
The Most Inclusive Game In The Franchise So Far
The Show has become known for outstanding game modes. RTTS (Road to the Show) is the most popular mode that lets you create your own character and choose your position. From there, you get drafted to a team and prove yourselves in the minors as you enter the majors.
However, this was built in ’24 and has become the most inclusive sports game. Although women aren’t in the MLB, The Show 24 allows you to customize and enter the show like any young player in the Minor Leagues.
From character creator to being drafted into the Major Leagues, you can customize your player, regardless of gender, and go out and become a legend on the Diamond. This feature may not be wildly asked for, but it doesn’t hinder the game.
In fact, it only removes barriers for aspiring young women to see themselves alongside some of their favorite players.
Road to the Show is about creating yourself in the game to follow your dreams into the Major Leagues.
Even if The Show 24 added nothing else, this alone is enough to earn me high praise for the game. Luckily, this isn’t the only new addition or upgrade The Show 24 has received.
While I missed last year’s entry, jumping from 22 to 24 has shown me many new things. One of these is the return of storylines.
The rise of the Negro League being integrated into the MLB is a truly inspiring story. One that is equally sad that it happened but also uplifting to see what was overcome.
The other story is about the career of MLB legend Derek Jeter. Following him through his life into key moments of his time in the MLB.
Both of these are inspiring; however, seeing what The Negro Leagues had to overcome at moments brought emotions out of me I never thought MLB The Show could pull off.
Between Story Lines and the introduction of Women in The Show 24, this game has never been better, bigger, or more inclusive, and I love it for that!
The Characters Are More Spider-Man Rather Than Uncharted
I understand it takes a lot of time and effort to create new face models for players within a year. Plus, you have to anticipate what players in AAA may get called up to the majors and treat each team with the respect of every other team to avoid bias.
That being said, with the power of the PS5, I find myself wanting more from players and their animations.
For the most part, MLB The Show 24 looks astounding, especially compared to past years and other sports simulators. However, I would lie to myself and you if I said I wasn’t blown away.
Still pictures of players in the distance or while they’re in motion look fine. It’s when you start looking deeper at batters who give attitude to the ump for striking out or even how a player transitions from fielding the ball to throwing it to a base. These animation segments give a sort of Uncanny Valley feeling.
Again, I’m not going to hold this against them too much. While the game may not look as amazing as a Naughty Dog game, and realistically, it never could, given how little time is between games and baseball seasons, it does have an artistic flair to the visuals.
Similar to how Insomniac Spider-Man has that “we are supposed to look animated, not real” look.
If It’s Not Broken, Make It Better
The one thing that The Show always brings in stellar quality is gameplay. MLB The Show 24 continues this trend from top to bottom this year. From classic single-press button inputs for old gamers who grew up in the 989 Sports days to dynamic and meter inputs.
If you have ever played an MLB The Show game in prior years, the input you are most comfortable with is probably in there, even if you have primarily played other baseball simulators or arcade games.
While the gameplay continues to excel and be the driving force of fun in MLB The Show 24, another draw is the RPG elements that transcend every type of game mode.
No matter what you choose to play, you earn in-game currency called STUDS. Along with this, you, as an account, have a level you can increase with experience to unlock awards.
On the surface, this is somewhat meaningless. However, when you venture into Road to the Show or Diamond Dynasty, you see that everything you do is a quest for your custom character or team.
The character you make has stats, like a standard RPG, that you can use STUDS to buy better equipment to increase speed or contact, etc.
These STUDS can also be used to buy packs of baseball cards. Collecting them all can be a game within a game. The real purpose is that every time you get a card, that player can be used in your Diamond Dynasty team.
In the Diamond Dynasty, like in past years, are you trying to build the biggest, most overpowered team to take over the nation on a Risk-type board by converting civilians into fans.
At the end of the game, MLB The Show 24 hit a walk-off homerun for anyone who is even slightly a baseball fan.
MLB The Show 24 is now available on PS5 and PS4.
Game code kindly provided by PR