This is the most realistic baseball game that I have ever played, and this is coming from someone that was absolutely astounded when titles like RBI Baseball first dropped. Where there seems to be a small layer of polish placed on subsequent iterations of a seasonal title, Sony has ensured that there are significant upgrades to both the control and the visual components of the title. The customization of the title is beyond comparison, with the entirety of the AAA and AA teams’ rosters covered, while the different custom sides of the title being important enough to raise eyebrows.
This means that players can stick a specifically-fitting song to teams, record their own type of voice-overs, or even calling pitches through the inclusion of the “Catcher mode”. Strategy seems to be the most important quality in MLB 10: The Show, as the new fields (5 different minor league ballparks) will make players think about how shallow fielders should be, what sluggers they will bring up, and who exactly they will place on the mound for the night. In terms of graphical quality, the shifts in camera angles from MLB 09 seems to be the most important. This is due to the fact that the cameras mimic those actually used in MLB broadcasts, all while ensuring that players will be able to go and see exactly what they need to see in-game. For those that get amped up by fitting music, Sony has tapped a number of upcoming and already-famous acts as a sort of icing for the title.
Baroness (“Swollen and Halo”) and Silversun Pickups (“It’s Nice to Know You Work Alone”) are the heavy-hitters, while Zodiac Death Valley (“Look Alive”) and The Grouch & Eligh (“All In”) are bands that will be big in a few years. Pick up the title, see exactly how rosters change (through the inclusion of half-fortnight updates), and bring your favorite team to the World Series. Without any easily-noticeable flaws, MLB 10: The Show will be spinning in my PS3 for months to come.
Rating: 9.2/10
MLB 10: The Show (Playstation 3) / 2010 Sony / http://www.us.playstation.com / http://www.us.playstation.com/MLB06