I’ve bought MLB The Show every year for about 10 years and so I decided to download The Show 19 to see how much has changes and to see the rosters.
I’m honestly shocked at how little this game has changed.
Sure you have a different presentation on the Draft for example, but that’s about it for improvements.
They’ve recycled the exact same mechanics for 7 YEARS. Like for example, when the catcher goes and visits the mound and they put up the stats, it’s the same turn around, turn back, lick the finger tips, look at home plate.
They’ve just smoothened it out.
Same with outfield throws, movement on the infield, base stealing. (All the same motions just smoother transitions from one to another)
They’ve been just cycling the interface on how to pitch, run, and bat and changing that with the same core.
It’s the exact same motions and honestly the presentation is better, the individual character construction is more personalized, and the presentation is smoother on MLB 19.
This just shows we need to bring back 2k or another company to create competition.
It’s really revealing. Try it for yourself.
Update: The mods for the game are not happy with my review apparently.
10 comments
The mods are probably paid marketers for the publisher anyway.
You should revisit The Show 15 then you will realize it’s been the same game for 10 years. Probably could go back to 12 even.
Only problem is that there was never good competition anyway. The 2k games were always ass and only existed because The Show was a PlayStation exclusive for so long.
I just picked up The Show ’25 on Black Friday for cheap and I’m having a ton of fun with it, but… it’s just not a game from 2025 and it shows. Looks like shit, plays a little clunky sometimes, minimum effort in so many places
Pretty sure some of the post-game animations (winning pitcher in the dugout, for example) are exactly the same base animations that appeared all the way back in Triple Play baseball. The way the pitcher turns his head while smiling and the eyes don’t follow. I played Triple Play back in the day and then didn’t play another game until The Show 20, and I was shocked to see animations I recognized. I guess this means they probably bought some code.
I’ve been playing 22 since it came out. I refuse to but a new game because I’ve heard this same thing over and over. All sorted games are pretty much the same recycled game with new rosters. Back when I was young, you had to buy the new game to get new rosters. Now, people create them and you can download them. Until someone tells me differently, I don’t see a reason to buy a new version.
I’ve always thought we need more offbrand sports games.
I dont even care if they dont have the licenses and have to make up teams and players. Just more innovation in the genre.
Make a baseball/roguelike or a basketball/rpg or a football/farming sim.
More indie sports games!
What’s hysterical about the competition argument is that SDS does not have any monopoly. 2K made a deal to be the exclusive 3rd party creator of MLB games in response to EA securing the rights to the NFL and Madden.
2K is the reason there are no other MLB games, they secured the rights and stopped making games to spite EA for kicking them out of the NFL market. SDS is sony and a 1st party so they can create them
Have you not seen all the big changes in Road to the Show?
It’s like after MVP Baseball 04 and 05 pretty much the genre has been in purgatory.
Yeah I was under the impression all of the yearly sports schlock is exactly the same year after year, with the only main differences being roster updates.