I tend to get really pissy at the end of the summer.
It's not that I hate the fall.
I hate the winter.
And the fall
is, like...Winter: The Prologue.
I don't want read that story.
But listen, this fall's a different story.
Because this
fall...we're still playing baseball in Pittsburgh.
This fall, it's Buctober.
And in Buctober, the trees drop leaves.
And Johnny Cueto drops balls.
So you guys know where I usually stand on these modern baseball games.
They're always the same to me.
But listen, I'll
be real honest with you.
All I can think about is baseball right now, so when this came in, I was all about it.
I sat
down, I gave it an honest chance...I still prefer the old games by, like, 420 feet to
dead center.
But you know what?
I actually had some fun with MLB 13: The Show.
Also, Cutch is on the cover.
Welcome to Buctober.
Now, I told you guys.
I'm in a real honest mood.
Like, even more than usual.
So I'm gonna just tell you...these games
are 95 percent identical from year to year.
They're always tweaked, never really changed.
I'm not saying it's bad, I'm
just saying...it is what it is.
It's like most sports games, and you either like that or you don't.
You can't be wrong, unless you're Johnny Cueto.
Now, from my perspective, that base model—that yearly thing that is the Show—is basically
the result of a
three-pronged strategy.
One, emulate the look and feel of a television broadcast.
Two, throw in more gameplay modes
and features than I can seriously even imagine trying.
And three...nuanced, realistic gameplay.
And that makes it tough to review them, because...that's all subjective.
I'm a huge baseball fan, but that stuff bores
the hell out of me in a video game.
But here's the thing...with MLB 13, I had a lot more fun than with the prior
versions.
And that's because...I could basically turn off number three.
So the very first thing you do is choose a difficulty.
And if you go with the easiest option, it really gives the game
a more old-school, arcade feel.
There are less complexities to hitting and pitching and fielding, and instead...it's
almost like a game of...RBI Baseball or something.
Again, it's subjective here...but for me, that was a fantastic
option to have.
It really opens up the game for more people.
Now, a lot of the game's improvements have a lot to do with that first prong...the realism.
People get really excited
about...oh, look how realistic the players look.
I'm really not trying to be a contrarian here, but...I don't get it.
Some player models are much more impressive, but for the most part...eh.
It looks alright.
I don't know.
I was much more impressed with the camera angles, especially for towering homers.
Things like
that...that's when the TV realism actually adds something.
The
funny thing is...for a game known for being so polished, The Show has some obvious issues.
Graphics issues,
technical issues...issues with baseball logic.
But once again, it compensates for that with solid baseball gameplay,
that fantastic new Beginner mode...and a ridiculous amount of gameplay modes.
I mean, I'm old-school—I just like local
multiplayer for sports games.
So something like this just blows me away.
Season modes, Franchise simulation, a player-focused Road to the Show, a new Live mode that uses
real-life baseball
results to basically let you play reality...there are more ways to play The Show than I could
even imagine playing.
I used to feel bad that, when I review games like this, I sometimes sound like a broken
record.
But hey, if the games
are alright being the same every year, then I'm alright with repeating the same point.
If you like realistic sports
games, this is a really good one.
If not...hey, I'm with you.
Let's go play Baseball Stars.