Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Fair-weather fans of Major League Baseball’s The Show franchise may be disappointed with the new game San Diego Studios (SDS) released on March 28.

Although the company released essentially the same game for the tenth year in a row, the new additions to the game bring a breath of fresh air that allows all fans to enjoy what MLB The Show 23 has to offer.

One big change SDS added to The Show was the introduction of new interfaces in the “Franchise” mode. For many years, “Franchise” has allowed users to play as any MLB team they want to try and bring them to the World Series. In The Show 23, “Franchise” has been updated so players can go more in-depth with the scouting they do on young talent prior to the MLB draft as well as fully implementing the “Ohtani rule,” allowing two-way players to be assigned as pitchers and batters in the same game. 

Another great addition to MLB The Show 23 was the inclusion of the stories from the Negro Leagues, a piece of baseball history that has brought in tons of talent and has changed the MLB forever. In past games, Jackie Robinson would be the main player featured as a pioneer for Black men playing in the MLB, but The Show 23 adds even more important Negro League players, including Satchel Paige, Buck O’Neil and Rube Foster just to name a few.

The inclusion of the players and their stories is a fantastic way to help fans learn more about the game’s early stars, and those who had to work harder than many others to get the chance to play the game they love at the highest level. These stories did a great job detailing the journey each of these men took to help other minority baseball players get their shot at playing in the MLB.

However, with the good, also comes the not-so-good. Once again, SDS has dropped the ball when it comes to the “Road to The Show” game mode. A mode beloved by many fans who have always dreamed of playing in the Major Leagues themselves, has stayed stagnant for many years as SDS churns out the same exact mode year in and year out. The recycling of dialogue is extremely apparent to someone who has played the mode often for the last few years. 

The lack of a real story is also something that many fans have cried out for, but SDS has not listened to those cries, instead opting to create little cutscenes that everyone will go through regardless of play through, that do not even use the character’s name or nickname like other sports video game counterparts. In recent years, SDS has actually removed a part of the mode in which you would be able to change your draft stock. Now, you are stuck and drafted based on a set of questions given to you right after you customize your character. 

The “Diamond Dynasty” gamemode, another super popular mode among fans of “The Show,” has become almost “pay-to-win” with the cards that were made available in packs at launch. Ninety-nine overall player cards being available in packs right out of the gate hurts the integrity of the game. Only people who have the money or are willing to spend said money on the game are going to be leagues ahead of everyone else playing without paying.

A more minor change SDS made to the game was the throwing meter in the field, making getting good releases more difficult if the play made by the fielder is difficult. While this change took a little bit of time getting used to for many players, it does create a new fun challenge and creates a more realistic fielding experience.

Although the game may be called by many, “an expensive roster update,” it is still a fun game to sit back and relax with as well as play competitively if you so choose. And while the big changes players were hoping for have not come yet, users can still enjoy everything the game has to offer as if they were buying an MLB game for the first time.

Image from MLB via Youtube