MLB '08: The Show (Playstation 3, 2008)

The game is a baseball simulation in which, depending on the gameplay mode, the player controls one or all of the players on a Major League Baseball team or some select Minor League Baseball teams. Depending on the gameplay mode, the player may control a team for a single game, season, or franchise, and can also create a player and control his career.

Its play on the field is where MLB 08 shines the most. Everything--the pitching, hitting, fielding, animations, and atmosphere--is sublime. Hitting is similar to what it was last year. You can guess pitch type and location, and are rewarded with a red indicator just before the ball is delivered if you guess correctly. There are two swing types: power and contact. Initially you may find yourself swinging at every pitch with a power swing, but you'll quickly find that picking the proper swing for each situation is paramount to your success as a hitter. What MLB 08 really gets right about hitting is the timing; there's just enough time between when the ball is released and when it gets to the plate to determine what kind of pitch it is and if it's a ball or a strike. This might sound insignificant, but it's something very few baseball games get right. From frozen ropes to ground-rule doubles to seeing-eye grounders, there's an incredible variety of hits, and what's more, they all come off the bat naturally, which is yet again an area in which other baseball games have difficulty.

Instead of adding new content or reinventing the wheel, the developers at SCEA San Diego refined things they were already doing right, and in the process made a great game even better. Hitting, pitching, and fielding all look and feel fantastic. There's no shortage of ways to stay busy, whether you want to run a whole team, follow the career of a single player, or manage a game from the dugout. It's a shame that, even after another year in development, Road to the Show isn't quite as refined as the game's other aspects, but it's still an interesting mode that generally manages to be enjoyable in spite of its flaws. If you're looking for a great baseball game that covers all the bases, look no further than MLB 08: The Show.