As a fan of baseball (and yes, I can say that – go Rockies!), I do take a liking to MLB: The Show, Sony’s yearly video game series for both PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. However, while the game nails the authenticity of the sport in terms of presentation and innovation, that doesn’t mean the gameplay is quite perfect.
Case in point – I could have a real power hitter on the mound, his dedicated bat in hand, against a pitcher who’s seen some wear and tear over the last few innings. With that, I assume he’s probably going to lob at least one ball over the plate, something I’m able to make at least some sort of reasonable contact with. However, about nine times out of ten, I’m barely able to set up my ideal shot, as the pitcher is either somehow able to miraculously shut me down with three strikes, or serve up the kind of pop-fly that would call me out before I even reach first base. Just take a close look at batting averages through the online leaderboards of the game if you need a better idea of just how struggling it is to nail a shot out of the yard.
Sony’s going for realism, and it’s not every day that someone can belt 15 or 16 runs into the stands. (Some games don’t even have runs, part of a shutout or whatever.) But still, they can easily see that some newbies would be frustrated that they can’t quite get the perfect rhythm going to get into their long-running sports game. And so, they’re introducing a new feature, one that will make the forthcoming MLB 13: The Show much more accessible than previous games.
If you’re a veteran, you could probably skip past this, but Beginner Mode could have something to teach you as well. In this mode, you can modify just how someone is going to pitch to you – or even your own pitching settings if you’re on the opposite end of the mound – to make the experience feel like your own. The difficulty is adjustable on both sides, so if you want to have an All-Star level pitching while going with Beginner pitching (and vice versa), the option is open to you, and you won’t face any scrutiny from the game as a result. In fact, it’ll feel more like your best friend, if you’re a baseball fan.
The batting settings have been adjusted so you can at least fare a better chance of contact with the ball. Again, you can adjust difficulty levels if you feel like you want a challenge, but if you’ve been frustrated by Show in the past – and some of you have – this will ease up your burden. Tied in with Beginner Mode, you’ll actually feel more successful on the plate as you smack balls around. Sometimes they’ll be for home runs, other times contact, depending on the hitter and your timing with ball contact.
You’ll start at a level 1 on batting, with the pitcher throwing nothing but fast balls right down the middle. These will help you ease into contact and develop a rhythm with the gameplay. As you progress, Beginner Mode will then shift through newer levels, with the pitcher changing his tactics, sometimes offering a change-up or another kind of pitch, sometimes going outside the strike zone. The developers at Sony San Diego have stated that this won’t go too fast if you don’t want it to, as it’s built for you to really feel like you’re getting into a system.
Same goes with pitching. If you feel like you can’t get the hang of hurling the ball right where you need it to, you can modify pitching systems so that you feel more comfortable with it, whether it’s a simple push button process or timing the strength and accuracy of where the ball is going.
Though vet players may see this as “babying”, it’s really more of a gradual build-up of confidence in players who couldn’t quite get into what The Show has offered in previous years. Sony wants its baseball sim to be accessible to everyone, especially since it looks like 2K Sports won’t be returning to Major League Baseball with a new game this year. The Show will be the only game in town, both on console and handheld, so why not make it something that all can enjoy?
We’ll get a better feel for Beginner Mode – as well as the new Playoff Mode and other features being put into the sequel – with a hands-on test soon. In the meantime, dust off the plate, because we won’t be waiting long for MLB 13: The Show to steal home.
MLB 13: The Show arrives in stores for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita on March 5th.
