MLB The Show '17: First Impressions

MLB The Show ’17 has some new features and little improvements that make the game a very fun experience.

*Note: This isn’t necessarily a review from an avid gamer, but instead some thoughts from someone that is giving the game a go for the first time in many years.

My recent video game history is a bit lacking, and I haven’t played one of the MLB The Show games in quite some time. However, through a few hours of initial gameplay with the ’17 edition, I am quite impressed. The graphics are solid, the experience feels real, and there is a retro mode for gamers like myself that just like pressing one button to hit and pitch.

While I wouldn’t consider myself “get off my lawn” old, I do enjoy the simple things when it comes to my sports games, which is part of the reason why I have gone so many years in between baseball titles. The last time I picked one up the rookie level was basically a home run derby on offense and the next step up resulted in my squad getting no-hit. The game was realistic, but in some bad ways–like, I am not a professional batter, but it felt like I needed to be one to get a single in past games.

This time around things are slightly easier, which I enjoy.

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I haven’t had the chance to give every part of the game a full play through just yet, but the mode that I have enjoyed (which isn’t new to the game) is Road to the Show. You can either create your own player or choose a current one to take from the minor leagues up to The Show. I created my own likeness because I’m vain like that and made myself a pitcher. I figured that I wouldn’t have to play through as many games if I was a pitcher since the mode only has you play when your player is on the field.

As a pitcher they had me toss for scouts as a high school senior and basically have you play a tutorial target practice. How your player performs will help or hurt their ratings, and therefore the rankings ahead of draft day.

There are some cheesy RPG elements where you answer questions when you’re on the phone with your advisor with options like “I’m just looking for an opportunity to play baseball.” to “Anyone that passes on me will be sorry.” Well not that dramatic, but those are the basic differences in choosing if your player is a jerk or a decent human being.

Draft day comes and goes, and no, my favorite team didn’t draft me–so sad. As a 2nd round pick I started off in Double-A and have pitched in three games. All of them have gone a little too easy, but I have really been enjoying what I believe are the legitimate MiLB ballparks. I’m waiting until some of the attributes are higher (control, how you handle pressure, etc.) before I up the difficulty.

The pitching model that I have been working with is the pulsing black circle where you have to hit the button when the circle is at its smallest in order to better control the pitch. I’m so-so at this so far but have been racking up the strikeouts. I swear that I’ll change the difficulty soon.

Road to the Show is the mode that I have spent the most amount of time with so far, but I also played a quick game in retro mode at Shibe Park which was really, really cool. Ken Griffey Jr. chimes in every now and then after a nice defensive play and the gameplay is straight out of the late 80s/early 90s. The graphics are modern, but the controls are super simplistic. On the mound you move the pitcher side-to-side to determine where you want the ball to be located on the plate. It’s a fun mode that has some replay value but isn’t the meat of the game by any means.

Next: NL Central X-Factors

So far I am really enjoying MLB The Show ’17 and if you’re on the fence about getting this year’s version I’d say go for it. That said, I am definitely not current on these MLB The Show titles, so there may not be that big of a difference between this year’s version and last year’s, but from my perspective this game is pretty darn awesome and I’m looking forward to wrapping this up so that I can play some more.

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