Review for MLB The Show 20. Game for PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 17/03/2020
In the videogame market there is a software house that, despite having reached very high peaks of photorealism, continues to constantly improve in search of the improvement of the gameplay. Sony San Diego Studio, author of videogames with official license of Major League Baseball, he succeeds edition after edition to improve what is the most complete title in the world of videogame sports.
MLB The Show 20, Sony's exclusive new iteration, surprises once again given the huge amount of content and detail. Find out what's new in this review.
In terms of modality, MLB The Show 20 does not differ much from MLB The Show 19, as well as some details of MLB The Show 18 and MLB The Show 17 are refined, making this the chapter par excellence, synonymous with a passion and an abnegation such as to make it, by far, the best sports title of The Show.
Let's start with the main mode: Road to the Show, or the so-called Career. Further perfected by the addition of some role-playing elements, which increase the depth of the player's interactions, Road to the Show follows the alter ego's climb from the Minor League to the World Series. The game editor, deep and full of details for the creation of the character, allows you to choose every aspect of the archetype of the player that you decide to create, from the classic role, to the personality and style of play.
New details also for the other modes of the title. Franchise, allows you to choose a team and grow it during multiple leagues, managing various aspects such as the purchase and sale of players. In this chapter, Sony has added the ability to customize certain aspects of the team and introduced the new "three-beat-minimum" rule, each pitcher must defend against at least three batters or close the innings before being replaced. Slight changes that, however, show the willingness of the software house to add further new details. In March to October, which allows you to play the key moments over the span of an entire season and have the CPU manage the rest of the games, Sony has improved the experience by adding some more diversified challenges as well as enabling the trading of players. . Diamond Dynasty instead introduces the Showdown sub mode, specific challenges to be faced with a pre-built team different from the one used. Unlike other sports titles in which it is almost necessary to carry out micro transactions to make your team competitive in the games played online, the unwrapped and not useful cards can be sold, thus increasing the amount of in-game currency, with which to buy new cards. more useful for creating the deductible used.
In this edition, the Online Custom Leagues, the customized online leagues, which allow you to play with friends and take advantage of the roster built in Diamond Dynasty, are back. This is certainly a useful addition that allows you to further increase the already vast choice of modes that this title offers.
If the offer of the modes receives only a few small and however decided additional details, in the gameplay it is where MLB The Show 20 takes a big leap forward. First of all, the addition of the Minor League, which introduces the Triple-A and Double-A squad, considerably increasing the number of teams and real players, which can be purchased in the aforementioned ways. Going down to the more technical side of the gameplay, once you enter the green diamond you immediately notice the myriad of new movements introduced, both offensive and defensive. Especially as regards the defensive aspect, the work of the software house was really valuable and aimed at improving some slight gaps in the positioning of the defenders on the outside and on the launch at the bases.
The introduction of the new mechanics of the "First Step" allows outfielder to read the action and to make the first movement in advance, throwing themselves more decisively on some balls thrown at the edges of the field or on the "Fly Ball". Each defender reads the movement of the ball differently based on the defensive attributes he has, so every now and then you notice trivial errors and smoothes that leave the field free to the batters. The new artificial intelligence of the defensive phase therefore also modifies the way in which the bases are attacked and, at the same time, the way in which the balls are blocked in flight and the throws are performed from the outside inside the field.
In the attack phase, we note the inclusion of the new “Perfect-Perfect” parameter, which further improves the beating phase. Being able to hit the ball with "perfect timing", it will be more easily thrown off the field and will reach the sides of the green diamond more frequently, leaving the defensive outfielder in great difficulty, who will have to rely on the aforementioned "First Step" to try to earn a defensive position. Furthermore, during the hitting phase, it is now easier to understand the movement of the pitcher and therefore to guess the direction of launch.
As usual, throwing and hitting the ball can be done through a more in-depth simulation and the use of analogs, or a more arcade that is done using the appropriate keys.
On the graphic side, MLB The Show 20 confirms the great work of Sony San Diego Studio, the animations of the players, as well as everything that accompanies a game, they reach heights of photorealism almost to extreme levels. The game action is very fluid and there are no drops in framerate even at full bases. In this, Sony has carried out a truly exemplary optimization work, making the most and without any smudging the power of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro.
The technical commentary team made up of Dan Plesac, Mark Derosa and Matt Vasgersian remains unchanged, with Heidi Watney for interviews and action from the sidelines. A hint of the sound, in addition to the aforementioned commentary, the ambient sounds are made with minutiae and the noise of the club hitting the ball, but rather the sound of the ball on the glove, are rendered in a truly impeccable way.
MLB The Show 20 sets a new standard for baseball titles and gaming sports in general. In addition to the full license of Major League Baseball, the addition of the Minor League can only make us underline the gigantic work done by the software house, to refine and further improve a video game that borders on technical perfection. The new animations, combined with the improvement of artificial intelligence both in the defensive and in the offensive phase, allow the player to appreciate every detail of an MLB match. A video game suitable for both newbies who want to tread the green diamond, as well as fans of this sport, who will find in this new chapter the best that baseball offers.
► MLB The Show 20 is a Sports type game developed by SIE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 17/03/2020
