On March 15, “MLB THE SHOW 24” was released to awaiting fans.
Gameplay has relatively stayed the same compared to previous versions, except for the updated lighting system, which has the game looking more vibrant and lifelike than ever.
One exciting, new addition to the game is impact plays. This happens when you are locked as an individual player playing defense, and the game slows down if an opportunity for an amazing play occurs.
The game has also introduced season 2 of the Negro Leagues storyline track. In the Negro leagues, one is able to play with legends from the past such as Josh Gibson, Hank Aaron and Buck Leonard.
The current president of the Negro Leagues Bob Kendrick, does an excellent job of narration of the storyline. More Legends will come as the game updates.
Another storyline track is focused on Derek Jeter, in which players are able to replay his biggest moments in his career, including his first game and 3000th hit. A big downside is that there was no focus on adversity with this storyline, which made it boring to play-through.
Women are also now playable for the first time in MLB The Show. It is implemented pretty well, as Toni Stone the first female professional baseball player, is featured in the Negro League Storyline. You can create a woman in the game and play as her in career mode. The game adjusts its storyline, depending on if your player is a male or a female, which is very thoughtful of them to do, as they acknowledge the possible achievement of a female playing in MLB.
The draft combine has been introduced into career mode, which allows your player to boost or decrease his or her draft stock. However, it does not effect your players attributes, and you still pick your team anyway, so it does not really matter that much.
Diamond Dynasty has not changed at all since “MLB THE SHOW 23,” other than a few changes to how seasons and expired cards work.
The franchise and March to October game modes have also not changed much. The one major change in the franchise is that one can create custom game entries, which allows one to enter a game based on specific settings. If the situation’s importance is very high, you will only play important games. If the setting is set at low situation importance, you will play the game more, regardless of importance. One can also pick which innings to enter the game.
“MLB THE SHOW 24,” as a whole, continues to push the boundaries of what a sports simulation game can be. It is easily the best sports video game on the market, and the product shows it. I would rate the game an eight out of 10, because although it can be unfulfilling, it is a solid game.
