MLB 2K vs The Show - MLBGeek's Blog

MLBGeek's Blog

MLB 2K vs The Show

Posted on March 22, 2012 at 04:38 PM.

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I, like many of my fellow sports gaming geeks and baseball enthusiasts alike have been playing alot of MLB 12 The Show. However, I wanted to give 2K at least a shot at becoming my go-to baseball game of 2012. I have spent a couple days with 2K now, and am going to run through the largest pros/cons and comparisons to The Show.

MLB 12: The Show

When I picked up The Show I knew I was going to get an incredibly realistic baseball sim. I have played baseball games that strive for realism since the days of Front Page Sports Baseball Pro for the PC. Just like last year and the year before that, I was extremely satisfied with the product I unwrapped on day one. That said, the changes were somewhat subtle between 11 and 12. The ball physics are quite impressive but for those who demand major overhauls you may be slightly disappointed. I am not one of those people, and fall into the "If it's not broke, don't fix it" mindset.

MLB 2K12

Unlike The Show, I had absolutely no clue what to expect when I fired up my copy of MLB 2K12. I had played the demo which was modified significantly due to size constraints, and determined I would not judge the finished product based on it. The one glaring improvement from previous MLB 2K games is that now you will find yourself having a much more realistic experience. I have found the past efforts from 2k to be very arcade(ish) in which you have many home runs and could see several wall climbing catches in one game. This has been fixed and my first game was won by a final score of 3-2 in the 10th inning. In fact, there were no home runs in the game and only one diving catch made by Tribe outfielder Michael Brantley.

Pros/Cons of MLB 12: The Show

Pro: The addition of realistic ball physics, collision awareness, adding more umpires/swings/deliveries, and making minor improvements to an already solid presentation.
Pro: Bringing back the features that make Franchise mode even more enjoyable like control of vendors, advertising, billboards, scheduling promotions on home games, and the scouting based on regions.
Pro: Diamond Dynasty is a new mode that allows you to fully customize your own team, recruit MLB-stars, and play other individuals teams online for development points. Overall, this may not be a game mode that is a deal breaker but it is something to try out on a rainy day.
Pro: Bringing back the Weekly Challenge is a little more appealing now that it is free to play. Some of the challenges last year were unique, incorporating something that has occured recently around the MLB. Now that it is free to play, Im expecting much greater challenges/competitions.
Pro: Vita compatibility allows those of us who own the Playstation Vita to upload our franchise season to the Vita where we can continue our games using the impressive new handheld system.
Con: MLB 12: The Show has yet to have a solution for the additional Wild Card change that occured in MLB. There has not been much said about this or whether or not there will be a patch to include this at a later point. Many are saying nothing will be done at all.
Con: Controls have been brought up from time to time in the discussion of negatives surrounding The Show. Hitting certainly seems to have a much greater learning curve than the pitching, however I have discovered in time that practice makes perfect. To me, this is not a con, but rather a slight challenge which pays off in the end.

Pros/Cons of MLB 2K12

Pro: Tremendous audio featuring Gary Thorne, Steven Phillips, & John Kruk. This game is by far the most authentic sounding baseball game you can purchase. Playing as my Cleveland Indians, there is several lengthy conversations regarding up and comers like Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis. Similar to The Show they will discuss the previous game as well.
Pro: I found that player ratings were extremely accurate, more so than The Show. Two of the more under the radar players on the Cleveland Indians are Lou Marson and Jack Hannahan. They are both known for their defense but you would have to be a Cleveland fan to know that or pay attention to every team/player. I found their ratings extremely accurate which was suprising considering The Show did not accomodate their defensive abilities.
Pro: I like the concept of the mode MLB Today Season Mode, as would most likely any other die hard MLB-fan. In TSM you will follow along with your favorite team playing the games they play on the day they play them. You will not have executive control of decisions like trades or free agency. Consequently, when the staff ace goes down with a devestating injury in real life, you will lose him in TSM. This is certainly a mode catering to the die-hards like myself.
Pro: 2K was able to make the necessary changes to include the new wild card addition.
Pro: When trying to catch an opponent trying to steal a base a bar will pop up in which you have to stop at the right point for a catchers perfect throw to 2nd or 3rd. This is a nice little feature.
Pro/Con: Pitching battles is something that 2K is very high on since it is essentially one of their biggest selling points in this game. If a pitcher starts throwing too many of one pitch, hitters will catch on and punish said pitcher. The reason I have listed this as a con as well as a pro, is because it is oversold throughout the game. Every game the annoucning crew will discuss the pitching selections and criticize a power pitcher who has a 1-hitter in the 7th inning for using too many fastballs.
Con: Visual presentation continues to be a significant problem for 2k. The stadiums look terrific but when the ball leaves the pitchers hand is where problems begin. Swings are incredibly awkward and will often have the batters head facing in wrong direction. There have been improvements to many of the bugs in previous years installments. Infielding does seem smoother, but there are still awkward throwing mechanics. When you have a pop up in foul ground you will occasionally encounter the infamous "under the bleacher" bug where you see fans feet.
Con: There is a great need for more control in Franchise mode with promotions or pricing. Also missing is scouting prospects and the drafts, rule 5, etc. There didn't seem to be any options as it pertains to sending players up or down regularly from MLB-AAA-AA-A. The only feature that is nice in 2k's Franchise Mode is the ability to fire managers anytime.
Con: Player faces are horrible once again in 2k. Aside from a few players who get extra attention like a Justin Verlander, many of the players are unrecognizable. Some of them are plain pathetic like a less known utility guy Shelley Duncan who was made to look like Jim Thome. It seems odd to me that so much time was put into the player ratings and stadium detail and they wouldn't work their absolute hardest on the player models.

The Conclusion

Another season is about to begin, and one of my favorite parts of this time of year is the release of all the baseball game titles. Every year I am hopeful that I can come out of March with 2 excellent baseball games to compliment my favorite sport. Unfortunately, for another season it will just be The Show that makes the final cut. For every improvement that 2k has made it seems overshadowed by the same glaring issues which have held this franchise back. Aside from top notch broadcasting and detail applied to stadiums it doesn't take too long for you to realize "its just a video game". MLB 12: The Show does an amazing job putting you into the game; Rather than focusing on making major changes they polished an already near flawless product. Its details like a ball that kicks off the second base bag taking an unexpected bounce into left field that makes The Show that much better than 2k which still struggles to provide a bug-free experience. In closing, if you only have an Xbox 360 and do not have the resources to purchase a Ps3, than MLB 2K12 will provide you with a servicable experience. However, if you take baseball as seriously as I do and have or can obtain a Playstation 3, MLB 12: The Show is your best choice. I've said this before, and will say again now: There are certain titles that are exclusive to one system that warrant going out to buy that console just to play. The Show has always been one of those franchises.

Comments

# 1 Schreck @ Mar 22

Seems like a really good and fair take on the games. I haven't played The Show, but it looks great and obviously gets a lot of love. As an Xbox guy, I don't play it, and I personally really enjoy 2k. It's a lot of fun for me and I love the batting and pitching in the game. It definitely could look better, but it's a lot of fun and the presentation really keeps things interesting and entertaining. In the clips I've watched of The Show, I've usually gotten bored by the commentary really quick, seems like if they improve that, they'll really push that game over the top. Anyway, nice job man, good to see somebody try to be objective about it and not play the fanboy game of bashing one game and fawning over the other.

# 2 Flithy @ Mar 22

Just wanted to say hi so.....hi.

# 3 MLBGeek @ Mar 22

Thanks for commenting guys. I want to address Schreck and 22 who both make good points. MLB 2K12 is NOT a bad game. In fact I had alot of fun in the games that I played and found myself less frustrated than I get when im playing MLB 12: The Show. It IS a fun game and a worthy solution for the Xbox 360 gamers who want to play baseball. I actually can respect the fact that 22 has a Playstation 3 and still chose 2k. That is cool, and probably exactly the sort of thing 2k would like to hear. I do think they are taking the "fun" approach to the game of baseball as their marketing would suggest. I personally will be playing both throughout the summer as a matter of fact. My go-to will still be The Show because im big into the Franchise mode and had a difficult time not having prospect scouting, the various drafts, arbitration, advertising, promos, and options etc. I can already tell you the Today Season Mode is very appealing to me and may very well take some significant time away from The Show in my house. So, yeah, I can look at this objectively and can't stand the fan-boy "The Show sucks!" or "MLB 2K is garbage!".. There is something for everyone in both these games, and at the end of the day its only my opinion anyways!

Also, Hi to Filthy! lol

# 4 DetroitStyle @ Mar 22

very fair review IMO. We all knew going into this year that visuals are lacking in 2K but you didn't write that off as the apocalypse for baseball gaming. 2K has a lot of potential, and even more so on PC. Sadly, this might be their last year so PC mods become even more important.

# 5 rudyjuly2 @ Mar 23

Nice detailed review.

# 6 inkcil @ Mar 23

Excellent breakdown...I think Sony should have scrapped the rivalry mode for playoff mode or just add playoff mode with new wild card rules/bracket.

Also, it helps the audio to add custom sounds as well as switch up the commentators from game to game. So one game u have 2 guys then the next game turn them all off then the next game just have Matt then the next game just have the two color guys and so on.

# 7 gopadres @ Mar 24

Inkcil: That's a good idea about switching up the commentators!

# 8 MLBGeek @ Mar 25

Thanks for the continued comments. I love the commentators idea Inkcil. I would also like to see some new Franchise options/promotions. Firework nights, etc. Really hoping for rain delays/postpone in 2013.

# 9 acarrero @ Mar 25

I consider 2K12 to be a victory for 2K. It might not be at The Show's level, but for the first time in a while it offers a realistic and fun baseball experience for Xbox 360 owners. With repeated plays, 2K12 holds up nicely as a simulation with some rough edges in the graphics department. The hitting and pitching are as good or better than The Show from everything I've seen.

# 10 ggazoo @ Mar 25

Inkcil, you could also just turn down the volume for the respective commentators since they are no where nears as "conversation like" as 2K.

# 11 MLBGeek @ Mar 27

Acarrero: You are very right. This was a success for 2k. I was able to pick up the game and play from Opening Day through the first week of the season without any games that seeming unrealistic. This is the first time that has happened with any MLB2K. No longer do I feel its an absolute necessity for people with Xbox 360's to run out and purchase Ps3's.. unless they are crazy die hard's like myself. (Personally I've had so many problems with Xbox 360's themselves that I finally just stopped using that system altogether despite the positive hardware changes made - I have a 360 but it usually is a glorified bookend) Bottom line though, this is a pretty all around solid game of baseball. It properly pays respect to my favorite sport and if you can live through the few rough edges you should be happy with 2k (for once).

# 12 NAFBUC @ Mar 30

Very balanced review MLBGeek. I hope MLB2K will keep producing the game in the future. Competition is what makes both games better, with more options for the buyer.