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Day One: Initial Impressions

Outside of the traditional 2K online league functionality and ranked/custom matches, there isn’t a whole lot to discuss when it comes to MLB 2K11 -- at least in terms of new elements. So consider this writeup more of a quick impressions piece about how the game plays online rather than an in-depth look at the online game modes and features.

That being said, in the five or so games I managed to play online, MLB 2K11 played a more stable game of baseball than it did offline. Gone were many of the graphical freezes when a ball was put into play, and lag was at a minimum aside from a very slight swing delay. As I found myself trying to mentally comprehend how this could be, I immediately realized that MLB 2K11 online is essentially MLB 2K11 offline minus the presentation.

Yes, there is no in-game presentation when playing the game online. No pregame introductions, no stat overlays when a player comes up to bat, no instant replays of big plays, no between innings highlights/box score, and worst of all, no in-game notification of what player is at bat.

I never would have thought the omission of a player at-bat graphic would have been that big of a deal until I found myself playing a hotly contested game against my OS colleague and editor Chase Becotte. We were both so confused about who was hitting on numerous occasions during our games that our only option was to pause the game multiple times in order to read our lineups in the pause screen.

And talk about a buzzkill when playing online, especially when you are trying to outsmart your opponent's non-stop pitching changes with various pinch hitters. Simply put, you know things are bad when you leave Fausto Carmona in a game to bat during a critical situation because you think he's Orlando Cabrera.)

And, sure, this may seem like a small gripe to many, but how does 2K expect anyone to be immersed in an online baseball game when you can’t even tell who is at the plate? Add in the omission of a batter's plate appearances, and it’s downright impossible to even recognize a player who has been killing you all game long when you are pitching.

On that note, in a game against Chase, Oakland's Josh Willingham was red hot by the time he came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game. Since I had absolutely no idea that Willingham was already 3-4 in the game with two RBI, I decided to pitch to him, eventually yielding a walk-off three-run shot. It was not until after the very impressive walk-off celebration cut scene -- the only presentation element in the entire game -- that Chase and I both realized just how hot Willingham had been.

2K did, however, make sure to include the individual batter's stats depending on the pitch count. I know I would rather want to know how my batter fares in 2-0 counts, rather than know who he is and how he’s performed at the plate during the game. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

It’s design decisions like these that really have me scratching my head when it comes to this game. How was a presentation element this important to the game of baseball overlooked? I can pick up a baseball game on the NES to this day and see my player's stats at the plate during a given game, yet this feature is too difficult to integrate into an online game mode in 2011?

After experiencing just how smooth the online play is in MLB 2K11, far removed from the choppy animations and graphical hiccups of the offline game, I quickly deduced that 2K may have been forced to strip out the offline presentation in order to get the game to run at a decent clip online. While this style has become the norm for MLB 2K baseball online in recent years, I just can not look past this being the only online option in the game, especially when the same development studio is responsible for the amazing (online and off) NBA 2K11.

(And, really, I'm not even criticizing the "fast play" system in the grand scheme of things. Yes, I should always know who is hitting, but I get that baseball games can take a long time and not everyone wants to sit and wait through various baseball minutiae. But when I play an unranked custom match, and I still don't get any presentation until after the game ends, then that seems restrictive.)

While MLB 2K11 online plays well, the online portion of the game is so stripped down that it should be called MLB 2K11-lite. Let me reiterate, MLB 2K11 online plays a very fun game of baseball, and during my experiences so far, it actually seems more technically stable than the offline game. Unfortunately, those looking for a more complete online offering featuring the outstanding presentation values of the offline game are out of luck.


Check in on a daily basis this week as I take an even deeper look at the various game modes and offerings in 2K's newest baseball title. These impression articles will culminate with the final review and score early next week. Also, follow me on Twitter @Bumble14_OS for my thoughts on the game in real time, and feel free to ask any questions.