MLB 15 The Show's Road to the Show mode is as solid as it’s ever been. If you’ve never been a fan of the mode, there’s nothing new here to win your heart. But longtime fans of RttS will enjoy a more refined experience that comes from an improved overall game.

If you’re familiar with this mode, then you know what to expect. But for those of you deciding whether to devote some time to RttS, now is as good a time as any. Assuming you’re not importing your player from last year, you start by replicating a current player’s style or starting from scratch. I opted for the latter, creating an 18-year-old likeness of myself, with aspirations of becoming a top of the rotation starting pitcher for a big league club.

First up is the amateur showcase, where you play three short games where you can show the scouts and GMs what you have to offer. As a pitcher, I got the first three innings of each of the three games, making a solid enough impression to earn an estimated ‘early round’ draft ranking.

What’s nice with RttS is, if you don’t want to leave your future destination up to chance, you can select which team you want to play for. I, however, went the draft route and was selected by the Colorado Rockies organization. I thought the option to return to college was pretty cool, but I decided to stick with the organization that drafted me. I started with a 55 overall rating and was slotted as the fifth starter in their Double-A affiliate.

The new pitching marker is an early favorite of mine, so being able to use it in this mode is pretty cool. You get points depending how great or poorly you play. A strikeout is great, and so is a groundout, although less so. And if you’re fumbling shortstop boots a routine grounder, don’t worry - you won’t be penalized.

Mixed in between the games are training sessions, where you can earn even more points to upgrade your player’s abilities. The improved interface makes it easy to quickly see how well you are performing, as well as your team. Taking the mound for a big game against your division rival has a cool feel, and RttS does a good job of making the player feel like he’s progressing. There’s a strong incentive to continue improving to get called up and carve out your niche in the majors.

The mode has a lot to offer. I admit that I never gave it a serious run in past years - just a few games here and there. But playing these games are a lot of fun. Especially as starting pitcher, playing every game doesn’t seem like such a chore, even though I can already tell I’ll rely on the ‘sim’ button quite often. The only disappointment is that the mode feels nearly identical to last year’s version, but given that RttS was already really strong, there’s only so much the developers can do. The improved gameplay is more than enough to get you excited to jump back in and either start or continue your career.