MLB 2K11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (PS3/360)

[Ltrain44]

I know a lot of people seem to judge the whole game based on a demo from who knows what earlier build of this game. Last year's demo had all kinds of issues but the retail version was A LOT better. I hope people just realize that this is a DEMO and that some of the problems they are seeing will not be in the full game.

[pietasterp]

I echo the mixed feelings others have mentioned after a few games last night. The game is overall fun, which is the most important thing. Random thoughts in no particular order:

- My pitcher made a very awkward, behind-the-back shovel catch on a routine infield fly because I nudged him over a bit trying to gauge where the ball was gonna land. Didn't like that so much.

- The game (demo) didn't seem to necessarily switch you to the fielder most in-position to make a play after the opposition hits the ball; I felt like the computer-controlled guys were always the ones with the best opportunity to make a play, which made it seem more like observing than playing.

- Graphics are meh, but that's okay if the rest of the game is fun

- The game seems really herky-jerky; nothing is smooth, the transitions between running/stopping, stopping/throwing, throwing/relaxing are really noticeable and seem very last-last-gen

- I like the pitching, but I don't like pitches where you have to make a half-circle or more...it just seems like too long of a motion to have to make to throw a pitch, and half the time it seems like I'm completing said motion after the ball has already left the pitcher's hand. I feel like every pitch should either be a up/down or down/up combo, side-side combo (insert Karate Kid joke here), or else quarter-circle at most (to simulate wrist rotation)....anything else just seems to me to be excessive motion just to throw a darn pitch.

- Can't settle on whether I like using the analog or face buttons for base throws....not sure about the throw meter either (whether it's a worthwhile addition or not)

- I can't hit water from a boat when batting...I wish the greyed-out "strike zone" in the batter's cam wasn't there - takes me away from focusing on the pitch for some reason. I assume that's something that can be turned off in the retail version (?)

- Can't get a feel for the fielding yet, but it's been a while since I played a lot of videogame (or real) baseball, so that will I'm sure just take some time

- Hit a hard liner up the middle and the pitcher flinched out of the way before it nailed him in the legs...he scrambled to his feet and made a play, just nipping me at first base. Cool.

- Struck out to end the game (?), but then it went into the fielding view and I realized the catcher dropped the ball, so I was hauling arse down the first-base line and actually beat out the throw to be safe at first. Really cool (provided it doesn't happen too much). Bad news? I struck out with the next batter at the plate, so the CPU got 4 strikeouts in an inning on me...

I think the game is pretty fun on the whole (caveat: based on the 3-inning demo); I'll still wait to see what people think a few weeks in, though. I don't really get into a baseball mood until spring anyway...

[hitstreak13]

Quote: Originally Posted by Giants4Natic

Why you salty with Pete, he is saying that we are posting this so 2K can see to fix it. The other guy was saying that it was already posted and what do we expect others to say. It better be fixed because it was an issue 2 years ago as well

I see what you are saying, but I'm not salty with anyone here at OS. I just thought for a second that he meant that it was not our duty to say anything, but to let the devs simply see it for themselves and correct it (in which I wouldn't agree with).

I didn't mean to take a stab at him like that because that was not my intent. I would have written the same thing regardless of who wrote it. It was a simple misunderstanding, thats all.

But in that case, if it was an issue 2 years ago, there is absolutely no excuse for the them not to fix it.

[Pared]

Quote: Originally Posted by Giants4Natic

Why you salty with Pete, he is saying that we are posting this so 2K can see to fix it. The other guy was saying that it was already posted and what do we expect others to say. It better be fixed because it was an issue 2 years ago as well

You guys have rehashed it enough. Let's get back to the impressions please.

[Giants4Natic]

Quote: Originally Posted by hitstreak13

I see what you are saying, but I'm not salty with anyone here at OS. I just thought for a second that he meant that it was not our duty to say anything, but to let the devs simply see it for themselves and correct it (in which I wouldn't agree with). I didn't mean to take a stab at him like that because that was not my intent. I would have written the same thing regardless of who wrote it. It was a simple misunderstanding, thats all. But in that case, if it was an issue 2 years ago, there is absolutely no excuse for the them not to fix it.

Is cool. I am sure it will not be in the final product and some of the quirks will be fixed. That is the good thing about the demo that we can tell them what needs fixing

You know that the patch will be handed out within the first month of release.

The game has many good things about it, but the bad things hamper the experience for sure and will not sustain all year if they are not fixed

[liftheavy]

2 things...after a 3 run hr I would think my teammates would be giving me a high five or something. They took the hr indicator out but you still can tell if its a hr because the baserunner window will have (H) over each player...lots to like about the demo and may pick it up instead of the other game...still deciding.

[Giants4Natic]

Some very good things that I love

The camera views when walking up to the plate are incredible and so is the pitcher walking behind the plate after an out. Those cameras are incredible and feel life like.

And the pitching is masteful as usual for this game.

I have no clue how to check swing, anybody>?

[CMH]

I played a three inning game last night and I'm just not feeling it this year.

I thought last year's game just needed these improvements. I supported it, bought it and basically only complained about pitching being too easy and the lack of extra base hits. Sure there were some things that didn't work out great like fielding and those ugly soft line drives to infielders, but I could stomach it for the most part.

I can't stomach it any longer. The soft line drives are still there and while it's a nice option in terms of hit variety, it's too frequent to be realistic. You just don't see that kind of contact in a real baseball game. It's nearly impossible for a ball to remain afloat that long low to the ground for that distance.

The pitching mechanic is still the best in the business, but I now find myself not caring for it as much. I just want to throw the darn pitch. And that's a problem for 2K with me because the best thing it has going for it is something I just don't want to do anymore. It's not because it's not amazing or anything. I just don't want to use it anymore.

I don't necessarily have a problem with the graphics on the PS3. I think they are fine enough for me. I can live with them. The jaggies on shadows are downright ugly, but it's not killing the game. However, despite all that, I just can't look at these batting stances anymore. They remind me of that guy that thinks he knows how to do everyone's batting stance and ESPN threw into our faces because he became an internet sensation. The guy is a joke. His batting stances are awful. Cartoonish. That's what I get from MLB 2K. The stances look like they should be right, but they are done so over the top. If a guy's bat wiggles, then he wiggles too much. If he crouches, then he crouches too much. It's excessive and looks like a kid attempted them.

The strength behind pitches, the hammer drop from arm up to follow through is still beautiful. I love the follow through on pitches. I wish more of the animations fit that same motion.

But everything in the game seems too big. Everything is larger than life. The graphics are over done. The flashes are too rapid, too frequent. The stances are extreme. The ball marker looks too big. The arrows displaying the ball's movement are too big. Everything is just too much in your face for me. I wish the game would just let me breathe a bit from the sensory overload.

I guess the thing that I didn't let bother me before are bothering me now. I'm happy the development team has made such huge strides because they really have. I can tell from contact that the gameplay is improved. There are still from random things like a 1B not tagging the baserunner on an errant throw despite being a foot away and instead attempting to step on the bag first - that just shouldn't happen. Guys have to know what's going on - but overall the game is much much improved.

The little things, however, are getting to me now. They are like that person you meet for the first time that everyone tells you is annoying. At first, you're like: "It's cool. They are a bit obnoxious but I can deal with it. That's just their personality." And then you hang out with them and little by little you start seeing more of these annoying habits. You start peeling away at the core and the things that are in your face become that thing which the person stands for in your opinion. And Finally, it's no longer about how nice the person talks to you, or what cool things they can do, but instead about the little annoying things that just crawl in your skin and begin to annoy you so much you can't deal with it anymore.

That's how I feel with MLB 2K now. I just can't do it anymore.