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Major League Baseball 2K10 Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Major League Baseball 2K10 Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Minor League Baseball 2K10?

2K Sports bring their latest installment of the Major League Baseball franchise to consoles, and they’re covering all bases by including the PS2 in their trip to “the show.” We break out our score boards and sift through the books to see if this outing is fit to be labeled an MVP.

Major League Baseball 2K10 screenshot

If there’s one constant we’ve come to expect from, not just the MLB2K series but most sports games in general, it’s an utter lack of pizzazz. Upon loading up Major League Baseball 2K10 (MLB 2K10), the player is presented with mostly the same options we’ve been getting for years now, without any introduction or invitation into the experience. The presentation during actual gameplay is impressive, but MLB 2K10 does a terrible job of familiarizing new players with the basics.

This is “one for the fans,” and if you’ve been with the series for a while or played similar games, you’ll likely find your footing quickly enough. For those outside the loop, however, prepare to be frustrated by the learning curve. The gameplay sticks with many tried-and-true mechanics, though old dogs will find some new additions as well. Just don’t expect a major league overhaul for the franchise.

Most of the usual suspects are accounted for – a quick-play option, Homerun Derby, as well as various career modes. You can jump into a sea of management minutiae and player customization, and the meat of the game is largely unchanged from past entries in the series.

When it comes to the actual game of baseball, MLB 2K10 reels in the reins a bit. In spite of ignoring the needs of new fans, players are given less control over outfield play. Generally speaking, your main focus will be on either pitching or batting, though you will, of course, exert limited control over your other teammates when the ball’s in play.

Major League Baseball 2K10 screenshot

Pitching is perhaps the most interesting element of the game, and not all pitchers are privy to the same pitches. The controls mostly feel good and make sense, and the animation and controller-vibration cues match up wonderfully with pitching wind-ups. Like most other virtual baseball games, pitches are assigned to the selection of face buttons (and even triggers in some cases). You’ll aim your pitch with the analog stick, press a button to select a pitch, and a circular gauge will build up to a sweet spot, wherein you’ll need to push the pitch button once more to finalize the throw. If you hit the sweet spot, you’re guaranteed an awesome pitch; fail to confirm the pitch with a second button press, and there’s a good chance your throw will land wildly outside the batting box.

It’s a good system, but aiming your pitch is a shaky proposition. Rather than simply have the player move the aiming reticule into place slowly, allowing for a precise throw, you’re forced to hold the reticule in position while winding up for a pitch. The reticule is loose and skittish, and it’s often the source of many dud pitches.

Major League Baseball 2K10 screenshot

In spite of these complaints, the process of pitching feels really good. In most cases, the pitcher winds up in sync with the pitching gauge, and when the gauge nears the sweet spot, the controller vibrates. During the wind-up, the game does an excellent job of making you feel like you’re in complete control of the pitch – it’s very satisfying and fun.

Unfortunately, playing the other outfield positions isn’t quite as enjoyable. Half the time the player A.I. can’t decide if it wants to be automated or controlled. Controlling outfield players is clumsy, and the A.I will often fight your input commands. If you leave the players to their own devices, they’ll often ignore a fly ball targeting two feet from their position. Things really go awry, however, when a ball is hit within the diamond. The camera, more often than not, will present you with a view that makes it impossible to see where the balls is, which player is closest to the ball, or which player you’re actually in control of. The A.I. sometimes runs off on its own during a play, and other times the A.I. is completely clueless.

Major League Baseball 2K10 screenshot

Finally, batting is also a bit disappointing. The process feels natural in some respects, but I never felt like I had enough control over the power and direction of my swings. Again, the game’s “instruction” is vague at best, and the simplified mechanics offer only a shallow level of involvement for the player.

You can tweak the position of your batter in the batting box, and your swings are mapped to the right analog stick. It feels good following through on a swing at just the right time, but since almost every other element of batting is guesswork, it just isn’t as satisfying as it should or could be. Mashing the X button to run a player to first feels natural, but stealing bases while trying to contend with your batter will often leave you scratching your head in confusion.

In terms of production values, it’s not easy to go back to PS2 and get excited. That being said, the audio and camera cues do a surprisingly powerful job of making you feel like you’re watching and participating in a real, televised game of professional baseball. There’s ample shimmer, and players still have unblinking, deadpan stares, but as a whole, the presentation comes together nicely on the aging hardware.

I never felt as though the music and/or announcers were intrusive, though adding rain-delay cutscenes seemed completely unnecessary. The presentation does a great job of taking you out to the ball game, but it’s often at odds with the actual gameplay. Again, camera angles aren’t always conducive to allowing the player to get to a ball in time, and outfield players animate stiffly.

MLB 2K10 is a decent game, and I almost want to tip my hat to 2K for including PS2 owners in their line-up. But the core mechanics aren’t innovative; certain elements of the gameplay are cut back too much, while others are convoluted and unintuitive. Where the franchise continues to fail the most, however, is in extending a hand to newbie players. If it’s the company’s plan to ship a new installment annually with minimal changes and additions, they’d better make damned sure the experience is inviting to new audiences. MLB 2K10 on PS2 does little to appease long-time fans, and it sticks a middle finger up at anyone who’s interested in the franchise for the first time. There are plenty of solid options contained within the package, but there’s scarcely anything here we haven’t seen before. MLB 2K10 will give you a basic semblance of “the show,” but it shows little “love of the game.”

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.5 Graphics
The visuals are plain and dated. In terms of translating the feeling of being at an actual ball game, however, the camera angles and jump shots are very effective. 3.4 Control
There are elements of the gameplay that feel better than ever and other elements that feel like a step backward. Clunky outfield control and a camera that’s more focused on presentation than gameplay add insult to injury. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
For the hardware, the announcers and other use of sound design are impressive overall. 3.4 Play Value
If you were to list the components of the game in bullet points, it would seem like you were getting a huge package here. Dive into each element of the game, however, and you start to sense the game’s true lack of value. 3.4 Overall Rating – Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Home Run Derby – Outslug baseball’s most feared power hitters.
  • Situation Mode – No time to play a full game? Choose a custom scenario as your starting point and jump right in.
  • Put your manager cap on – You’re not playing the game, you’re controlling it.

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