''TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME''
Developed: San Diego Studio
Published: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Sports
Release Date: March 14th, 2025
Platforms: PS4/PS5/Xbox Family/NSW
Review copy provided to me by PLAYSTATION
Playstation Partner
MLB The Show 25 is the latest entry into this up and down baseball series and its developed by Sn Diego Studio and published by SIE. With sporting games on the scale of hit and miss this year with titles like EA Sport FC 25 and WWE 2K25, MLB The Show 25 roars onto the scene in order to give baseball fans their yearly fix of being taken out to the ol ball game. But is this game the home run we are all looking for? or is it a swing and miss, strike three, you're out scenario. Only one way to find out, so PLAY BALL!
''PITCH, HIT, RUN'' - PARAPPA THE RAPPER
GAMEPLAY:
Much like every other sports franchise like NBA, WWE, Soccer(Football),Baseball also gets yearly entries and this year is no different with the release of MLB The Show 25 onto our gaming machines. Loved and known for its consistency and a ''very safe'' approach to the franchise, The Show has enjoyed tons more positivity than your average sports games, such as EA Sports FC series which always end up a hit or miss in the eyes of fans and spectators alike. Oh well, at least its not AEW Fight Forever who came into the scene, mildly entertained then disappeared in to obscurity. Yes I know, shots fired. This years trend however both keeps the series positivity alive for the most part, but also still leaves much to be desired as far as innovation or expansion of gameplay is concerned, which may put even long time fans off. At the core with what makes these titles enjoyable is the groundwork already set previously by the time at Dan Diego Studio that keeps you coming back for more due to them manifesting the literal version of ''if it aint broke dont fix it'' mindset when creating The Show games, which helps keep these titles the pinnacle of all baseball simulations that we have on the market, whether it be AAA or even Indie games, it doesnt matter, The Show usually always stands on top of the mountain like our lizard boy Godzilla roaring in triumph as he declares himself The King Of Monsters. But is he REALLY King Of The Monsters? debatable since other noteworthy monsters exist, even as legendary as him. Wait you thought I was talking about King Kong? nope, I am of course talking about THE GIANT CLAW, cause who else could beat someone as epic as that who's as big as a battle ship?. Jokes aside, one of the reasons the game stays in peoples minds long after the titles release are the plethora of customization options that allow you to mold the game to your liking, whether you want to make the game as difficult as possible for yourself like you're the Chicago White Sox trying to stay relevant and being so bad that even Angels In The Outfield would be like ''Oh heck nah, screw that''. But that's what makes it fun and interesting, great adaptive difficulty settings that make for a laid back baseball experience or one that really tests your skills and baseball IQ, all done in real time that makes you think about your next decision on the fly.
With great gameplay, you also have to have responsive controls to go along with it and thankfully The Show 25 has you covered in the department as well with multiple different control schemes to use, depending on the type of player you are, which is determined but what you want to use, such as the traditional way to play that's a button based batting system or the stick-flick method that has become a fan favorite over the years and the preferred way to play. Its up to you. I of course, used both of them just to see how this years iteration tweaked them or upgraded them just to see which I personally felt would be beneficial to me overall and I have to say, setting the game to Dynamic difficulty that adjusts to your skill level on the fly, keeping things challenging, alongside using the stick flick control scheme, was definitely the way to go for me as I just couldn't get the button timing right with button pressing batting, but felt right at home using the stick. But learning the mechanics themselves and getting used to the feel of the game isnt where the engagement of your entertainment stops, otherwise you might as well go play Bases Loaded on NES and.... oh no, I shouldn't have mentioned that game, the theme song, that damn title menu theme song, now its going to be stuck in my head all day.... DOO DOO DOO DOO, DUH DOO DOO. Great, now I'm going to have to go listen to it before I continue writing this. You wont see me do it, but rest assured, I disappeared for a few minutes and came back after listening to it. When not being obsessed with having to hear theme music from an NES game, you're able to focus on what matters, The Show 25 and its abundance of modes that are filled with content for you to explore and enjoy, whether this is your first time here or long time veterans of the franchise - at the end of the day, at least something ill pique your interest, that's for sure.
Of course returning the mix is the flagship of this franchise, Road To The Show, that has you guiding one athlete from a simple no name rookie and uplifting them all the way to the MLB Hall Of Fame, all without growing your helmet 4 sizes due to steroid use, right Barry Bonds?. Building upon its great legacy, the journey gets enhanced by taking you all the way back to the days of High School, which immerses you from the very start, but thankfully no bullies are stuffing you into your locker or calling you Geeko just because you want to go on a date with ChiChi, but have to get home to your grandpa to eat frogs legs. Wait what?. Maybe I hit my head or something and have become hysterically delusional, now it makes sense, I mustve become a Colorado Rockies fan thinking they're going to win a World Series sometime soon...now it makes sense. While character creation for this mode is pretty flexible with things such as gender choices, position, abilities, ability to scan your own face if you wish to, it still feels rather basic. For all the praises sports games tend to get, its often times RPG games, even indie level games, still manage to pull off a better character creation mode than sports games nowadays and its a bummer because even with it not being bad, it still feels outdated and incomplete, much like Byung-hyun Kim having an incomplete outing as a pitcher by nearly costing the Arizona Diamondbacks the World Series against the New York Yankees. Bro, how do you give up like 6 runs in two games that forced the series to go 7 games. Yes i know, I'm salty, just long pent up rage over it that I never got over.. thankful Luiz Gonzalez and Tony Womack saved my sanity though, they the real MVP. Enhancing the gameplay, like Mark McGwire enhancing is steroid intake, The Show improves upon its role playing gameplay by now adding in dialogue choices, new gear to equip to obtain attributes and a progression system that uses experience pointed gained by fulfilling specific achievements. This is sort of in line with what WWE and NBA games have been attempting to do more and more in their games as well, however, MLB hasnt quite caught up yet, so it still feels a little wonky. Rounding out the other notable modes is Diamond Dynasty, which remains your time sink for the game that tasks you as the player to become Marvel's Avengers and assemble a team built of powerhouse athletes in the from of trading cards, however one thing keeps bugging me about baseball in general, IF... basketball is called basket ball because you put a ball inside a basket... and Futbol is called Futbol because you use your foot to kick a ball... then why isn't it called Batball instead of Baseball?. Mind blowing revelations aside, this mode is still plagued with microtransactions , so id rather stick with Diamond Quest, a roguelike mode where you navigate a board and take on challenges for rewards, now that is fun.
''ITS OUT OF THE PARK! - Mii Dancers
OVERALL:
At the end of the day, MLB The Show 25 ends up as a competent outing that doesn't do anything that outright angers you, but at the same time, does nothing to wow you either. Its not even a case of pros and cons this time like I usually do because while there is stuff to nitpick like microtransactions and positives to speak of like smooth gameplay and dynamic difficulty settings, you'd think I'd be on the verge of saying ''BUY NOW'' right? Well yeah thats what I was thinking too, until I start sitting and think about it more. Did I have a fun time? sure, but the thing I ask myself is ''but was it a memorable one?'' and the answer to that is a no. It doesnt do anything extremely bad, but it coasts on just being ''ehh its alright'' without feeling like this years entry is worth owning more than last years entry because to be honest, you aren't really getting THAT much more in 25 than you did 24, minus the still clunky RPG elements and thats a reason I think I have to say price drop. It sounds like I'm being harsh, but I believe yearly entries need to up their game, rather than play it safe and become a cookie cutter of its previous iteration, otherwise it just feels like DLC for the previous years game. So with all that having been said, my verdict is clear, GameNChick says ''WAIT'' at least for a price drop.
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