It’s hard to believe, but spring has essentially sprung, bringing what we hope is an end to lots of snow and wind storms. Then again, given how unpredictable the weather tends to be at this time of the year we can’t be certain about anything. What we know for sure, though, is that baseball is back. The 2023 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, and is ongoing as we speak, with 162 games planned for each of its 30 teams.
Let’s go Blue Jays!
With the start of a new season comes the expected complementary video game, which is a long way of saying another entry of MLB: The Show. Developed by Sony’s San Diego Studio, the game is the only true licensed baseball simulator on the market, and has come to Xbox and Nintendo Switch because of that. It’s weird seeing a Sony owned developer’s title card appear when you’re holding an Xbox controller, but that’s the reality and one we’re more than happy about. Xbox has needed a good baseball game for some time, and it’s lucked out these last few seasons.
Featuring Miami Marlins (star?) player, Jazz Chisholm Jr. on its cover, MLB: The Show 23 marks the first an unknown has been named cover athlete. That is, an unknown to me, although I’ll admit that I’ve stopped following baseball as closely as I used to due to personal matters and struggles watching such lengthy games, especially on top of hockey. I’d never even heard his name before, not that it really matters. It’s a nice cover, and I assume he’s set to become another face of the sport, with some personality that it definitely needs.
If you’ve been following Major League Baseball, you’ll know that things changed prior to this season. For instance, teams can no longer shift so as to allow for more base hits and a livelier game. Then, in an attempt to speed things up and — like the other change — make things more exciting, those behind-the-scenes have decided to implement the much talked about pitch clock. Now, pitchers must deliver the ball to the mound in a timely fashion, else they risk being charged with a ball. Technically, I think the clock only runs until the pitcher has begun his wind-up, thus eliminating the risk of those with lengthier pre-throw practices being charged more walks. Hopefully that makes sense.
Is the pitch clock included in this year’s game? No. Not really. It’s something that appears online, but I didn’t notice it when I was playing single player. Then again, I never took too long with my pitches because I wanted to get them over with and to get back to batting. I’m not a strategic specialist by any means, but I do my best and did alright pitching quickly.
Like before, those who decide to pick up and play some interactive baseball — be it by purchasing MLB: The Show 23 or downloading it from that great thing that is Game Pass — they’ll have lots of accessibility options at their fingertips. As I highlighted in my last review, there’s a pretty good tutorial in which one can customize his or her controls for everything from batting and pitching to fielding, throwing and the like. If you prefer timing then go with that, but if you prefer meters then that’s an option too. In fact, there are often several different options to choose from. I’ve tried them all, but went back to what I generally prefer: controls that mimic what these games used to be like in the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 days. I’m particularly happy that single button throwing returns for fielders, because that’s all I want or need.
One of my past criticisms did include these aforementioned controls, though, because I didn’t feel that a recent iteration felt as tight and cohesive as it could’ve. Then again I play a lot of EA’s NHL games and those controls are tough to beat. No sports game feels as true to its inspiration as those do, thanks to the Skill Stick. Regardless, something about MLB: The Show 22 just felt a bit off, and the game kind of felt old hat. Was it good and polished? Absolutely. However, it wasn’t as remarkable as I remembered the games being in years passed.
Well, I’m happy to report that this year’s outing fixes some of that stuff, and feels better than I believe things have in a while. The gameplay feels tighter than before, the core gameplay loop is more fun and it’s easier to just jump in and play as someone who doesn’t get a ton of time in with baseball video games these days due to reviewing so many others. After all, it can take quite a while to really play these things. The developers listened to fans and made changes, including altering the throwing meter so that it’s easier to use.
The first thing I played — apart from a bit of an introductory, post-tutorial, match — was March to October, which ended up hooking me. This somewhat new mode allows you to take control of your favourite team — from a list that breaks them all up into favourites, wild cards, non-favourites, etc. — and play a truncated version of the just started Major League Baseball season. The kicker is that you won’t play every game, nor will you play all of the games that you do suit up for. The mode will change what you get to do, how much you get to play and who you control frequently. For instance, it would task me with completing a win in one game, then jump ahead a few to another, simming the ones in-between. Then, it would ask me to complete a perfect game or a no-hitter (with a surprising and unrealistic frequency, but oh well) and would lock me in as the pitcher, be it Manoah or Gausman. I was also tasked with playing a whole game as certain players, like Justin Turner (whom I acquired when I was forced to make a trade for mode driven sakes) and Daulton Varsho, whom the Jays recently acquired. This meant hitting, fielding and base running while locked to that roster player.
As someone who doesn’t necessarily have time for a lengthy franchise mode, this shortened and more arcadey March to October mode is a blessing, so to speak. It hooked me and I truly enjoyed it. Being able to play through an entire season in a number of truncated weeks made it much more accessible, entertaining and immersive. I know this will be somewhat sacrilegious to the hardcore who play these games religiously, but we all have different preferences. When it comes to baseball, I’ve generally preferred the more arcade games — like MLB Slugfest 2003 and the first Major League Baseball Starring Ken Griffey Jr. for N64.
Of course, March to October is joined by other staple modes, such as Franchise, Home Run Derby, Challenge of the Week and more. These are joined by the ever popular Road to the Show mode, in which players create an avatar of their own likeness and try to go from a fledgling rookie to an MLB star over the course of a number of seasons, with time in the minors included. It and Diamond Dynasty, wherein folks collect cards and develop teams based on their given collections, are sure to take up more time than most, at least outside of Franchise. This is especially true, because Diamond Dynasty includes a lot of different options, including single player, online multiplayer, a battle royale, events, mini-seasons, ranked seasons and more.
Diamond Dynasty has also received some changes, in the form of sets and seasons, which are kind of like the game’s battle pass. Seasons take up a set amount of in-game time, and each one has its own set. Thus, you’ll be working on different rosters while also dealing with an influx of different cards, from both the Majors and even the Negro National League. This will increase the amount of obsolete ones you’ll earn, and is both an improvement and a step backwards. Some will like it, while others will wish things were like they were before.
All of the above feels more fine tuned and generally refined in MLB: The Show 23, making it more fun, more accessible and notably better than last year’s outing. There’s another big reason as to why this is the one to get if you’ve passed on recent installments. That is Storylines — a new mode that focuses on the history of the sport, and does so with great respect.
As you may have heard, Storylines focuses on the Negro National League, and is something that the developers had been working on for some time. Through it, players will learn about the history of baseball while playing as some of that era’s best Black players. Of course, this narrative and historical mode focuses on a time where segregation was an unfortunate reality, and that’s why it’s so important to have it included herein.
Storylines does a good job of presenting its content without being overbearing or hitting you over the head with too much history, as I found Gran Turismo 7 did. It will introduce you to a specific player or star, show some digital highlights and then let players control said athlete from yesteryear. Through it, you’ll get to play as folks like Jackie Robinson and Buck O’Neil. Of course, this means period specific uniforms, new stadiums and everything needed to pull such an impressive and appreciated feat off. The developers really hit a home run here.
All of the above is lovingly wrapped up in beautiful presentation facets. With another year of working with current-gen tech under their belts, San Diego Studio has delivered an even better looking game this time around. New animations make the on-field action seem more lifelike, stadium exteriors make the television-style presentation feel more lifelike, and the overall attention to detail is thoroughly impressive. This is especially true when it comes to the Negro National League, wherein you can see the fibers on the players’ old-school and much more basic uniforms. It’s evident that a lot of love and care went into that mode, and into MLB: The Show 23 as a whole.
Once again, ESPN Sunday Night Baseball commentators Jon ‘Boog’ Sciambi and Chris Singleton handle the announcing duties in MLB: The Show 23. They’ll help guide you through the experience, and will provide play-by-play and colour commentary during on-field action. Together, the pair work well and thoroughly impressed me during my time with this year’s iteration. Never, in my many hours spent playing sports games over the decades, have I heard more insightful tidbits. I learned quite a bit from listening to the tangents that these commentators would go on, and would groan when something would interrupt them.
My time with MLB: The Show 23 was also near flawless, as I didn’t encounter any issues worth noting while playing on Xbox Series X. So far, so great.
If you’ve held out on buying a baseball game for a couple of years, MLB: The Show 23 is well worth jumping back in for, provided you’re a fan who’ll get your money’s worth. This is the best the series has been in some time, thanks to some fine tuning, new animations and some excellent additions. Then again, if you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, it’s free to download so get on that!
This review is based on the Xbox Series X version of the game, which we were provided with.