Baseball season is upon us, and the games are here. Sony’s foray into the sport was widely accepted in 2007 as the best of the genre. In 2008, they’ve improved further on the graphics and gameplay to truly immerse you in the game. Here is a breakdown of some of the facets of MLB 08 The Show for the PS3:

Presentation and Graphics: MLB 08 The Show is beautiful. From the players to the stadiums to the fans, everything is meticulously detailed. Almost every player in the game looks stunningly like it’s real life counterpart. With over three hundred swing types, you’ll be sure to see your favorite player’s batting stance, practice swings, and follow through all look as it should. Each player now also throws the ball more like they would in real life, especially with pitching. Hand motions for eighteen pitch types are in the game, so you’ll see arm motions more realistic than ever before. Animations look very fluid, especially transitioning from one animation to another. With stadiums, the development team researched intricacies such as where “K” signs are placed for strikeouts and mimicked that in the game. It’s these little details that immerse you in the real baseball experience. 9 of 10

Sound and Music: There’s a lot to say about sound in a baseball game. From the pop of the mitt to the crack of the bat, there’s a lot that goes into a seemingly simple game. Sony hit the nail on the head this year again with sound effects in the game. Some of the most realistic sounds I’ve heard in a game for the crack of the bat and popping the catcher’s mitt. Hearing a foul ball bounce off the backstop in surround sound will make you smile. The announcing in the game is done fairly well, although you’ll hear a decent amount of repeated calls. Thankfully, they get the calls right almost all the time. With the addition of custom soundtracks, you can take total control of the music in the game, which is already pretty good. 8.5 of 10

Gameplay: Gameplay is always the most important factor, and MLB 08 The Show definitely shines in this respect. Controls remain largely unchanging from last year, especially in respect to pitching, batting, and throwing in the field. This is not a bad thing, and it all works very well. I would have liked to see batting controls with the right analog stick. Baserunning controls have been tweaked to make it easier to control individual players on the base paths.

Standard gameplay modes are available such as exhibition, franchise, season, etc. The critically acclaimed Road To The Show mode makes a return with some nice upgrades. In this mode, you create your own player and take him through the ranks of the minor leagues to make it to the Show. New this year is a Goal Result System that provides rewards and penalties based on your performance. To go along with this, an Advancement system has been added to track your progress from draft class hero to the Hall of Fame. These new additions provide even more depth to the already amazing gameplay mode, which will end up taking a good portion of your time. It’s just that addictive.

Realism is the holy grail of all sports games, and MLB 08 The Show provides the most realistic baseball experience you’ve ever seen. Sony really put in the polish with the 08 version of the game to make the game feel like you’re really playing a baseball game. You might throw a 10 pitch at bat to Jose Reyes and see 6 different foul balls and animations. 9.5 of 10

Multiplayer: Not much has changed online since the 2007 iteration of the game. The one addition, however, is a big one. Scout is the new online matchmaking tool to allow you to find players using the exact same settings and gameplay sliders as you. Just make your settings and let Scout do the work. This makes it a lot easier to find someone who wants to play the same way you do. Otherwise, standard single games and 30-team leagues make their return from last year. 8.5 of 10

Lasting Appeal: With a deep franchise mode, Road To The Show 2.0, and the online Scout feature, there’s plenty here to keep your baseball needs satisfied all season long. The only downside, as with all baseball games, is getting bored before your 162 game season ends. But the realism in MLB 08 will keep you coming back for more. 8 of 10

Final Word: If you’re looking for this year’s best baseball title, look no further. MLB 08 The Show is not only this years best, but the best baseball game I’ve ever played. And as a semi-pro pitcher for 5 years, that’s saying a lot. If you own a PS3 and like baseball, run out and get this game.

Overall: 8.75 of 10

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