Major League Baseball 2K8

Sometimes, in trying to be innovative, things can go a bit too far. Such is the case with MLB 2K8, the 360 title from 2K Sports, but what smacks of innovation also proves to be a bit (to put it in baseball terms) of a stumble rounding first.

Still, when you consider the attempt, it is clear that the developers at 2K are looking to make the game of Major League Baseball more immersive and elevate it to the next level in the next-gen console market.

The latest iteration of the franchise features a brand new pitching control scheme, which is great – when it works as intended. The idea, though, is sound. During the pitching portion of the game, the player is shown a series of pitching options, like a fastball, slider and so on, with the corresponding movement of the left analog stick to pull them off. A series of circles appears in the game window, with an expanding core. When that expanding area flashes, you add the nuance to pitch to achieve the desired effect. For example, you may have to pull the analog stick to an 8 o’clock position and then rotate it counterclockwise. Nail the motion and you throw a great pitch. Miss it, even by a fraction, and you throw a meatball – which is the game’s way of saying home run for the opposing batter. The dinger might not happen all the time … maybe they will only get a triple off you.

Move the analog stick too fast, and you won’t get to finish the pitch. Instead your pitcher will get a sore neck from jacking his head around to watch the ball leave the yard. Move it too slow and you might encounter the same problem.

Baseball ballet? No, it's a swing and a miss.

Considering that pitching is at the core of the game, this can be a big problem. So is the new batting system. The tutorial, and manual, outlines what should be an effective and simple control scheme. Pull back on the right analog stick as the pitcher is ready to release the ball. Then release the stick for a normal swing, or push it up (to 12 o’clock) for a power swing. The problem? Releasing the analog stick does nothing – the batter takes the pitch, which seems to mostly be strikes. Oh well, you can always revert the game back to classic modes, which means pushing buttons.

The analog sticks get a workout with the 2K8 title this year. Fielding implements the analog stick as well. After your infielder, or outfielder (who runs like he is dragging a tire – as in the framerate takes as much of a pounding as the horsehide) gets to the ball, a meter appears when you push the analog stick in the direction of the base you wish to throw to. When the meter hits the center area, release the stick to throw. Holding it too long may result in an overthrow. Conversely, holding it not long enough may result in a throw a three-year-old could outdistance with a medicine ball.

Graphically, 2K’s game takes a major back seat to Sony’s MLB title. The particle effects are pixilated and you might even see a player’s breath hang on the air … in the summer. The game’s colors are lush, but lack texturing. The uniforms may blow in the breeze, but the player’s faces leave a lot to be desired. And the stands are rife with clones. The general ambience is sorely lacking here.

But when it comes to the sound, while there is a share of hit and miss comments, the play-by-play tandem of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are solid (was any new dialogue added to this game?) and while the commentary does nothing to add to the game, Jeanne Zelasko and Steve Physioc do a very competent job of providing details into the matchups.

The overall presentation also gets a boost from the score tracker that runs along the bottom of the screen, but that is really not enough in its own right to recommend the game. What does carry the game is the franchise mode. This is a deep mode that allows players to micro-manage from the single-A level up to the Majors. The user interface is extremely sleek and easy to use, which takes the game to a new level when it comes to making the tough choices. You can even configure the game options to allow trades in your favor.

Should actually playing the game prove to be too much, the game will let you drop into a manage mode where the decisions are rather fundamental. Of course, though, the benefit to playing the game is in having efforts reward through receiving 2K cards, which are player cards that will allow you to – once you have jumped through all the hoops and earned enough cards – to field your own team for online play. The problem with the online portion, though, is that the framerate gets tagged a little more and you may find yourself playing behind the game.

Give credit where it is due, though. The innovations with new pitching interface and batting are steps in the right direction and 2K8 offers a deep and satisfying franchise mode. 2K Sports has promised an update to patch in some fixes, but as it stands – out of the box – MLB 2K8 is merely an average title that has some good ideas struggling to get past the implementation flaws.

Gameplay: 6.5
When the new mechanics work, they are a nice step forward, but more often than not they get picked off leading a bit too far off the bag (another baseball metaphor). The framerates also take a beating.

Graphics: 7.0
The presentation is solid, but the character graphics are a bit poor for a next-gen machine.

Sound: 7.5
Solid play-by-play (though nothing new) and commentary, with a good soundtrack.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Concept: 7.8
The Total Pitch Control and other control innovations are great but really need to be fine-tuned to work. The franchise mode is the star of this game with a deep and involving management scheme.

Multiplayer: 6.8
Ack, the lag!

Overall: 6.8
Kudos to 2K for the attempt but until some of the items of this game are fixed, this is not a game to recommend for anyone but the die-hard baseball fan. The ideas are there, but they have too many issues to be considered a drawing point.