MLB The Show 22 Reviews
MLB The Show 22 is mostly a retread of an already great game, but more bugs than usual and the not quite ready for primetime co-op mode are signs this series may be losing some velocity.
Still surprisingly swing-and-miss online, but for long-lasting and moreish solo play, NBA 2K22 is its only competitor in a two-horse championship duel.
MLB The Show 22 doesn't put up an all-star performance this year, but continues to be consistent in all avenues of play and finds new ways to make you want to spend time at the ballpark. Playing with friends in cooperative play is the standout feature if you can use it, but the on-the-field play and March to October also impress.
MLB The Show 22 stills plays a phenomenal game of baseball, but incremental updates reveal a series that's lacking in ambition.
Like the sport it portrays, MLB The Show 22 will take a very long season to show me its real virtues. But the short-term successes I’ve already had make it enticing to see that season through to the end. I am sure that repeated commentary, rote animations, and inexplicable simulation results will nag at me come September. I’m also sure that I will still be playing this game in October.
Like other great sports simulators, MLB The Show 22 offers a forceful proposal, rich in game modes and options so that anyone can enjoy an experience tailored to their ability and skill, although the "pay to win" component and the abusive prices of the cards disfigure the final result.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
MLB The Show 22 plays too strong of a game on the field and offers too much with Diamond Dynasty, March to October, franchise mode and a general cohesiveness to be a bad sports game. However, some of the missteps are impossible to ignore because of what other sports games offer, and because of what the Show series has offered in the past.
Last season, I was disappointed with the PS5/Series X versions of The Show as I was hoping for a step into the next console generation of visuals, animations, and physics. Expansion into the Xbox ecosystem and logistical issues due to COVID-19 necessitated a shorter and likely less-involved upgrade to the game. To get nearly the same experience for the second-straight year is a legit bummer. This is still the best professional sports sim you can get on any hardware and if you are a baseball fan that hasn’t played The Show in recent years, this is an experience to look out for. For others who have been waiting years for something new, this one sadly isn’t it.
From the gorgeous visuals that transport you directly to the field, to the stellar controls, you won't find another sports game out there that will captivate you quite like this one. Feeling the roar of the crowd swelling up as you continue to rack up points, to the way that your players will express their emotions on the field, this is a sports title that other developers of the genre should take notes from.
Spending time playing the different modes, and just getting a general feel for MLB The Show 22, I found myself enjoying more of the game than I thought I would. Homerun Derby among the other game modes really helped to engulf and immerse myself in the game. Between stats and rosters it is always fun to mess around with major league rosters the way you would want real teams to manage their rosters. With what should be a lasting impression MLB The Show 22 leaves little to the imagination from its predecessor. What should be a definitive installment with the addition of online co-op, winds up being more of the same formula that needs some updates and changes if it is to have a lasting legacy.
There is room for improvement in future patches, but MLB The Show 22 is an enjoyable experience regardless of how it's played or how new a player is to the franchise. There's nothing quite like hearing the crack of the bat on a perfect swing and watching the ball sail out of the park. For veteran players, the minor improvements will go a long way in the near future, making this game feel true to the actual sport and giving players a realistic feeling of being on the field.
MLB The Show 22 continues to improve in small, key ways, and with major changes to some of the biggest modes in the game, it's another great entry in the series.
In short, MLB The Show 22 feels like MLB The Show 21 after a decent-but-not-major patch has been installed. If you haven’t played the series for a few years, or are a newcomer looking to dive into baseball sims for the first time, this is the best thing on the market. If you picked the game up last year, you’re paying for minor tweaks and a roster update, and you might not feel a new game is worth it.
MLB The Show 22 is one of the most conservative annual sports titles I've played in some time. Aside from a few minor mechanical tweaks and a handful of ancillary features like online co-op and new commentary, this is essentially the same game we got last year. It's a shame because the franchise's core gameplay remains rock-solid, but it's increasingly difficult to ignore its lack of ambition. Those new to the series can add at least a point to my score, but longtime fans aren't getting much to cheer for.
It'd probably be reductive to describe many of MLB The Show 22's improvements as the kind of thing you'd expect to find in patch notes, but it's still somewhat true. The gameplay feels great as always, and we really like the additions to March to October as well as the Mini Seasons mode in Diamond Dynasty. But while this is undoubtedly a streamlined, enhanced version of the already excellent MLB The Show 21, casual players will struggle to spot the difference – and, frankly, some aspects of the series are really beginning to tire.
MLB The Show 22 is a great game. It's fun, full of options and modular in structure to meet everyone's needs without distorting the essence of baseball.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I’m between a rock and a hard place with MLB The Show 22. On the one hand, I still think Sony San Diego delivers the best simulation sports game on the market today. On the other hand, if it weren’t for the new commentary team, I’d feel like I’m playing last year’s game. If you were expecting 22 to be a big year for baseball, you might need to adjust your expectations. Only when the developers choose to genuinely flesh out their most popular modes (and redesign that damn locker room!) will this series get back to where it belongs.
MLB The Show 22 stumbles for the first time in recent memory. This is understandable with San Diego Studios' ambitious goal of releasing the game on five platforms if we count the last generation consoles. Nevertheless, The Show 22 is still the best baseball sim you can buy and one I can't put down. From the attention to detail to the number of different game modes you can play through, The Show 22 continues to improve on last year's game, even though it's not to the degree we are used to. If you're a baseball fan, I cannot recommend MLB The Show 22 more.
MLB The Show 22 is another great baseball simulation game from San Diego Studio, while there haven't been many dramatic changes, what has been upgraded really improves the overall experience.
The ultimate question is whether you should play MLB The Show 22 on Switch. Well, it depends. If it's your main or only platform and you're happy playing CPU and offline games, then yes, it's not bad and holds things together just enough for gameplay to be enjoyable. If you want an 'on-the-go' version to accompany a more powerful home console version, perhaps on Game Pass, then it's another yes. If you want to mainly play online in Diamond Dynasty? No, this isn't the way to go. MLB The Show 22 is admirably packed with content and features, but it's not entirely comfortably packed into the diminutive Switch. It lacks the fluidity and crispness found elsewhere, which is perhaps expected but doesn't change the fact. If you're happy with the compromises, though, then step up to the plate.