MLB The Show 23 Reviews
By exploring the Negro Leagues and some of its most notable players, MLB The Show 23 shines a spotlight on an important part of baseball and American history.
MLB The Show 23 is another solid addition in what is the best annual sports sim franchise. San Diego Studio continues to show a deep knowledge and understanding of baseball and the culture surrounding it. The addition of The Negro Leagues is a massive improvement to the overall product, and the ability to scan your face into Road to the Show is a fun new feature as well. Outside of some minor league woes, MLB The Show is another grand slam.
The makers of MLB The Show 23 clearly heard the complaints about a lack of fresh features in recent entries, as this year’s game offers up the new exciting and enlightening Storylines mode as well as significant tweaks and improvements to Franchise, March to October, and Diamond Dynasty. A lack of innovation when it comes to core gameplay keeps this year’s title from being a true home run, but it’s at least a strong double.
As solid as ever from San Diego Studio, but a few tweaks and a superb Storylines mode make MLB The Show 23 an even more worthwhile purchase than recent editions
There will always be missteps, but if MLB The Show 23 is any indication, the future of this series looks bright.
Despite confirming itself as the best baseball simulation on the planet, MLB The Show 23 continues to manifest the same problem for several years: the graphics sector.
Review in Italian | Read full review
MLB The Show 23 is a continuation of one of the best sports game franchises on the market, and the inclusion of the Negro Leagues Storylines mode makes it an even better way to experience the game and learn about its history even further.
MLB The Show 23 is another solid entry to San Diego Studios' yearly iteration of MLB magnificence.
MLB The Show 23 hits a home run in some key areas and in others, not so much. However, while popular modes like Road to The Show are still being neglected, San Diego Studios still manages to improve enough to keep the experience fresh.
The 2023 version of MLB The Show is by far the best and most visually advanced Baseball simulation on the market, and if you watch or play the sport, there is no harm in giving it a try, although it doesn't offer much outside of the story mode.
Review in Persian | Read full review
I can recommend MLB The Show 23, but not to everyone. It's a very good game that even players who aren't necessarily baseball fans can enjoy. And that's totally cool. Other sports series should also have such options. However, in terms of content, there are very few changes. The educational story mode in The Negro Leagues is great. Some minor changes in other modes are also nice. But it's more like an expansion of 22. Even on the technical side and also on the rules side.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
There is no need to reinvent the wheel when you already have a winning formula. MLB The Show 23 doesn’t stray too far away from what has made the series successful, and that’s a good thing. Sets and Seasons is a bold but welcomed change in Diamond Dynasty, and revamped drafting and scouting was long overdue in Franchise mode. Road to The show once again disappointed, but Storylines managed to steal the show, rounding up another impressive entry for the baseball sim franchise.
MLB The Show 23 doesn’t revolutionise its core gameplay mechanics, but the new Storylines mode and Diamond Dynasty features really hit the ball out of the park. Exploring the details of the Negro Leagues and some of its key players was captivating, whilst the changes in Diamond Dynasty ensure there’s plenty to keep players invested in the mode for hours on end – even Franchise feels a bit more exciting to play through thanks to its revamped draft system. What’s most important though is that the game remains a lot of fun to play, both for newbies and returning players. It’s accessible yet deep, with MLB The Show 23 giving players another great baseball experience that captures the essence of the sport perfectly.
MLB The Show '23 is a big step up from its predecessor. In addition to improved gameplay, new game modes have also been added that offer an instructive glimpse into the history of the sport. This is the way an annual games are supposed to go forward.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
MLB The Show 23 does not diverge much in its key mechanics from the previous chapter, but then again, the state of the game was already in very good shape even in previous years.
Review in Italian | Read full review
All things considered, the misfires in MLB The Show ‘23 feel smaller than they have in years, and the upsides in this year’s entry elevate the full package. The game’s core product is solid, and the Negro Leagues mode offers something that hasn’t been explored at this level before.
For those who take up the title, it will certainly be a prime opportunity to learn the sport at its best. Those who have knowledge of the sport will have higher demands, but even so, the result will satisfy them to a great extent.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Where last year’s MLB The Show felt too copy-and-pasted, MLB The Show 23 feels legitimately improved. New modes featuring historical and recent stars give a breath of fresh air to this series. Expanding practice types for RTTS players also helps players get meaningful practice to get better at the game. What’s not updated is a tale of two stories. From a core mechanics standpoint, you don’t need to upgrade what already works. Playing baseball in The Show has been just as fun since 2021 as it is now. The things that do need updates need them badly, however. Sciambi and Singleton need something new to say so the game loses what repetitiveness it still has. Finally, some bugs are game-breaking or crashing.
Baseball fans will love it, but the game does nothing special to feel like something new – or next-gen.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The excellently executed Negro Leagues are the MVP of MLB The Show 23, adding an educational and entertaining interactive documentary to an already top-tier sports game. Diamond Dynasty sees some of its biggest structural changes yet, and has strengthened its already respectable single player slate with some smart additions to Mini Seasons. Meanwhile, rebalanced fielding and batter/pitcher matchups add more tension to the gameplay, but the graphics are starting to look stale and Road to the Show feels like it's almost been abandoned at this point.