MLB 16: The Show Reviews
Big on feature, major in community activity, and strong in replay ability, this year's Show certainly has done well. For Sony, like EA's Madden series, there are few to no challengers to the genre so success lies within their own hands. So the question is, if it ain't broke, will they still try to fix it, or if it is broke, do they still care to fix it?
MLB The Show 16 could've been a disappointment, just another entry with an updated roster. Fortunately Sony San Diego brought improvements, innovations, and some (potentially) fun experiments to the table. The Show remains the only real player in the baseball simulation realm, and while unfortunate for Xbox owners, and the only choice for PS4 players, it would fare well against any competition that were out there.
The Show looks good, plays great and is deep enough to overshadow moderately unbalanced visuals and a slight void of personality. If you've always loved the series, the fire will still burn despite the minor infractions.
While last year's game may have been really one of the first outings for the series that felt like little more than a roster update, the series has truly returned to form once again this year with MLB The Show 16.
The visuals and upgrade player models, beautiful broadcasting packages, improved game modes, and the epic homerun celebrations are just a few of the reason this game is truly awesome. There's no better way to get amped up for the upcoming baseball season than with MLB The Show 16. This year's version is worth every penny and will go down as the best baseball simulator ever created. It will hold you over until the Cubbies hoist the World Series trophy in October.
It almost goes without saying, but MLB The Show 16 knocks it out of the park yet again.
While last year's release felt like the series was plateauing, this year, MLB The Show 16 returns better than ever. The gameplay remains consistently solid, and tweaks and additions to Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty will surely keep people coming back for more.
San Diego Studio continues to show love for baseball with MLB 16 The Show, taking its historic limelight and bringing to it a multitude of new options, features, and enhancements. Every annual release should be better than the last year, but MLB 16 The Show expands on all fronts with dividends and adds even more reasons to crack the bat.
For better or worse, MLB The Show 16 focuses heavily on Diamond Dynasty this year. The on-field action is strong as ever, and the bullet time-like Showtime is interesting, but the bulk of the improvements are in Diamond Dynasty-centric additions like Captains and Battle Royale. If you're a curious newcomer who likes baseball, you will find an extremely strong baseball sim; but if you're a returning player, your mileage will probably vary depending on how willing you are to indulge in The Show's card-collecting mode.
MLB The Show 16 feels like the culmination of years of tiny but meaningful improvements that make it the best baseball game on consoles.
For better or worse, MLB The Show 16 focuses heavily on Diamond Dynasty this year. The on-field action is strong as ever, and the bullet time-like Showtime is interesting, but the bulk of the improvements are in Diamond Dynasty-centric additions like Captains and Battle Royale. If you're a curious newcomer who likes baseball, you will find an extremely strong baseball sim; but if you're a returning player, your mileage will probably vary depending on how willing you are to indulge in The Show's card-collecting mode.
Simply put, MLB The Show 16 is the best baseball game available on any current-gen console. It looks, plays, and feels amazing, offering many ways to play the great American pastime. Franchise and Road to the Show modes have made incremental but impressive improvements, while Diamond Dynasty offers entirely new ways to play. Not every mode works, but it's encouraging to see such a radical new mix of gameplay.
MLB The Show 16 continues to find innovative ways to push the series forward by adding new features and improving on old ones. Some new problems have arisen, however, and old ones—most notably the horrendous stability of online play—continue to persist and hold the series back.
MLB 16: The Show is one of the best sports games you'll ever play. I haven't seen fit to hand out a 9+ score for one of these titles since 2011, and I really thought last year's entry wasn't anything special. They're all great games, don't get me wrong, but this is the first installment of The Show that absolutely feels like a full, complete, and rewarding package that hits just about every sweet spot.
While the gameplay is similar to years past, the new modes add a ton of previously unfound variety. The Road to the Show mode has finally been updated and is guaranteed to hook longtime players. On top of that, Diamond Dynasty no longer feels like an afterthought, and is instead one of the most joyous things about the game. After a slip and fall last year, Sony has managed to make sure MLB The Show 16 lands directly on its feet.
PS4's biggest sports exclusive delivers a moonshot home run, thanks to perfectly balanced fundamentals, astonishingly lifelike presentation, and little details that few rivals – past or present – have come close to getting right.
The long-running series needed new experiences, and Sony delivered two that will make you spend more time in Diamond Dynasty
Whereas NBA 2K16 found a way to take a step back last year with additions that didn't feel wholly meaningful, MLB The Show 16 is a shining example of exactly how to make a great game even better.
Sony's undisputed king of virtual baseball games suffered a slight set-back last year but the franchise is back in fine form in 2016.
Yes, MLB: The Show 16 is more of the same in a lot of ways. However, new features like ShowTime and modes like Conquest give this entry enough new toys to feel like a meaningful improvement over last year's entry. If you're a fan of the series, this year's version is worth checking out unless you're suffering from the most severe of digital baseball boredom.