Thanks in large part to one of the biggest pissing contests in video-game history between 2K Sports and Electronic Arts, Xbox 360 owning baseball fans do not really have a choice as to what MLB game to get this year. There is MLB 2K7, and, well, nothing. Since the exclusive sports agreements began flying around, gamers have been worried that each new release would feature roster updates only. While that is not quite true of 2K Sports' latest MLB effort, the game is not a giant leap forward for baseball games either. However at least a company that understands how to make an online community out of a sports game won the rights to America's pastime.
Gone are the days when gamers would quickly give up on the 'Swing Stick' after a game or two for more traditional, 'A' to swing, batting methods. The swing mechanics in MLB 2K7 feel much tighter and more evolved this year, making it the preferred method of hitting for most gamers for once. As with real baseball, the timing of the step and the swing is everything. Gamers swing by pulling back on the right-stick as the pitcher plants his front foot and either release when the ball approaches for a regular swing or push forward for a power swing. The game adds a bit of hitter strategy and psychology to the at-bat by allowing hitters to guess a pitch's location with the left-stick. If the location is guessed correctly, the batter sees where the ball is going and gets a slight power boost; thankfully not always resulting in a home run – which come with the same regularity as real-life. When a pitcher is having a rough outing, they will let a few more over the wall than normal. Typically, the game is as low scoring as a simulation baseball game should be.
Pitching is also a holdover from last year's release. Your catcher will place the glove in the location they think you should throw, and the pitch they want is flashing in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Pitchers can call off their pitch by moving the target with the right-stick, and throwing whatever pitch they want. Pitching is also very reliant on timing. Gamers hold the button of the pitch until they get the desired velocity, signified by a widening circle around the ball. Once the pitcher has the velocity they want, they release the button, quickly collapsing the circle. When the circle gets as small as possible, gamers re-hit the button to throw the pitch. Time it right, and the pitch hits its spot. Hit the button too early or late, and the pitch will not only be off-line, but also will often give the opposing batter a hint as to where it will be.
The game's biggest flaw last year was a sloppy fielding system, resulting in too many balls getting through for hits to the outfield. Thankfully, thanks to some tweaking, this year the odd fielding guffaws are much less frequent, making them much more of a minor annoyance than something worth trading the game back in immediately over. Much more annoying this go-around is the way the game hiccups each time an achievement is unlocked. With most of them coming in the first week or so of play, it should not haunt gamers for long though.
Graphically, the game looks damn good; well, at least what is in focus. Due to some hazy blur effects applied to most items in the distance, the games look as though they are on the top of a steamy car hood in the middle of July. If the game time temperature attributed to the effect, as the wind effects the rippling jerseys, it would be a clever visual technique. Unfortunately, games played in unbelievable negative temperatures (allowed by the game's customizable time, temperature, and weather settings) had the same fuzzy results. Most ballparks and players do look quite a bit like their real-life counterparts, with a few exceptions. Batting stances, jersey style preferences, and even the way players wear their hats is different for each player. 2K has done a solid job of delivering a true next-gen baseball experience, at least visually. The odd fielding issues that rear their ugly head from time to time overshadow the realism of the graphics a bit.
