With Spring fast approaching, the annual sports franchises begin to make the rounds with this year's version of 2K's Major League Baseball franchise. With last year’s effort so close to perfection, fans will be a bit disappointed to see that this year’s release is a ‘wait till next year’ affair. The game basically employs the same slick control scheme as last year's version, but it is dumbed-down this time around. This year's version forgoes the precision that made last year's controls such a brilliant success. Last year's controls required timing that required skill, making you feel like you had real control over everything happening on the field. Pitching is still handled with the same gesture system as last year, but the accuracy of the right stick movements no longer controls how effective the pitches are.
This time around, you only hold the first direction until the green power meter is where you want, and then slide the stick in the second direction to make the pitch. By default, the 'gesture timing' controls, requiring you to release the stick after the second motion just as the meter shrinks to the inner ring, are turned off. You can dig around the options to turn it on, but a better option would have been to leave it off for the lower difficulties and lock it on for the higher ones. The good news, for those who were terrible at last year's controls, is that this all means there are no more 'meatball' pitches for opposing batters to knock the cover off of. The hitting mechanics suffer the same stripped-down feel. Last year's version utilized a smart system of balancing the timing of both a hitter's step and swing. The step functionality is still here, but no longer has any bearing on how the ball is hit. Pulling back on the right stick before the pitcher starts the windup has the same functionality as doing it just as they release the ball.
By default, the game also leaves the 'Batter's Eye' off, a gray circle used for guessing where a pitch will be thrown for a power boost. Like the more sophisticated pitching mode, it is found buried in the options, but also should be implemented based on the difficulty setting selected. There is also a convoluted 'Total Control' option for batting, which is a total disaster. Turning the option on adds a clunky bat icon in the strike zone, with a large red 'X' indicating the sweet spot of the bat. The idea, much like the 'Batter's Eye', is to guess the location of the pitch, but controlling the icon is awkward at best and its size makes it difficult to see the pitcher on the mound. Thankfully, this is also turned off by default. Outside of the imprecise step mechanics, the game does a nice job of delivering an accurate hitting experience. Gamers control where, and how, they want to hit the ball with the left stick. Holding the stick directly to the left will attempt a line-drive to the left side of the field, while angling the stick more upwards or downwards attempts a fly ball or grounder, respectively. The hitting physics seem spot-on in relation to where a ball is pitched and where a hitter is attempting to go with it. Trying to pull a low and outside pitch almost always results in a weak grounder to the opposite field, as it should.
Fielding and base running are both generally improved, with some minor issues. Fielding receives a minor upgrade, with slightly better control over infielders. Throwing the ball in the field retains its smart left stick control, pushing it in the direction of the base you are throwing to. There is also the slick improvement allowing you to target which side of the base you want to throw to; with a push to the eleven o'clock position throwing to the third base side of second, and a push in the one o'clock position throwing to the first base side. It works great for catching base runners leaning a bit too far off the bag, or throwing out runners attempting steals. Stealing bases is also a bit easier with the triggers controlling when a runner takes off for the next base. Pulling and holding the left trigger gets the runner ready, and releasing it sends them sprinting toward the next base. The system needs to be a little smarter regarding pickoff moves, as releasing the trigger after you successfully dive back into first will send them scampering to second for an easy out if you are not careful.
While the fielding controls themselves are solid, the game has some nagging glitches that can make for frustrating games. The most noticeable issue is with first basemen randomly stepping off the base before they catch the ball. It is not a result of poorly thrown balls pulling them off the base, they simply pick their foot up allowing the hitter to reach first base for a single that should have been an easy out. It typically happens once ever other game, which is far too often to be acceptable. The game also seems to have employed umpires who forgot their seeing-eye dogs at home. Obvious calls involving players sliding into a base are routinely blown, with no consistency regarding to which way they are missed. You will see a player's entire body on top of home plate before the ball is even caught by a catcher called out, then a runner running through a second baseman in the base path put a clear tag on them three feet in front of the base called safe. The inconsistent, inaccurate calls involving tags are infuriating.
