John Raoux/Associated Press
It's only fitting New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is draped on the cover of MLB The Show 18.
Judge has exploded on to the scene with mainstream crossover appeal, sweeping up hardcore fans and those who don't usually have an eye on the sport, bringing their eyeballs to it.
Much of this latest offering from developerSony San Diego spans these same goals by trying to reach the broadest audience possible.
Graphics and gameplay have obviously seen their annual bump, with the latter especially seeing some attention thanks to the new tagging system. The team scrapped the last iteration and redid it completely, offering a newfound sense of realism and removing the frustration.
There are countless new animations elsewhere fans of the series will be able to point out and newcomers will appreciate as a part of the total package.
But the accessibility angle extends beyond the usual. For a sport struggling with tempo issues, the video-game simulation clearly understands many fans will have the same concerns.
Hence things like retro mode and other streamlined experiences, even available in something like franchise mode. Retro mode is a fun callback to more arcadey games of the past where one button controls the pitching and hitting—the scoreboard usually has plenty of numbers on it and the games play fast.
There are also 10-minute modes like three-inning games and experiences where a player only controls one character's role in the game or only plays the key moments.
These attempts at broadening the appeal of the game don't negatively impact the hardcore experiences, either. That franchise mode brings along all of last year's major upgrades and has the depth the simulation-seekers desire. Managing a gargantuan task year round is seemingly impossible, and it can feel that way given the droves of options to players.
For those who want it, this year's game offers a new feature called phases, which makes sure to put the major tasks of the year's time period in front of them in checklist form. Again, accessibility is king, though we'd be remiss not to point out there are still 19 phases.
Perhaps this year's biggest overhaul comes in the popular Road to The Show mode.
This time, microtransactions are out, and in its place is a new progression system that actively rewards players as a game unfolds.
Well-timed throws or making an impact at the plate actually gives players meaningful feedback right after an action and moves the needle on certain skills based on the play. Those skills have caps based on the newly implemented archetypes, though the caps can be temporary if a player uses new focus training to bump the skill caps up.
This all sounds like a lot, and it is, though the meat of the mode is the same: create a player, select an archetype (speedy contact hitter, for example), and naturally bump the created character's skill ratings through on-field play while trying to make the leap from the minors to the pros.
The new features are aimed at a more enjoyable, progression-based system as opposed to the arbitrary one of the past that didn't always feel rewarding.
And this is the genius of a sports juggernaut other games take their cues from these days. Franchise is less intimidating via a helping hand, and RttS has RPG-like elements to lower the barrier of entry and keep players at the joysticks longer, but none of the new additions get in the way of those who want to go all out in the deepest sports simulation on the market.
It doesn't really stop there, either. Diamond Dynasty is back for those who like their card-collecting modes in sports games and offers new players and collectibles. Weekly challenges will keep things moving for the online crowd. The new batting-stance editor is almost silly in its amount of depth and ability to give players a customized stance, not to mention it offers intrigue as to how other companies can use the idea to modify something unique like how a player shoots a basketball.
Like Judge and his potential to trailblaze through the league with a bit of innovation, MLB The Show 18 has some neat new ideas here sure to once again have other sporting games going back to the drawing board. If it sounds appealing, fans can see how it all stacks up inour official review.
