Major League Baseball 2K7

A great game always has the uncanny ability to make you disregard minor flaws and annoyances in order to keep playing.

2K7 has this kind of magic with Major League Baseball 2k7, and, for the first time in what seems like ages, has captured the magic of pro ball. Mark my words -- baseball game fans are going to be playing this one until October.

MLB2k7 is a highly entertaining experience, in no small part due to the outstanding visual direction of the game. It's not quite photorealistic--in fact, because it feels more animated and colorful than real life, I'm not sure that the game developers were even aiming for photorealism. Regardless, players move around the field in an elegant and dynamic fashion that sustains the illusion that you're actually at the ballpark.

Step In and Take Your Hacks

Stepping into the box and taking your hacks feels surprisingly realistic. By default on the Xbox 360 version, players can choose to use the right analog stick as a "Swing Stick". Pulling back on the stick starts your step into the ball, and releasing the stick takes a hack at the ball. For a power swing, push the stick forward instead of releasing it. PS3 owners can actually jab their motion-sensitive controller forward to swing the bat, and the game will calculate how level your "swing" is. It's a far cry from Wii Sports, but hey.

The pitching model works in the same innovative manner as it did last year: aim at the strike zone while considering the likely break on your pitch, hold down then release and tap the pitch button at the apex of this pitch's effectiveness. Depending on how accurate you were, the ball will move a lot, a little, or not at all.

Like last year's game, MLB 2K7 uses the Inside Edge scouting system which allows you to purchase scouting reports on your prospective hitters and pitchers, but you use it at your own risk. Far too many times I followed Inside Edge's advice only to be burned at a critical moment, but I guess that's baseball.

One of the biggest improvements in the game is the refined base-running play mechanic. MLB 2k7 manages to make it easy to advance and retreat your base runners, and best of all, the base they're trying to reach is clearly displayed in the inset windows.

So What's the Difference?

The pitcher-batter gameplay works just as well as it did in MLB 2K6. One of the key differences is what happens after you make contact with the ball: everything from the way the ball to the way the players move feels more realistically varied, which is a welcome change to last year's repetitive animation.

One of the only real gameplay weaknesses in 2K7 is the infield fielding. It's surprisingly laggy and just not intuitive enough. Sometimes the fielder will automatically move towards the ball, while other times they'll only take a step or two before ceding control to you. In a tight game, it's a recipe for disaster, but thankfully, this fielding weirdness doesn't occur often enough to ruin the overall experience.

The Closer

The reality is that I could go on and on and on about why MLB 2K7 is so wonderful, but I'll leave it at this: for baseball fans, MLB 2K7 is one of those rare, almost seminal videogame moments. Finally, finally, we have a game we can experience the same way baseball games are meant to be experienced: every night for several hours. If you're not a baseball fan, you probably don't even understand what I'm talking about; but if you pick this one up, you just might.

Pros: Superb visuals, but most importantly, it feels like baseball in almost every way. Highly addicting.
Cons: Fielding can be frustrating at times. Inside Edge scouting model feels inconsistent and occasionally not very helpful.

Baseball season has arrived! Now that you're done reading our MLB2k7 review, check out our MLB '07: The Show review to get in the spirit of the season!

For more reviews, check out GamePro.com's reviews index!

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