ESPN Major League Baseball 2K4
- March 31, 2004 13:19 PM PST
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It may not fall under the World Series moniker anymore, but it's still a good baseball game--just not good enough to make the fall classic.
ESPN Major League Baseball 2K4 is a good ballgame, but there are at least two competing games that substantially outperform it. And that puts this successor to the renowned World Series franchise in the tough spot of scrambling for a spot in the playoffs.
Starting Pitcher
ESPN MLB takes the field with a sturdy roster of features. Its modes provide a range of intensity to match your level of interest, ranging from the straight-up Season mode to a Franchise mode that puts you behind the reins of the budget, coach and staff contracts, your minor-league team, and more. And the unique GM Career mode takes it one step further, putting you in the shoes of GM who must also live up to his owner's demands -- failure gets you fired, while success builds up the bankroll you're saving to buy your own team someday. Both the PS2 and Xbox versions support online play, though only the PS2 one supports forming and playing leagues online.
The game also incorporates a new Confidence meter that tracks every player, starting anew each game. Feats like homers boost confidence and consequently performance, while failures like striking out have the opposite effect, though you can attempt to pump up a pitcher with a mound visit. Other nice touches include 17 pitch types and good simulation options. All good stuff.
One of the big new features is first-person baseball, but it mostly comes off as gimmicky. It's almost too first-person to really be playable, and most gamers will briefly check out batting or fielding from the first-person perspective, then return to the regular action. All-Star Baseball 2005's FielderCam perspective is a much more effective and enjoyable take on the concept.
Mound Struggles
Things start to fade a bit when your attention turns to the graphics and controls. The main problem with the visuals is the twitchy, unnatural animation -- players generally don't look right when they're moving. Their body shapes are also lumpy and oddly proportioned. The Xbox version looks substantially better than the PS2 one, but both games would benefit from better lighting and richer textures.
Fortunately, the audio is pretty strong. The voice of the legendary Jon Miller brings an undeniably cool sense of authenticity to the proceedings, while Rex Hudler ably provides the color.
The controls offer goods options. You can stick to World Series' old-school cursors, or check out the new batting that involves aiming your swing with the analog stick -- both work great. The new pitching model is cool in concept but finicky in execution. You aim a cursor, then fill up an Effort meter as you pitch to determine how hard you hurl the ball. Continually maxing out the Effort tires pitchers more quickly, which makes sense, but the twitchy cursor is really tough to aim, requiring careful, overly precise moves. Fielding handles fine, and the turbo option is a nice touch, but you can't control your slides on the base paths.
Warm Up the Relief
The ESPN presence pervades the game in a good way, giving it that broadcast feel, and the game is full of nice true-to-baseball touches like outfielders tossing balls into the stands as they head to the dugout. The gameplay is certainly realistic, but overall the physics of how the ball moves feels a bit too floaty at times. In the final analysis, ESPN MLB trails after MVP Baseball and MLB 2005, making it a good choice only for those who aren't satisfied with those league-leaders.
