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2K Sports’ MLB 2K8 is the only game in town for the Xbox 360, though thankfully it’s quite a good baseball game. Some time ago, 2K Sports grabbed the exclusive third-party license for MLB games, which means that it has no competition on non-Sony platforms (though Sony does continue to develop its increasingly excellent MLB games on its own platforms). Thankfully, the developers as Kush Games have kept the upgrades coming.
Major League Baseball 2K8 is definitely feature-packed. The game’s franchise mode is where you’ll spend most of your time. In addition to all of the MLB teams and stadiums, the game also includes 90 minor league teams and 20 minor league stadiums. It is easily one of the most packed franchise modes out there, allowing you to retire player, negotiate new trades, and keep an eye on up-and-comers.
In terms of gameplay, MLB 2K8 has touched nearly every aspect of the game from the swinging, pitching and throwing. Swing Stick 2.0, which will be a hit-or-miss, makes things less complicated by removing the power mechanic from the swinging. The traditional two-button hitting is also present. The new pitching mechanic is fantastic, making you emulate actual pitching by using the right analog stick. It takes a bit of getting used to, but eventually you’ll get the motions down and feel like you’re actually involved in the pitching. The game’s throwing mechanic also uses the right analog stick to determine the direction of your throw and the speed (by looking at how long you hold the stick down). Finally, the game’s baserunning has been changed so that the face buttons now represent different bases. Selecting your man on second and hitting X will make him run to third.
The game’s online component is quite through. There are online lobbies that let you practice your pitching and swinging before you enter games, and of course full support for online multiplayer and tournaments. The game also includes a new card system that lets you collect cards and trade cards online with other players, which is a nice and unique touch.
Visually, the game looks good although not quite as excellent as Sony’s MLB 08. Most player models look good, though some look excellent and others look quite bad. The same can be said of the animation. Most of it is good, though some animations are quite splendid and yet others come across as unnatural. The game’s stadiums, though, look great, with good architecture, foliage, and crowds. When compared to MLB 08, though, MLB 2K8’s animation looks a bit stiffer and more robotic, and the framerate isn’t quite as stable (though still very stable).
The game’s audio is great. The soundtrack is the typical rock fare you’d expect from a 2K Sports release, but ends up sounding fine. Joe Morgan and Jon Miller provide the commentary for the game. The pair sounds pretty good together and have enough chemistry that the game is able to replicate a real broadcast most of the time. They’re a bit inaccurate at times, though, making you wonder what the game was thinking.
Major League Baseball 2K8 is a great baseball game. Kush Games made plenty of improvements to the core baseball engine, most of which are wholly welcome. The presentation is still good, too, although it doesn’t capture a baseball broadcast as captivatingly as Sony’s MLB 08. -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Mar 18, 2008
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