When it comes to baseball video games, MLB The Show has been the franchise of choice for some time, with little by way of true competition. Arriving in 2006, the series from Sony Interactive Entertainment San Diego has established itself as the most comprehensive baseball game on the market, steadily building on its gameplay options with each yearly entry. The most radical change came with the expansion of the game onto consoles other than Sony’s Playstation range, and MLB The Show 22 is not only available on PS4 and PS5, but also on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Even though there’s a broader range of platforms, that doesn’t mean that MLB The Show 22 has been limited in what features it includes. As expected, MLB The Show 22 is the official, go-to title for Major League Baseball, with the official teams and rosters included alongside a wealth of gameplay modes to help the player get their baseball fix from March to October. Alongside being available on Nintendo Switch for the first time, the game also includes cross-platform play that lifts the burden of needing to have friends on the same device.
It’s fair to say that MLB The Show 22 does exactly what it says on the tin. Players of previous games in the franchise will know what to expect, with crisp minute-to-minute gameplay and the return of game modes like Diamond Dynasty – a card collection game mode that those unfamiliar with MLB The Show will likely find as a parallel to the likes of FIFA‘s Ultimate Team. Meanwhile, those less enticed by the goal of creating a fantasy team will be more interested in Road to the Show, which is the more intrinsic single player experience.
Although MLB The Show 22 doesn’t include a huge overhaul of what’s come before, it’s perhaps not to be expected for this entry in the series. After all, it’s the first time that MLB The Show has been available on a Nintendo console, and a fair bit of emphasis has been put on making it a flexible game to access thanks to its cross-platform play and the introduction of new online co-op mechanics. It’s an evolution rather than a revolution for the series, although it’s still a comprehensive title that will keep fans engaged for some time.
In part that’s down to just how much of a joy MLB The Show 22 is to play. The gameplay is very fluid and gets across the feel of baseball well, with no individual component feeling left on the sidelines in favor of batting. It’s an extremely well balanced game, particularly with the joy that comes from pitching, and the continual progression of MLB The Show as a franchise in this regard shows how far baseball games have come in recent years.
Baseball as a sport is one that is often a little inscrutable for newcomers, and MLB The Show 22 does lean in to be a game for MLB aficionados to enjoy. Stat buffs can take great pleasure in flicking through end-of-game statistics, and the number of tactical options and on-the-fly gameplay tweaks that players can make mean that those who know the ins and outs of baseball won’t feel that the game is dumbing down the sport for them.
That said, MLB The Show 22 isn’t a game that casual observers will need to avoid. Although it doesn’t have the sheer difficulty customization of other relatively closed door sport sims like F1 2021, there are still difficulty options to allow for newbies to get into the game easily enough. There are also plenty of pop-up tutorials to help new players find their feet – perhaps to an annoying degree, but they can be switched off quickly enough.
There are some things that could be done to help bridge the gap here to help newcomers feel more at home in MLB The Show 22. An emphasis on gameplay modes like Diamond Dynasty and Road to the Show could leave those who appreciate the sport without having comprehensive knowledge of what stats mean in the dark. As such, something that fits in between exhibition-type gameplay and something so deep would be appreciated.
Even so, MLB The Show 22 is a very impressive baseball game. Although it doesn’t reinvent the wheel with this year’s entry, the game is extremely enjoyable and the wider accessibility of platforms will no doubt mean that MLB The Show 22 will reach plenty of baseball fans.
MLB The Show 22 is out now for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S now. Screen Rant was provided with a Xbox code for the purposes of this review.
