Major League Baseball 2K5

Having been a fan of Visual Concept’s baseball game since it included the World Series Baseball title, things got interesting last year with a number of excellent changes and the addition of some truly smashing game modes. Yet with a new title, Major League Baseball 2K5, this year seems to bring us a ballgame that not only looks good but also offers Xbox gamers plenty to love for such a great price. Is it able to give EASports MVP Baseball 2005 a run for its money? Well, yes and no, really. Please read on if you want to find out why.

Remember a time when the shelves were filled each year with various baseball titles all competing for your attention yet lacking presentation, substance and a high replay value? Well those days are gone seeing as the real choice now is between EASports and Visual Concepts. Both offer an addictive game and both just keep getting better with each year. Yet, if its pure addictive baseball that plays like a fan’s dream come true MVP Baseball 2005 is the real winner. Still, at $20, MLB 2K5 deserves a place in any gamer’s library. Why? Well, what the game gets right really works and what it fails at doesn’t real spoil the fun.

The game modes, for instance, are plentiful and loads of fun. The usual suspects are all here: Home Run Derby, Season, Franchise, GM Career, Tournament and Gamecast Situation. Home Run Derby pits you against another hitter in a split-screen competition while Season takes you through a vigorous seasons and Franchise mode once again takes you through a very thorough career controlling a MLB franchise. GM Career puts you in the shoes of a General Manager, deciding on your team’s every dealings (budget, trades or drafts) while Tournament places you in the series. Gamecast Situation allows you to change a game-in-progress’ situation by coming up with scenarios where you control the number of outs, batting order or men on base. 

Control-wise, the game goes for simplicity often moving from simulator to arcade-styled action. You can change the game’s playing style at the options menu and chose a stricter simulator style or go for an arcade-styled game that often uses its new feature called the K-Zone. The K-Zone features really pop up during a pitch, appearing as a huge and colorful target as you attempt to control the accuracy and velocity of the pitch using the directional pad. Just as K-Zone slows down time for pitching, the new batting interface called Slam Zone, does the same. Here you’re given a clue as to where the pitch is going and you must adjust accordingly to stay within the hot zone. Unfortunately, these new features pop up regularly, becoming something of a nuisance. While I do enjoy a less serious ballgame on occasion, we don’t turn to the 2K franchise for arcade-styled baseball. Thankfully we can switch off these new features in the options menu.

As long as we’re pointing out a few of the game’s weaknesses, the AI hasn’t improved much. Even in the game’s medium difficulty setting you’ll find that it’s hard to pull the wool over their eyes. They easily make sliding catches and make double plays without missing a beat. A pop fly never slips out off their glove. Then again there are times when they’re baffled by bunts and occasionally stealing a base leads to the pitcher sending the ball to the wrong base. I once had a player make a run for third base only to watch with complete amusement as the pitcher tosses the ball the first base. These little flaws, as noticeable as they are, still don’t take away from the game’s overall fielding and batting that have improved since last year’s game. Really, the game throws in numerous options plus great unlockable treats.

Again Xbox Live support takes the action online and having played MVP Baseball 2005 online it's evident that MLB 2K5 blows it away. Aside from the fact that this game moves at a very steady framerate with no sign of a stutter, gamers can form online leagues and participate in tournaments with your stats updated for pure bragging rights. You can make challenges and even receive updates to keep your roster current via downloadable content. This is Xbox Live baseball at its greatest. 

Graphically speaking, MLB 2K5 will not fail to amaze with its incredibly detailed backgrounds and player models. The stadiums are wonderfully accurate to the point of looking photo-real and even the fans in attendance look good. The player models have been updated to the point that you can easily point out your favorite player. Really, I’ve seen the franchise render Jeter but nothing like this. To top it all off, the ESPN presentation makes from some stellar visual razzle-dazzle with picture-in-picture view of the bases and the flashy K-Zone feature. The game even throws in the littlest details. For example, slide to third base and watch the player kick up dust. The animations look a lot smoother this year again and not just during replays.

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The game’s sound is also the game’s biggest strongpoint with great ESPN-styled coverage by Joe Morgan and Jon Miller. Their play-by-play and color commentary is quite possibly the best I’ve heard in a baseball videogame and listening to them pick up the excitement just as the fans go wild is just plain beautiful. Another thing of beauty is the fans that go wild when their team picks up a run as well as the hecklers that shout some pretty witty things at rival players. I’ve heard hecklers shout out things like “You’re overpaid Randy” to Arizona Diamondback’s Randy Johnson. The game has a few tunes, mainly instrumental, but the big deal here is that you can use your own tunes to play for each individual player. This is a really brilliant use of the Custom Soundtrack feature. 

Major League Baseball 2K5 might not surpass EASports’ ballgame but with looks that kill and some truly entertaining game modes its still well worth its bargain price. There are a number of great new additions to the franchise but with a few blemishes it’s a baseball game that’s far from perfect. Still, fans of the sport will definitely enjoy this one. 

Gameplay: 8.7
Simplicity is what MLB 2K5 shoots for and it’s simplicity the game achieves, and - for the most part - it works well enough. There are a few weak spots here and there, but it really doesn’t take away from the game’s solid gameplay mechanics.  

Graphics: 9.0
An absolutely stunning baseball game, MLB 2K5 really outshines past games in this franchise. The stadiums look amazing and the player models are pure perfection. What steals the show, however, is the ESPN-styled presentation that just seems to get better and better every year.

Sound: 9.5
The two-man commentary team is amazingly on top of the game and brings emotion to each game without repeating themselves. If that weren’t enough, the fans come to life with cheers and clever hecklers that let their rivals really have it. The music is actually okay, but you can add your own soundtrack thanks to the Custom Soundtrack feature. 

Difficulty: Medium
The computer-controlled opponent’s AI is questionable. At times they seem as though they could catch a fly ball with their eyes closed and they’re often making sliding catches with easy. Then again, sometimes a grounder can slip right past them and oftentimes fielders make some really foolish blunders.

Concept: 9.5
Fancy a baseball game with a plethora of really enjoyable game modes, various unlockable goodies such as retro jerseys and teams plus three Skyboxes filled with mini-games? This game has it all and with a great online multiplayer mode what more can you ask for? 

Multiplayer: 9.5
When it comes to Xbox Live multiplayer fun, MLB 2K5 does a magnificent job bringing us perfect online action. You can form online leagues and participate in actual tournaments and there are current updates to go along with the downloadable content. In short, it doesn’t get any better than this. 

Overall: 8.8
We’ve seen the franchise get better and better, but it’s Major League Baseball 2K5 that takes the game to a whole new level. There are plenty of great game modes to sink your teeth into but there are flaws here and there that keep this game from beating EASport’s MVP Baseball 2005. Yet with a nice price tag, you still shouldn’t miss this one.