Ronald Acuna Jr. in MLB The Show 20
In 2019, MLB The Show 19 was the best sports video game of the year.
That distinction doesn’t mean it scored the highest in my reviews, it means that over the course of its life cycle, it brought the most enjoyment of any other sports title.
I scored it an 8.5 last year because it was a great game. However, my gripes were mostly related to the developer’s reluctance to push the envelope in some areas other sports franchises had passed them by.
Thankfully, Sony San Diego Studios has closed most of the gaps and they may have produced the best version in series history.
The Good
Facial Renders Are Much Sharper
Initially, I thought there wasn’t a visible difference between MLB The Show 19 and MLB The Show 20, but that’s not true.
You can clearly see the difference in many of the renders. The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. is one example.
Ronald Acuna
Acuna wasn’t scanned for 19, but he and several other players have seen this kind of improvement in their renders for MLB The Show 20.
Lighting and Textures are More Detailed
Each year there are slight improvements to lighting and textures that only someone who has played each version of the game would notice.
Whether it’s scoreboard updates with accurate sun representation in day games or light effects at night, SSDS gets so much of this stuff right.
Wrigley Field
Beautiful Animations in the Field
There are thousands of new animations in the game, per Sony.
Obviously, I can’t claim to have seen them all. However, I can tell you the flow of the game is as smooth as ever in the field with more branching animations for most every fielding situation.
Fielding is More Challenging and Layered
Fielding, and more specifically, throwing is more challenging in this year’s game. This is especially the case if you used metered throwing. It seems the meter is a little faster, and it isn’t as forgiving for missing the sweet spot.
I don’t mind it because it trains you to have concentration, and it makes throws after a diving stop more difficult.
Ballparks Are Getting Better Each Year
Operation Sports spent a good portion of the day posting distinct details from the parks around the league that are in MLB The Show 20.
The video below shows off some gameplay in the majors’ newest pro ballpark, Globe Life Field:
Still a Joy to Put the Bat on the Ball
The absolute best part of the MLB The Show gameplay is putting virtual bat on virtual ball. There is a beauty in this aspect of the real sport and Sony has always captured this key element so well in their simulation.
Squaring one up and watching your frozen rope fly creates a dopamine effect that makes you want to do it over and over.
The Show Always Lets You Play Your Way
As has been the case in previous versions, Sony never forces you to adopt their newest gameplay wrinkles. You can try them out, but if it’s not for you, you’re free to find the tried and true settings that probably led to you falling in love with the series.
That shouldn’t be overlooked because many of the sports gaming franchises don’t operate this way.
Perfect-Perfect is Good
MLB The Show 20
I was a little worried about the Perfect-Perfect concept.
Essentially, this was put into the game because many complained they weren’t being properly rewarded for ideal timing and PCI placement on pitches.
Perfect-Perfect isn’t overpowered and it doesn’t happen too frequently. I believe I’ve had it about three times in a number of games. When it happens, you can see the difference, and it does deliver the desired reward.
True Team Building in Franchise Mode
The biggest addition to this year’s game is the expanded customization in franchise mode. Finally, users can rebrand and relocate not just one team, but all of the squads in the league.
Because you can also utilize the solid create-a-player tool, users can create an entirely different league with fictional players and teams.
Showdown is a Solid and Fun Grind
If you’re a Diamond Dynasty fan, the new feature you’re probably going to want to give some time is Showdown. It functions a lot like the Battle Royale Mode, only it’s entirely single player and you can draft from additional rounds after clearing the challenges.
Showdown is not a traditional three, five, seven or nine inning experience. It’s more like a single-player challenge mode that lets you focus mostly on hitting and scoring runs. It was a fun and slight departure from a regular game.
Diamond Dynasty Rosters in Custom Leagues is Excellent
I don’t love everything about the new Custom Leagues features.
However, I do like that you can begin the journey with your DD lineups, and as you get more cards, those updates are reflected in the custom league. No sports video game has a better season concept associated with their collector mode.
March to October Feels Much Better
In MLB The Show 19, March to October was missing something that allowed it to function as a microwaved take on franchise mode. In MLB The Show 20, MTO is more fleshed out with increased general manager elements like trading blocks, and more. There are also more rewards throughout the season.
Lastly, the engine that selects critical situations has been revamped to better select the parts of the experience that call for you to spring into action.
More Uniforms and Equipment
Some fans are into uniforms and equipment options in sports games. If that’s you, you’ll probably appreciate the selection in MLB The Show 20.
There will always be some things missing on this front, but there is more than enough to allow you to diversify your Road to the Show or player in the game.
You Can Finally Import Rosters From Previous Versions
If you’re a roster maker, you can appreciate the ability to carryover a roster from a previous version of the game.
This hadn’t been in The Show until this year. It wasn’t discussed during the pre-release hype, but for a niche group, this could be their favorite addition because they won’t have to create the same roster every year.
Early Server Performance is Strong
Ir’s early, but the servers are holding up nicely on DD and exhibition games online. Granted, the major taxation of the tech won’t happen until the game releases to everyone.
Consider this a tentative thumbs up.
The Bad
Hair Textures Could Still Use Some Work
For years, The Show has had unrealistic hair. That’s still the case although there are a few guys whose hair appears to have been scanned with their face.
Quite honestly, it’s the black players whose hair looks most realistic, and the white players and Hispanics have been given the old and outdated textures.
Commentary is Almost Completely Unchanged
It doesn’t sound as though there was any major work done on commentary for this year’s game. Mark DeRosa, Dan Plesac and Matt Vasgersian are uttering the same lines as last year.
That’s pretty annoying after a while.
Road to the Show Didn’t See Enough Attention
The only thing added to RTTS this year is Dynamic Challenges and an increased emphasis on building relationships. It sounds a lot grander than it actually is in-game. This experience feels just as bland as it has over the past few years.
The saving grace for this feature is that the game just plays so well, the mode remains fun because of the concept and the core, on-field execution.
No Create-A-Ballpark
The single biggest omission from this year’s game is a create-a-ballpark feature. It seems a bit empty to allow gamers an opportunity to rebrand a team without letting them build their own ballpark.
I’ve been trying to get this feature added for about seven years with no luck. Wait until next year.
No Expansion in Franchise Mode
To a lesser degree, hardcore franchise mode fans are likely also missing the opportunity to start an expansion team. The NBA 2K series has the best franchise mode concepts, and it has both of the last two options.
Custom Leagues is Too Barebones
Fans wanted online franchise back, instead they got an overly simplistic season mode with no GM elements, minor league management and motivation to play multiple seasons.
There is a lot of customization to league structure and the ability to use your Diamond Dynasty lineups, but this is not an ideal online league experience.
The Bottom Line
With many of the smaller gaps filled from last year’s game, this is yet another championship-caliber season for Sony San Diego Studios. MLB The Show 20 does so much right that it’s foolish to spend too much time lamenting it’s flaws. Gameplay, visuals, improved customization and depth; it’s hard to ask for much more.
- Platform: PlayStation 4
- Developer: Sony San Diego Studios
- Publisher: Sony
- Released: March 17th, 2020
- Price: $59.99 for the standard edition
- Review Score: 9 out of 10
Sony provided a review code for this game.
