Parents' Guide to MLB 14: The Show

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Common Sense Media Review

Brett Molina By Brett Molina , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 9+

Deep, detailed baseball game among best for sports fans.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 9+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's It About?

MLB 14: THE SHOW is a sports simulation based on Major League Baseball. Players can guide one of the league's franchises over the course of a season or several years, building rosters, playing games in major and minor leagues, and guiding the organization to World Series victory. Players can also opt for the Road to the Show mode, where they can create their own baseball star and move him up the ranks of the minors en route to a spot on a Major League roster.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Some of the largest changes to this year's installment of The Show comes with the visuals and physics, both of which are striking. Players carefully mirror their real-world counterparts. It's a gorgeous video game. As for the gameplay, it's as enjoyable as ever. Newcomers might find it challenging to jump in for the first time, but, once they take the time to learn controls, it's incredibly gratifying.

There are two excellent features that also get around the old complaint that baseball games can be slow and boring. It's now possible to speed up games thanks to the Quick Count feature, which only brings you to key moments of a game and lets you make a decisive offensive or defensive play to affect the outcome. Gamers also can hone in on their favorite player with the new Player Lock feature and bypass any sections of the game where that athlete isn't up to bat or able to make a play on a hit ball. Between the robust franchise modes and high level of detail, MLB 14: The Show is among the best sports video games available.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the level of detail in MLB 14: The Show. How does the game compare to the real-world sport?

  • Talk about the skills involved to organize and manage baseball. How do they compare to other sports such as football or basketball? Is baseball more complicated with the addition of AA and AAA minor league teams?

Game Details

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