MLB The Show 17

This year's baseball title brings fans to the park with a nice list of features, but they basically hit a double instead of knocking it out of the park. For the first year that MLB The Show 17 exclusively lands only on the PS4, the game tries to give its players a lot more control and command over their gameplay experience. This includes possibly the most gameplay options for pitching, fielding, batting, and more, on top of its vast array of sliders. Diamond Dynasty has also been further expanded with the inclusion of Programs, which gives missions for players to complete, like beating all the ball clubs or collecting a set of cards for a star athlete. It gives you an additional motivation to win the games you play and adds another level of depth to the overall play experience, which keeps you coming back for another game.

Unfortunately, the depth isn't consistent, which is why some portions feel a bit uncharacteristically shallow. For example, the new Pave Your Path feature in Road to the Show gives a documentary-style presentation for your created athlete. While the narrator-driven dialogue choices give a degree of context to the choices that you make, it doesn't feel like it goes far enough. Sure, getting a heads up on a manager's opinion of a hitting streak or asking you to switch positions seems believable, but what about tension in the clubhouse? Off-field controversy? Responding to local and national press regarding your play? There's a lot of ground this mode could cover, but it's just scratching the surface with a promise of what could be coming. Similarly, while the inclusion of the retro mode seems like a nice touch, it's actually a bit dull and uninteresting compared to the rest of the actual gameplay, which is vastly more engaging. But if you overlook some of these issues, you've got a great baseball game on your hands at the start of this year's baseball season.