Beyond a few technical improvements that further polish the game mechanics of MLB The Show 2023, it’s the absolutely stunning tribute to eight Negro Leagues players who made a mark in baseball that strikes the imagination.
Since 2021, when the MLB The Show franchise, developed by Sony-owned San Diego Studio, has been accessible on all platforms, this production has almost without question taken pride of place at the top of the best baseball games. However, the players have had very little new to eat for two years, while we have generally been content to update the alignments with a few technical adjustments.
The 2023 edition, from this point of view, does not revolutionize a winning recipe. The animations are always on point and often give the impression that we are witnessing a real match, with the typical expressions of the players who spit, hit the stick and show their dissatisfaction. We are again left with choices from many modes, the most inspiring being the Road to The Show where we create a player from scratch to take him from minor leagues to major league baseball. A real RPG, with dialogues and scenario, with baseball sauce. Franchise mode allows full control of your team, with trading and hiring of all staff.
For ordinary mortals and those who aren’t MLB The Show 2023 pros, it’s March To October’s simpler mode that allows for the most complete experience, from in-season games through to the playoffs. This is the mode we spent the most time on for this review.
We immediately appreciate the three control possibilities, from the simplest to the most technical. The most important art in defense is that of the pitcher: we choose all the parameters, among four types of ball with their speed and direction, and we cross our fingers. A novelty that seemed striking to us is that the field players now have more distinctive characteristics, some are faster or more agile, have more or less strength in the arm to relay towards one of the goals.
Players at bat are of course also customized, with some having better timing or more power. What is notable is that we have obviously added a random aspect, where the same move will not necessarily give the same result.
The result of this very successful “gameplay” is that we find ourselves in the same spirit that makes the charm of baseball, a mixture of zenitude and excitement where all surprises are possible.
The big addition for 2023 has not much to do with game mechanics, but with history. We featured eight African-American or Cuban players who made their mark in what was called the “Negro Leagues” between 1920 and 1948, each being given a series of Key Moments referred to here as Episodes. In addition to the essential Jackie Robinson, the first black in the major leagues in 1947 spent a year earlier by the Montreal Royals, we pay tribute to Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Andrew “Rube” Foster, Hilton Smith, Hank Thomson, John Donaldson, John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil and Martin Dihigo.
Some have been forgotten and would have deserved greater recognition. Dihigo, for example, nicknamed “El Mastro” was dominant both as a pitcher and at second base and as a hitter. Each time, an introduction of about a minute takes you from one level to another and the player whose story you followed becomes available in another mode appreciated by connoisseurs, Diamond Dynasty which allows you to play with legends.
The Negro Leagues are in their first season in MLB The Show 2023 and San Diego Studios promises a new one every year.
With its dozens of variants on game modes, it’s hard not to find the one that will please any player. Even though being a baseball fan and connoisseur makes the experience more meaningful, we have still managed in this franchise to keep some things quite simple for beginners. Nothing revolutionary, but well-crafted additions.
