Don't listen to the pro reviews...
First of all, the graphics are amazing. The "Wow" Factor of them is basically unmeasurable; sometimes I think the graphics look even better than real life. Everything from the look on the players' faces depending on the situation, to how they move, to how their uniform blows in the wind and wrinkles...it's all amazing.
Next comes sound. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan do an excellent job, with the exception of a few flat-out wrong announcements. I do believe I've heard in my GM mode, "The Braves are coming into this game with a .500 record; they're going to need to step it up." This would be a fine announcement, if it weren't for the fact that I am currently undefeated. Otherwise, however, everyone and everything sounds real, and you can definitely hear the fans get pumped up in a close game.
Now for the part everyone's been waiting for: The gameplay. I have one word: Stunning. The realism put into this game just awes me. Pitching is fun; seeing a batter whiff the ball when Carlos Zambrano deliver a curve with just the right timed break or watching John Smoltz deliver a mean slider just off the plate never gets old.
Batting is also great, and with the swing stick, you really feel that sense of timing that is baseball. And when you see that ball go flying out of the park in a close 2 - 3 game...it feels just right.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but even the fielding is fun. The players' ratings really make an impact. This means that you can't just run home on any sac fly like you could in other baseball games such as MVP Baseball. If someone hits a medium pop fly to the likes of Vladimir Guerrero or Andruw Jones, a smart baserunner will stay put.
The only reason it was docked a point was because it wasn't for everyone. Most huge fans of the likes of Slugfest Loaded won't really love this game as much as the lovers of realistic baseball. Though, if you are a fan of baseball, no matter what road you like to take with it, I definitely recommend picking up a copy.