Ok so it's not the MLB....but that shouldn't keep you from playing.
Ok so there is no more long MLB seasons......no more trade deadlines and no more free agency, but that definitely shouldn't keep you from enjoying the MVP series this year. Not only did EA decide to take a chance on college baseball they decided to roll the dice twice and tweak around with an already suberb gameplay system and boy did it pay off. All of you old school MVPers out there dont you worry, you dont have to use MVP's new system but there really shouldnt be a reason you dont want to. Yes it is true that the new "fire and load" system definitely takes time to get used to, and yes it probably has the steepest learning curve probably of just about any sports title ever released. What the new fire and load system does bring is probably the most realistic gameplay engine for a sports game as well. Basically how it works is that you time the pitchers' release of the ball from his hand by pulling back the right analog stick and when the pitch crosses the plate you tap the right analog stick forward to hit it, sounds easy enough right?? HA, not only do you have to follow through at the right time but you have to read the pitch right and when you follow through you have to tap the analog stick in the direction the pitch is going.....no one ever said baseball was easy did they?? The new fire and load system is definitely something that needs to be practiced to even be decent at, but that's what makes it so great...how many times have you bought a new sports game and have pretty much mastered it in a couple of sittings because nothing changed from the previous year, i mean what's the fun in that? A couple of more subtle changes is the throwing system from the field, which takes awhile to get used to as well. Basically you dont get to pre-load your throws and a diamond surrounds your player and you use the right analog stick to throw to a base, the diamond acts as a meter and you have a small area that you can build up your meter to, let go too early and your throw is high, throw too late and your throw is low. The pitching system is unchanged along with the baserunning mostly, honestly the most frustrating element is when your stealing and you press the analog stick too early to anticipate a slide and you end up swinging at a pitch instead (one of the things you have to get used to in the transition to 06).
The graphics is where the game definitely loses it's luster compared to it's MLB counterpart. The players are pretty stale and have certain templates which to go by which can in fact take you away from the game. The lack of realistic stadiums also takes away from the feeling of "being" in the game. Nothing feels worse than using your team (mine being UK) and having your stadium "Forest Park".
The sound is a mix bag, i wish that Gamespot would take sound and split it into 2 different catergories. The reason being is that there's the music of the MVP series and there's the commentating and sound effects of the MVP series. I think the MVP series has had an underrated soundtrack in it's stint as the #1 baseball franchise and this year is no different, the tracks used in the game are brillaint and actually pertain to baseball more than any year before it. I wish i could give the sound catergory a higher rating but unfortunately the commentating falls under the catergory. Dont get me wrong the commentating never gets annoying and there aren't any annoying quips to frown at but it's just stale. I dont know how to put it any other way except that it really gets old and really fast.
The dynasty mode made a great transition from the pro league to the college league. In-season recruiting adds wonderful depth as you play through your season. The recruiting system (which i've played 3/4th of a season through) seems to be harder than the other college games out there (although this maybe because the school i go to has a crappy baseball team)...but i really had to put points and work to get 2 of my recruits signed. There are plenty of awards to strive for during the season, all the way from Third Team Freshmen All American, to Player of the Year. Another really cool feature if not a shameless "plug" is the inclusion of brand name equipment you can earn through the season. Through different challenges, like say may be earning 8 RBIs in a 2 game series you can earn certain pieces of equipment from Rawlings etc... to boost some stats.
Have only played a couple of online games and it seems pretty solid. The game's extras such as the rolling ticker and the ESPN radio updates really add that extra "umph" that puts the game over the top in presentation.
I know my review has been really long winded but i think the new features of the game and transition to college baseball justifies it. I definitely put in alot of hours in the 3 days i've had the game to say that if you dont mind the frustration of the first few games to get your bearings with the new "fire and load" system, you definitly need to get MVP 06.