Basically, it's MVP 2004, but with some very nice additions.
User Rating: 9.6 | MVP Baseball 2005 XBOX
For me, buying MVP Baseball 2005 was a no brainer. That's because I enjoyed MVP 2004 so much, I figured there was nothing to lose. And, I was right. That being said, MVP 2005 is not a huge improvement over last year's version. It's essentially the same thing, but they've added some new things this year. What's new is good, but not exactly revolutionary. For example, there's Owner Mode. If just playing the game or even a season is not enough for you, you can manage all aspects of the team and the game in the owner mode. I'll admit, I wasn't too interested in this feature at first, but it became more enticing as things went on. I'm glad I got into it, as it's added an extra level of complexity to the game. From a baseball perspective, MVP is really "right on". It handles all aspects of the game very well. Everything is challenging and yet learnable (if that's even a word). The more you play, the better you get, just like the real thing. But, there are nuances in each aspect that make it an honest challenge. The graphics are really good. New animations this year make it more fun to watch. The swings are more real as are fielding motions. It's definately fun to look at. The parks are really well designed and it's fun to see some old parks (like the Vet for Philly fans). The audio is pretty much the same. That's probably my only complaint. While the ambient stadium noises are wonderful, the commentary is just so-so. When is someone going to put a lot of effort into the commentary in a sports game? I haven't found one yet that blows me away. Even if it doesn't do that, they could make more effort to avoid it being annoying. But, anyway, the sound in general is very good, it's just not too new this year. All in all, MVP 2005 is a great baseball sim. Whether you want to manage the front office and the pitch by pitch or if you just want to turn it on and play a quick game, this is the best baseball game available. 
