WARNING: THIS GAME IS VERY VERY VERY ADDICTING FOR ANY BASEBALL FAN ANYWHERE WHO LOVES BASEBALL...SEE REDENT FOR MORE!!!
So I just thought, eh what the heck...I'll pick up this baseball game and give it a whack. No pun intended. What I came to find was something that would consume MY LIFE. Or at least for a few hours every day.
Gameplay-wise, it is quite polished. I can't compare it to other baseball games cause its my first. However, this game is VERY VERY easy on the early levels of difficulty, then is more difficult but still can be very easy even on the high levels. On Pro I could very easily have a team where, they could have a perfect season, the whole team batting over .400, the team ERA below 1.00, and have over 500 home runs. Even on All-Star I could gander a season with above 120 wins easy, but with less run production. There are many loopholes in the AI batthing that can be exposed, like sliders breaking inside, or curves down low. I guess, cause the control scheme is really easy it makes it easy to drop those pitches in like it. Although, I would have liked to see something that involves player tendencies. Like a player that would strike out more often, like he would chase fastballs up high a lot, or curves down like. I guess Its like real, only a little too exaggerated feeling, ergo easy to strike out the AI a lot (which I love though :-D)
Graphics are pretty decent. Crowds nothing to look at, stadiums rendered purdy good, and player models nice. I wish they had more variety in customizing the players.
The sound is the worst part. Luckily there are mods that allow you to pick your own music, but you are still left with two annoying Giants announcers (I say that with hatred as a Diehard Dodgers fan). They are redundant and BORING.
Value. Well See above in first paragraph. Especially w/ the addition of the MVP 2006 LOL mod I have many more hours now consumed. I love real players as apposed to made up players.
Overall definitely a good game. I got it for like...5-10 bucks used at EB Games so I got a lot of bang for my buck. And I'm very pleased with it. Check out the 2006 MVP Mod at mvpmods.com. Makes life a whole lot easier for those who hoped for MVP 2006.