SCEA's MLB11, The Show

Critical acclaim is nothing new for the MLB The Show series. But as developer Sony San Diego has added layer after layer of polish and painstaking detail to the PS3 exclusive, it's become more difficult to inject innovative features that make the yearly entry a must-buy.

This year's major gameplay addition is analog controls. The Show's first foray with the control scheme really shines on the mound. The left analog stick dictates where you want to throw the ball. Pulling down on the right stick initiates your pitcher's windup while the meter above his head shows a ball descending. Once the ball reaches the yellow line toward the bottom of the meter, flick the stick back up to have him release the pitch. The pressure you use to flick the stick will determine how much effort he will put into the pitch while keeping the motion straight will dictate the accuracy of the pitch. Fade too much to the right or left and the pitch will head in that direction. The system works well, making it difficult to hit your spots but not impossible.

Analog controls have also been added to hitting and fielding. These two aspects didn't feel as seamless as pitching. In the batter's box, you pull back on the right stick to load up the swing and then flick it forward to initiate the swing. It replicates the motion hitters use when they put their weight on their back foot and then transfer that weight forward upon hitting the ball. The timing of this motion in MLB 11 was difficult to pin down. I either felt like I was starting to pull back on the stick too early or too late, which in turn threw off the rhythm of my swing.

Analog fielding was another hit-or-miss proposition. Pushing to the right stick to the right throws to first, up goes to second, left to third and down is home. Holding the stick in any of these directions increases the strength of the throw. While good in theory, there were times I threw to the wrong base because the direction I flicked the stick wasn't precise enough to go to the desired base. The troubles I encountered had more to do with my imprecise actions than the system itself.

But after trying the analog controls, I opted to go with the button configuration for hitting and fielding while keeping the analog pitching option. Sony San Diego was smart to allow players to mix and match button and analog controls. While some players might love all of the aspects of the analog controls and others might choose the more classic button options, players like myself can find some middle ground.

The addition I was most looking forward to was co-op play. Being able to team up with a friend against two other players or vs. the AI offline or online was exactly what I was looking for. But I was let down to discover that it's only applicable during exhibition play. I was hoping to team up with a friend and play a season together against the AI. Maybe this option, along with upping the number of players on each side, can be added for next year's run.

One aspect that Sony San Diego does an impeccable job year-in and year-out is their faithful representation to every detail during a baseball game. MLB 11 is no exception. From each player's individual routine in the batter's box to seeing fans reach over the wall (and even fall onto the field) for a foul grounder down the line, the developers have a true understanding of the little things that immerse players. They've even added warmup pitches before the game to get a feel for your hurler's repertoire, a camera editor to customize the exact pitching or battling angle you want to use and even detailed weather elements. The series continues to be the best-looking sports title.

The sound is also a highpoint. The three-man booth of Eric Karros, Matt Vasgersian and Dave Campbell does an admirable job keeping up with the on-field action while also providing banter. The crowd, which is full when watching a successful team and sparse while viewing a struggling club, reacts accordingly to key moments of the game. Fans perk up during tense moments and really get going when the organ music kicks in.

A staple for the MLB series has been its RPG mode Road to the Show, in which you create a player and spend experience points on different attributes in an effort to work your way from the minors to the majors. You can manipulate roughly every aspect with the game's deep player creator tools, augmenting the most miniscule facial details and decking out your player with specific gear. You can even choose what kind of walk-up music you want, even using songs from your PS3 hard drive.

This deep level of customization makes you feel invested in your created player, but despite some tweaks Sony San Diego has implemented from last year, the mode is starting to show its age. With the amount of detail and additions the developers have added over the years, there seems to be little that can be done to reinvigorate this mode. Maybe adding an online component, creating clubs with friends and playing from only your perspective. Though this has been done in other sports games, baseball might be cumbersome because it would be impossible to fast forward through the slow periods of a baseball game.

Speaking of online, one of the series' few Achilles heels over the years has been its online performance. Lag has made the experience, especially hitting, a point of frustration. In the two games I played online, the lag was minimal. The timing was a little off at the plate. Pitches that I thought I timed perfectly were considered early swings while ones I thought were late translated into perfectly timed cuts. After making the adjustment to this, I had little problems online. The game keeps track if you quit and hands out wins and losses accordingly when these instances occur.

MLB 11 The Show is the best baseball simulation to date, but Sony San Diego has held that crown for some time now. If you haven't bought a baseball game in a couple of years, this one will not disappoint. But if you purchased MLB 10, only diehard fans who crave analog controls, Move support and 3D - the latter two I was not able to review - should take the plunge again this year.