MLB The Show 23 Video Game Review (About In Description)
2A great step forward for the series, thanks in large part to the brilliant new Negro Leagues mode.
It’s a tale as old as sports: an established star has an off year, and people begin to wonder if this is the beginning of their long slide into mediocrity. Then, they come roaring back with a season for the ages, putting all doubts to rest as to who sits at the pinnacle of the sport. After having somewhat of a down year of its own in 2022, MLB The Show 23 has returned to claim its crown as the undisputed king of simulation baseball with a long list of upgrades, gameplay shakeups, and an incredible new mode that redefines what the sports genre is capable of.
The most signifiant addition to MLB The Show 23 is the Negro Leagues mode, a dedicated single-player story focused on the legends of a league that ran parallel to the MLB from 1920 to 1948. Eight different players are highlighted, from the Legendary Satchel Paige to the groundbreaking Jackie Robinson. Each is lovingly introduced by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, with missions that recreate exciting moments from their careers. One mission begins with a story about Rube Foster's devastating “fadeaway," a pitch better known today as a screwball, only to drop me into a game where I needed to notch two strike outs using just that pitch. As I worked through the batters, the returning two-man announcer team of Boog Sciambi and Chris Singleton provided interesting insights about Foster and his success with the fadeaway.
The key modes in MLB The Show 22 are as fun as ever, which is no surprise given that most of them haven’t changed meaningfully. Hitting, pitching, and fielding remain sublime, and another year on the newest generation of hardware has virtual ballplayers looking even better. However, technical issues are a nuisance and co-op, the most ambitious new element, is fun but unfortunately underdeveloped. The push-pull between reliable small refinements and incomplete major additions is evident, and it’s the clearest sign of the limitations an annual release can have on the series so far. MLB The Show 22 remains a very good baseball game, but it’s beginning to look like a star ballplayer on their way toward a post-prime decline.
This mode is a stunning achievement. The video packages that accompany the players are poignant, funny, well produced, and lay out brilliantly what makes these guys giants in the history of the sport. Kendrick speaks with tremendous passion and charisma. I could watch him describe the weather and I would be enraptured, but when he tells legendary stories, like when Satchel Paige called in the entire field of players to sit around him while he struck out the side in a game, I was on the edge of my seat. That also meant I was blown away when I took control of Paige myself, teammates kneeling around me without a care in the world, and sat down each of the hitters I faced.
The Negro Leagues Mode is a stunning achievement.
It’s a loving tribute to the Negro Leagues that didn’t need to be as detailed as it is. It would have been simple and safe to just add some throwback uniforms and a few legends to Diamond Dynasty. Instead, developer Sony San Diego thoughtfully recreated uniforms, equipment, and crowds from yesteryear. It all ties together in a cohesive package that’s equal parts history lesson and satisfying challenge.
The Negro Leagues storyline focuses on the triumphs of the players, but that doesn’t mean it shies away from the prejudice of the era and the reasons the Leagues existed to begin with. It formed long before the Civil Rights movement and did a lot to bridge a massive racial divide, bringing in audiences and filling the stands with people of all colors even as the players featured in these stories faced racism and segregation. It’s an important account that transcends baseball, and a credit to the developer for its inclusion. Even as a lifelong lover of both baseball and history, most of what I saw and heard was new to me. The stories are entertaining, powerful, and often end with me in periods of quiet reflection.
New Facets on the Diamond
Diamond Dynasty, which combines baseball card collection with a slew of single-player and online multiplayer modes, has undergone a number of smart changes. The basic idea is the same: you complete challenges or spend Stubs to unlock cards, which can then be used to assemble a team. The cards range from today’s players to stars from the World Baseball Classic, legends of baseball’s past, to the featured players from the Negro Leagues. It’s great for scratching that live service itch for those that enjoy the grind in a way that feels compelling, but not coercive.
This year brings with it the introduction of sets and seasons that effectively act like The Show’s battle pass, which is a bit of a mixed blessing. Ranging from six to eight weeks, seasons create a defined beginning and end to a specific stretch of Diamond Dynasty baseball