MLB 13: The Show: PS Vita Review

MLB 13: The Show: PS Vita Review

Released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS Vita
Released on the PlayStation Network

Baseball - it's as American as apple pie and yankee doodle dandy.

This latest sports sim hits the handheld console and sees you given a stack of options for running a baseball team and, more importantly, heading out onto the field and fulfilling some of your Kevin Costner/ Field of Dreams fantasies. (Or is that just me?)


It's like any sports sim, really. You spend a little time pulling together the team you want - which will depend on how strong your knowledge of baseball actually is. Personally, I know zip all about the game and its players, so chose to rely on the statistics to help pull together a team of hitters and pitchers who could help me win the day.

I know there's a PS3 version of this around too, which explains why there's a little cross play functionality available with the game as well - but that's untested in this review I'm afraid.

MLB 13 - The Show is really a case of trying and testing methods as you aim balls at your opponents or press buttons with just the right amount of time to connect with the fastball which has been thrown your way. Graphically, it's not too bad for the OLED screen with its close up of players looking not too far off a decent computer resemblance; there are no crowd shots but they lurk in the back of the stadium like animated dots, wobbling with excitement and colour as the batter readies his swing.

And in all honesty, the atmosphere is there too - decent commentary works well to make you feel part of the stadium buzz - as opposed to some simulations where all that can be mustered is a random collection of repeated phrases and trite bon mots. It's the minor details which work well in this game - a stadium clock ticks in real time, animation works well - it sounds simplistic but for the non fan of the actual sport, these are the kind of things you look at as you negotiate your way through the moves. There's hardly any use of the touch screen tech at all, which is a shame, but the relatively simplistic controls mean even a rookie or seasoned pro can pick up the game and become addicted to the gameplay and given the format's portability and occasionally short soundbite style play, it's sure to hit a home run for fans of good solid sports simulations.

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