Major League Baseball 2K5

"Is the best baseball game ever also the best game ever?"

I got this game a few weeks ago and I just want to say now that it is the best baseball game ever. Don't believe me? Read on and I'll explain this obvious fact.

The first thing I'm going to talk about is the ESPN presentation, since that is what you see first in this game. Once again, the gameplay for this game looks like an ESPN telecast. The difference this year is that it looks a whole lot more real. Every player is perfectly modeled and every stadium looks just like the real thing. All of the ESPN sound is here as well. Unlike NBA 2K5, there is not any rap in this game, which means that it won't annoy you like NBA 2K5 does. There is no licensed music, but that is actually a good thing. I don't think you'd find anybody who would say that the ESPN music sounds bad. If you would, they probably are joking, anyway.

The next thing I want to discuss is the in-game sound. Like with every well polished sports game, you can choose between many different in-game presentations. You have the option to use the default sound setup, a TV Broadcast setup, On the Field or In the Stands. You can even create your own. The commentary is the best from any sports game I've ever played. The PA announcer sounds very realistic. There is actually an Umpire's voice so you can listen to calls of Fair, Foul, Strike, Ball, Out and many others. There are many chants including a "Manny" chant and a "Let's Go Papi" chant. The fact that individual players actually have their chants included should tell you how seriously the people at 2K Games take realism.

Even though the sound and graphics are great, neither of those can make an otherwise horrible game anything but horrible. What really matters is the gameplay. Since pitching starts every play in baseball, I will start discussing the gameplay with the pitching system. Unlike other games (*cough MVP Baseball cough*), Major League Baseball 2K5 tries to please everyone with its pitching system. Included is a classic pitching system, the effort meter from last year, the awesome K-Zone and the "MVP" Meter. Since the only new feature is K-Zone, I'll cover that and not the other systems. K-Zone is the most realistic pitching system ever (trust me, I've actually thrown a baseball before) since it allows you to pick a location then the pitch type (compare to MVP Baseball where you only pick a pitch type) before using the system. It is also way more realistic than any other system. K-Zone then makes you stop 2 sliding bars that you must stop right in the center to throw where you want. If you choose to add speed to your pitch (for that blowaway fastball or that 95 mph slider), which you do by holding the button of the pitch, the circle gets smaller and eventually collapses down to just the inner circle. The sliding bars get faster with the more speed you put on your pitch. K-Zone is better both in theory and actuality for realism in pitching than other other pitching system ever invented.

Next, I will cover the batting system. Actually, this area hasn't been changed from last year, with the exception of adding a feature for those looking for arcade-style gameplay. They took out the Timed Batting system, but True Aim is a great replacement since it also lets you guess where the pitch is going. I hope they get rid of Cursor next year since it is awful. The new feature is Slamzone which occasionally lets you hit a sure home run, as long as you power up properly. I haven't tried out Slamzone since I would rather play the realistic-style baseball. Slamzone is a great feature for those who don't want to play realistic baseball.

There are 2 other parts of the gameplay that I will cover. Both of them are great, but I will cover the one that is the most fun part of this game first. The fielding system has been revamped this year. There is no more Auto Fielder, but don't worry, evolution has finally passed that feature by and it is no longer needed. The fielding system now allows for diving catches, done by the right analog stick, Wall Climbs and, since those looking for arcade-style play need something "exciting" to keep them interested in the "boring" fielding system, Showboat Catches. Diving catches are a great feature since singlehandedly make it possible to turn that ball deep to center field from a triple into an inning-ending out. But, there is a penalty if you dive for a ball you can't get. That is that the fielder has to stand back up before chasing down that ball at the wall and you've given up a triple by the time you get it. Wall Climbs are great for robbing home runs, though you can't do them without a cheat code outside of stadiums where the walls are like 9 feet or less high. I've never been able to do it, but it can turn that home run into an out. Showboat catches make it possible to go for a risky, but spectacular catch when you have already easily run down a popup. I haven't tried it out but I wouldn't recommend it since it even shows on the training video that it could turn into an error. Another feature that makes the fielding system great in this game is that the fielder will stand right underneath a ball once they get to the spot it will land at until it comes down. There are even speed bursts for fielding to help you make it to more balls.

The most complex baserunning system in the history of baseball games is included. You are able to play as the baserunner, but even if you still wish to hit the ball, you have the ability to control baserunners in ways that you've never been able to with any other game. You can press a button to select the runner to give commands to, then tell them what base to advance to and give 1 runner a speed burst. You can control leads and other stuff like that in ways that you've never been able to before. Don't believe what you might read in a certain unprofessional gaming magazine, this system is great. Some people are unable to figure out that you can tell your runner to go for a triple before they get to first in this game, so they think that they can press L1 like crazy as you can in the competition and expect to go only 1 base ahead. The speed burst is done by pressing the runner you want to help's button over and over. This game's baserunning system allows for gameplay that is both fun and realistic, like everything else.

There are also other game modes included. There is an "In Your Face" mode where showboating and other similar stuff determine the winner. The ESPN Home Run Challenge is replaced with a "Home Run Derby" though it is timed rather than based around 10 "outs." The awesome Gamecast mode returns. It is a mode where you manage the team without being on the field. It can be done at the speed of about 10 minutes per game so you can get a season done quickly with Gamecast. Gamecast is just like ESPN.com's feature that allows you to kind of watch the game but not really watch it. Situation mode is included, though you can't play actual real-life situations like you could in Acclaim's sports games before Acclaim went bankrupt. 3 forms of season modes are included. There is the original season that has been in every baseball game since the early baseball games. There is also the franchise mode that is included with every sports game anymore. This year, you can control up to 4 teams through Franchise. But, the mode you really want to play is the GM Career mode. It debuted in last year's game but has been greatly enhanced this year. It is a mode where you are the GM and have to complete goals for your owner who pays you a salary every year. If you play long enough, you can buy your own team. The other game modes were not even necessary since the exhibition mode is good enough buy itself to be worth $50. More on the pricing aspect of this game later.

The rosters are the most accurate I've seen in any sports game (and that includes even Madden), with the exception that some players are not licensed. This isn't 2K Game's fault because the Baseball Players Union is not a puppet organization of the commissioner's like its football equivalent (just take a look at this whole steroid issue). I can only find 2 players whose ratings I feel are way off. They are Jason Giambi (who is rated as he is on the steroids, IF he uses steroids) and Chase Utley is way underrated. I can accept the rest of the ratings because they aren't far off from where the players are considered to rate. The team rankings are based on what the teams are on paper, but I wouldn't disagree with those rankings. The roster editor allows you to do everything you could want to do but edit stats for players (they've GOT to put that in the PS3 generation games) or delete retired players. You can even search for a player, which is a great feature if you haven't been keeping up on free agency. The only problem is that the rosters seem like they were made in December.

There are not as many unlockables as other games offer, but there are lots of fun cheats, a few classic stadiums and table games. You can also unlock throwback jerseys and classic teams (with the real ratings, but with fake names, but that is understandable, since 2K Games is not a huge giant like EA that is trying to run everyone bankrupt and even EA doesn't spend heavy on unlockables). I'm going to leave the exact unlockables a secret. If you want to know what they are, you can find out when you play this game.

That brings me back to the pricing issue. It seems surprising that the only game that can satisfy a true fan of baseball is also the cheapest, but that doesn't make it any less true. The 2 games aimed more at casual fans are $30 (MVP Baseball) and $40 (MLB 2006). That should say something by itself. For a few months, I was worried, but after 2K Games signed the deal to take MVP Baseball off of the market starting next year, I was glad that the best game will be back next year.

That brings us to the real question? Is this game the best ever? I would say that it isn't the best game ever, because that is Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (sorry if you cannot play it because you are under 18 and your parents are conservative, but it is true). This game is the best value ever. There are only a select few games that are in this game's league and they are the first Mario, San Andreas and Gran Turismo 4.

Actually, I've bought just 2 games since this Christmas and I've played this one much more than I've played Gran Turismo 4, even without adjusting for the fact that I've had it less than half the time. That is saying a lot considering that Gran Turismo 4 is the greatest driving simulation ever.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/23/05