All-Star Baseball 2005

"Back, back, back, back...."

The newest release in Acclaim's long running series of baseball games hits a home run.

I've always loved baseball, and baseball video games. I just bought my XBox in February, and I knew there were many different titles available. I was torn between this and ESPN, but I picked up this on an impulse, thanks to a pushy clerk at EBgames.

Well, he certainly knew what he was talking about. Allow me to break down this excellent game.

Graphics: 9.25/10. Players look great, with incredible attention to detail. Stadiums are authentic. I'm actually excited to be playing in Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium later in my season.

Gameplay: 8/10. These are good, but not great. An incredible variety of camera modes are available, but I still find myself using the traditional modes. Four different batting modes range in difficulty, and pitching offers many types of pitches. I have two main problems with the gameplay, however. First, jumping and diving, I find, are incredibly difficult to get used to. Second, base-running is incredibly cumbersome. However, the learning curve, for these two things, and the game in general, is maybe 40 minutes.

Story: 10/10 For argument's sake, let's say story mode is expansion/franchise. Well, this is incredible. A slider determines the market and how much money you have, from fair and balanced, to realistic, i.e, the Yankees buy everyone again. There's plenty to do, such as drafts, free agency, re-signing players, trading players, dealing with the DL, adjusting line-ups, and oh yes, winning ball games.
Expansion mode is probably the coolest thing I've ever seen in a sports game. You get to choose from a list of about 40 North American cities without a team currently, and set up shop there. You pick a stadium, do an expansion draft, have a team nickname. Spring training is great, as it gives you a chance to learn the game before the actual season starts, and it gives you a task list to help develop your players. Created players can be used in expansion/franchise, a definite plus.

Misc:
- Great attention to details and little things. Dirt on uniforms, broken bats, scoreboard signs and music interludes between plays, players rush the mound.
-Player cards and pick-up games are overrated, though the trivia mode is fun.

Multiplayer: Definitely. Online is a huge asset when comparing the market, and even games with a few buddies are fun.

Overall, I'll rate this an 85/100.

This is my first review of a game for GameFaqs. Feedback would be appreciated. Thanks, guys.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/14/04