Where's Our MLB The Show 17 Review?

MLB The Show 17 is out today for PlayStation 4, but the game isn't quite ready for the grueling 162-game season. Launch day servers are currently down, and many of the game's popular modes cannot be played until they come online. We won't release our review until we can test the online modes and public servers. I also need to spend more time into Road to the Show to see how the documentary style story telling pans out.

I've vested over 20 hours on the diamond over the last few days, and can confidently say there's a lot to love about this year's game. Retro mode is ridiculously fun, offering a high level of intensity in the batter-versus-pitcher duel, and a quick pace that makes the innings fly by. Dancing around in the batter's box or sliding back and forth on the mound may not be realistic, but trying to read your opponent brings a surprising amount of strategy, such as trying to fool the batter into backing off of the plate so you can paint the corner for a strikeout. Outside of the enjoyable nostalgic play on the field, don't expect to get much depth out of Retro mode, which is effectively another exhibition mode, consisting of just head-to-head battles. Just to clarify, it cannot be played as a season or franchise.

Although I am still playing Road to the Show, I can tell you that the story and player choice don't hold a candle to NBA 2K's. Yes, you can play the Barry Bonds card and become an egotistical maniac that brags about his skills and talks down to coach, but most of your banter is just talk, and few developments come from your approach. After saying something, or answering a coach a certain way, the game usually just fades to black with no input on how the game was affected. You can assume coach doesn't like you, and there's a chance he may alter your playing time or position, but that seems to happen regardless of what tone you take. I was a saint with my first player, and although I was leading the league in every offensive category and playing solid defense, my manager moved me to the outfield. I'm having fun with the progress I'm making, but outside of determining if I'm a jerk or not, I haven't gotten much out of any interaction so far.

Franchise mode's new quick manage feature is also quite fun. A standard game takes 45 minutes, and player-lock clocks in at roughly 10. Quick manage takes just five minutes. From the outset Quick Manage looks just like a game simulation, with an overhead view of a diamond and players represented by colored dots. As the manager you have a fair amount of strategy, telling your hurler to pitch their own way, or pitch around, pitch to contact, or walk him. You are given an immediate result for anything you select. If you get into a bind, or your favorite player comes up, you can choose to enter gameplay to play out that moment yourself. If it ends up being a blowout, you can quickly sim the rest of the game. Quick Manage is a nice way of getting through seasons quickly, while still retaining some say over the flow of the game.

Outside of a few odd plays, the on-the-field action has been superb so far. Both batting and pitching are nicely polished and, above all else, immensely fun. The added elements of statistical overlays and new cutaways only strengthen an already impressive presentation. The only aspect of the game that still looks incredibly fake is the crowd always being engaged in the game. If Sony really wants to capture the realism of the sport, we need to see people on their phones, sleeping, and acting like they have no interest in what is happening in front of them.

Don't expect to see my review today or tomorrow. Given how much testing is left (and the servers being down) it's looking like the review will hit end of week or on the weekend. You can also hit me up on Twitter with any questions you may have. Sorry for the delay.

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