When it comes to video games, sports simulations are kind of an oddball. This genre has evolved and improved over the years, to provide fans with an experience that is as close to being as real as possible as developers like Visual Concepts, Playground Games, Konami, and Electronic Arts have pushed this genre to a whole new level with games like NBA 2K, Forza Horizon, EA Sports FC, and WWE 2K Series having achieved tremendous success.

These games are known for their stagnant development cycles, making it hard to justify buying them with yearly updates that do more than change the visual style and rosters. But when it comes to Sony, they haven’t been among the most successful names when it comes to sports simulation apart from the Gran Turismo Series. With that on their plates, MLB The Show 24 is the most recent entry in the MLB The Show series developed by Sony's San Diego Studio.

When there isn't much time between releases, the developers end up trapped in a pattern, unable to make significant improvements and instead concentrating on rehashing previous successes while making minor advancements in other areas. This is also happening at San Diego Studio, which has only attempted to replicate its previously successful formula in its most recent release.

San Diego studio followed the same approach with MLB The Show 24, polishing on the formula that was already quite successful in their past release. MLB For the fourth year in a row, The Show 24 is available on more than just PlayStation consoles. Even though the number of new features that are introduced from one year to the next is decreasing, MLB The Show 24 might just offer enough to get the MLB: The Show Series fans to stick to the game.

There is a noticeable improvement in the gameplay compared to last year's installment. This year's fielding was so much better than last year's that I was surprised by how good it felt. There is a noticeable increase in the speed and intensity of all defensive actions. This includes from fielding a ground ball to hitting a relay to force a runner out at home.

I've been waiting for this sense of urgency in the game for what feels like forever, and it's amazing to watch how far it has come. Though there is not much of a difference in the pitching in this game. I think they made some improvements to the pinpoint pitching, but because I don't use it when throwing, I can't say for sure. For the time being, I intend to stick with pure analog pitching since it has served me well.

Looking at the game from last year, it seems like the mimicking and small movements are carried over. The pitch clock is the most recent addition that was made to this game in terms of pitching. I'll admit that the usual pitch clock used in the majors doesn't impact the gameplay of MLB The Show 24. You may throw very immediately after a take or swing, so it doesn't stop the action. Furthermore, base running is almost nonexistent in MLB The Show 24. As a whole, I think MLB The Show 24 is a significant improvement over MLB The Show 23 and MLB The Show 22.

While hitting and base running remain unchanged, which is not necessarily a negative thing, development is at its finest yet. The modes in MLB The Show 24 are the same as last year. There doesn't seem to have been much of a change to the primary core modes, which include Exhibition, Road to the Show, Home Run Derby, and Diamond Dynasty, but they're all back again. And regardless of which game style you particularly enjoy playing, the game still has a lot to offer.

The most significant alteration to the series is perhaps Road to the Show. MLB The Show 24 allows you to begin your career as a female baseball player. As far as I'm concerned, playing as a female ball player was just as lifeless as any other character, although the game boasts a brand-new storyline and unique elements that alter depending on whether you choose a male or female player. The addition of a draft combine is reminiscent of the Showcase game from the original Road to the Show.

A sequence with Rob Manford is included in the draft cut, which depicts your character waiting there while being drafted. You see your player being drafted at the real event, but then you hear the announcement that you were chosen in the 9th round, which made me giggle. For the record, very few people participate in professional sports drafts, particularly those involving baseball, beyond the first round. So, it was a little amusing to see the entire dramatic occurrence of the first-ever female baseball draftee, only to hear over loudly that you were selected in the 9th round.

Beyond the addition of a female baseball player creation option, the Road to the Show mode is otherwise very similar. In this mode, there is a significant amount of texting, but there is not a lot of voice acting at all. In fact, there is no voice acting at all. Although it refers to two separate stories, both stories are somewhat identical.

Despite their similarities, there aren't many key distinctions between them. There are some enjoyable moments, though. You'll get the impression that you're switching between two whole separate narrative modes. Both sides are quite similar; the only real difference is that you're breaking barriers with women here, which is why it's brought up so often, which is great.

Getting started with the Draft Combine, which is a four-day event that consists of nothing more than batting practice, followed by some fielding, and then some genuine games, to tell you the truth, if you have played Road to the Show in the past few years, I think there is nothing unlikely to truly surprise you. You'll recognize and adore the path leading to the show since it's somewhat similar.

But for individuals who are unfamiliar with Major League Baseball games, this mode is fantastic. Playing in the first person as a baseball player has always been my favorite mode, and I found myself losing a lot of time to it while testing it out. Apart from that there has been a significant amount of change in terms of the gameplay mechanics here from the previous year to this.

There is a forced text messaging relationship that you are required to have with another female ball player, and it is dull and uninteresting. This is my major complaint about the mode. It's unnecessary and I wish you could disable that feature. Furthermore, the mandatory managerial meetings consist of repeating the same agenda item after repeating it. It doesn't improve the game in any way; instead, it seems like an idle effort to make the player feel immersed.

Possibly because I rushed through my character's career, I found it so unpleasant, but this whole forced texting and meetings felt terrible. Also, your character's unremarkable career finale is somewhat disappointing. Once your Hall of Fame career comes to an end, all you have left is a photograph documenting your accomplishments and the ability to quickly review your season numbers. There wasn't a single Hall of Fame event, no goodbye news conference, you will be dissatisfied and receive no compensation.

For those who are unfamiliar, the shortened season that runs from March to October is back. Instead of playing all 162 games plus the playoffs, you can skip ahead to all the important parts of the season and play them all. So here you have it, a neatly condensed game mode. Playing crucial moments allows you to experience a sense of anticipation for what is ahead. As well as pre-game videos that provide an overview of the division. You're limited to just one season, but you can still experience some of the franchise's iconic moments.

It's quite convenient because many individuals prefer not to play for an entire year. However, other modes, such as Franchise, need you to delve deeply into the numbers, and this one doesn't go quite to that extent. It throws you into games at the very last minute. On the other hand, I don't believe that a lot has changed this year between March and October of the previous game. However, for those who have never played MLB the Show before, this can be a tempting choice for those who desire to play a season swiftly while supporting their favorite team.

Another returning event is the Home Run Derby. Despite its flaws, I continue to love this mode. I have one genuine gripe, though: a Home Run Derby at night is still not an option. Constantly having it during the daytime is just not practical. Because home run derbies, in reality, never take place during the day but rather during the early hours of the night. For years, this has been my main gripe with this mode, and it seems like nothing will ever change, so I suppose just deal with it.

The Storyline mode has a fantastic history, and I adore it. Similar to showcase modes in other sports games, this mode is worth checking out if you're unfamiliar. You get to experience pivotal moments in history, and there's a lot of it. The addition of San Diego Studio occurred last year. For Yankees fans, there's a Derek Jeter storyline, and last year's storyline piece was fantastic; now there's a part two. And I've loved this mode for reliving Derek Jeter's major events.

The Storyline mode is again another one of those that I found difficult to put down once I started it. I intend to wrap up everyone's story. Both the narration and the presentation of it were done exceptionally well by San Diego Studio. If you're interested in something like this, definitely get the game. The nostalgic presentation and the aesthetic of the venues are two of my favorite aspects of this mode. It's clear that a lot of thought and effort went into building it. As part of the Derek Jeter storyline, you get more than simply a neat presentation.

You do get the opportunity to hear from Derek Jeter himself, which is another fantastic aspect of the experience. This is particularly great for the Yankees fans, but I think Derek Jeter is respected by every baseball fan. It's great to hear from legendary players like him about his early days and career in general. Plus, it's wonderful to watch the presentation recreate the format from when he initially began in 1995. There are noticeable distinctions between the two narrative forms, and I must say, I am quite impressed by the overall style of storytelling.

Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 24 also has remained largely unchanged throughout the years. It's perfect for those who adore fashion because they're bound to love it. On the other hand, there are individuals like me who will give it a quick try but will likely never pick it up again. I've given this mode a go several times, but I still don't get it. Perhaps I would be more receptive if you could retain the cards, you purchased and earned, but at the moment I just am not concerned.

However, there are many individuals who enjoy this mode, so it's all subjective to your preference. Just as before, Franchise mode is almost back to normal. Some features, such as the ability to begin a season with injured players, have been introduced, although most people aren't going to use them. Aside from that, it seems to be identical to the game from last year; nevertheless, there is a new feature. The mode has room for improvement, but it might be far worse as well, so I won't be too critical.

If you enjoy the Stadium Creator mode in the MLB The Show series, I believe it would be quite difficult for you to become bored with the game. Despite being the fourth game to use Stadium Creator, the option to modify many fundamental aspects remains absent. The inability to remove the bullpens from the field and the inability to customize the outfield fences with distance markers or billboards are a bit disappointing. There is no way that these would be difficult to include on the list as this feature is quite extensive already. Building dome stadiums is something I'd like to be able to do. Except for these few concerns, I believe that it is an excellent feature for the game.

While MLB The Show 24's visuals aren't always top-notch, they're generally serviceable. Apart from the small tweaks here and there, the game appears to be visually identical to last year's release. Audio-wise, the announcers are likewise lacking in quality. Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton sounded more fragmented. Thankfully, you can easily disable all of these features, and the game improves significantly without the announcers. Though San Diego Studio has introduced some nice additions to the game with the additional face scans for specific ball players. In addition, they incorporated new hair physics into the game.

This is a huge leap forward from the static hair in earlier games, even though the player's hair still appears a bit scratchy when it moves. This year, they also included jersey ad patches, which are a great way to mimic the look of actual clubs' uniforms. Despite my dislike of the advertisements on uniforms, I suppose they are representative of the game on the field.

MLB The Show 24 is released on current-gen consoles only, so San Diego Studio had more freedom for the performance improvements and this will allow them to enhance the game's graphics in MLB The Show 25 even further. So, I really hope that's the case.

Though it's already a good game, MLB The Show 24 could be much better in many ways. Whether or not you find it appealing is contingent upon a few distinct factors. Anyone who played the previous year's game will agree that several parts, if not all, of this game's modes could use some improvements. Except for roster updates, there's no need to upgrade from March to October, and the same goes for Franchise.

Road to the Show is a fantastic expansion for female players who have long wished for more game time. If you play Diamond Dynasty, and if you have played 23 rounds of Diamond Dynasty, then all of your cards have reached their maximum value, and everyone is going on to the next one, so you should purchase the next one. You can also consider paying for the storylines if you find them appealing.

MLB The Show 24 is worth buying if you haven't played MLB The Show 23. If you're an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you can check it out as well. The gameplay in MLB The Show 24 is solid, and it has been fine-tuned and improved slightly from the previous version. Although MLB The Show 24 is competent enough, it likely won't satisfy those who aren't die-hard fans of the series enough to warrant an upgrade from the previous installment.

Besides the hardcore Major League Baseball fans, those who are still on the fence about buying MLB The Show 24 should probably hold off until it goes on sale. While certain parts of the game have seen significant improvements, others continue to get the silent treatment. When this series is created exclusively for the current generation of consoles, I truly hope it may make a significant leap ahead soon.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Senior Editor, NoobFeed