MLB 08: The Show

With a dearth of features and tweaks that make this experience the best out there, gamers will have plenty to do before and after the first pitch of the season.

Playing MLB 08: The Show makes one thing rather apparent: Sony is focused on beating down the competition to a point that it becomes written in stone: Sony's MLB franchise is without question the best baseball sim money can buy.

What more can I say that hasn't been said already. MLB 08: The Show raises the bar once again and delivers the most complete baseball experience money can buy.

If the online play gets up and running, there’s no doubt that the game should be rated an ‘A’. You could even make a case for it as a system seller for any baseball fan—MLB The Show is just that good.

There are an overwhelming number of features in this game that should keep even the most die-hard fan happy until next spring.

Its career mode, Road to the Show 2.0 will keep you busy for months, while additions to offline and online modes greatly enhance the game's replay value. It's so good, you'll play it right up to next year's edition.

MLB 08: The Show easily wins the “most improved” award but it may very well be the best PS3 baseball game. It plays well, looks amazing, and really showcases the power of the PS3.

Highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in the sport, sports games in general, or even games in general. It’s that good.

It’s not often that competing sports franchises do an about-face from one year to the other, but this season it’s clear that The Show has surged past MLB 2K8 in almost every aspect.

MLB 08: The Show for the PS3 is arguably the best baseball game I have played in this next-generation era of gaming.

MLB 08 is the best baseball game on the market, and the best sports game of this generation. For the first time since "NFL 2K," a sports game is a must-buy for any console owner.

MLB 08: The Show is the best baseball game on the market this year, hands down.

For baseballs fans of any persuasion, MLB 08: The Show is a phenomenally feature rich package that you'll be playing all the way until 09 comes around. [May 2008, p.68]

It's a near-perfect baseball package, sporting a barrel full of improvements from last season, gorgeous animations, solid online support, and the most compelling single-player mode you could ever ask for.

Players look like real men rather than EA-style waxwork models. [June 2008, p.94]

If you ever wanted to see a digital replica of you playing baseball inside of a game, The Show is going to let you live the fantasy!

As far as I'm concerned, Sony has made the best baseball game ever.

It is quite obvious that Sony took all the criticism leveled at last year's game and used it to craft MLB 08: The Show, an extremely fun and addicting title. Nearly all of the bugs have been fixed, with only the occasional AI problem, poor base running, and cumbersome career progression besmirching an otherwise incredible game.

MLB '08 delivers on every gameplay front. The on-field play is excellently done, the stat tracking is immense, and Road to the Show is one of the best career modes around. Visually striking, this is the baseball game that baseball fans have been waiting for on the PS3.

Some days you'll blow the computer out, while other days you'll be battling to the last pitch. Each game offers something new, something that will surprise you, making MLB 08 one of the most enjoyable sports games you'll play this year.

Since I am hopelessly addicted to Road to the Show, MLB 08 gets my nod for the game you’ll get the most out of – but you really have to be into the concept of creating a player and raising him from a minor league hopeful to a major league all-star.

MLB 08: The Show does very little new, but most everything it does is done very, very well.

Bottom line, MLB 08 The Show is a great game and worth the yearly upgrade.

It seems like Sony paid too much attention to detail in the small areas and forgot why a lot of people buy baseball games: home run derby and other mini-games.

Some new additions to the pitcher-batter match-up deepen the gameplay and the ability to save the action mid-game is a huge plus.

The game has a high replay value and the career mode is deep, frustrating, invigorating, irritating and satisfying – all at the same time.

MLB 08 is the best edition of a baseball game to come across the home console plate in recent memory.

After some effort is put into actually learning it, the flow of the game actually feels pretty good, even to me.

Whether you enjoy playing actual games, managing a franchise, or playing an individual shooting for stardom, it's here.

It's a solid baseball game for the PlayStation 3. The Road to the Show is still fun and there are some nice new additions. It's too bad some of the bugs in last year's version still show up.

For this season, consider it the way you would a September game with your team already eliminated from the chase: If you're the type that wants to check out the young prospects called up, you'll probably be right at home. If you've already been watching preseason football for a few weeks and are enjoying the first NFL games, it might not be your ticket.