MLB 08: The Show

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. 1UP
    67
    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.
  2. G4 TV
    60
    The game is the pretty much the same as last year, but with a more updated roster. If you purchased last year’s title, this game is not worth forking over another 60 bucks for the same experience.

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PS3 Game of 2008
31
#31 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2008

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 82
  3. Negative: 11 out of 82
  1. 7Tenths
    Sep 10, 2012
    9
    Graphics: 9/10 as far as a sports game goes this is top notch. The players are accurate to their real life counter parts, even some of theirGraphics: 9/10 as far as a sports game goes this is top notch. The players are accurate to their real life counter parts, even some of their prebatting rituals. The stadiums look amazing and the crowds are fairly well all things considered. It… Full Review »
  2. juangranados
    Feb 23, 2009
    10
    i liked it it was my first ever baseball game i started being a bball fan in july 2007 and i started being a met fan on september 2007 and ii liked it it was my first ever baseball game i started being a bball fan in july 2007 and i started being a met fan on september 2007 and i bought this game and enjoyed it alot its better than the old final fantasy i especially love season mode and carrer i like fantasy drafts alot… Full Review »
  3. JimS.
    Jan 31, 2009
    5
    I cannot understand why this game has an average of 9.4 from users. It simply does not deserve it. The graphics are good, but that is allI cannot understand why this game has an average of 9.4 from users. It simply does not deserve it. The graphics are good, but that is all that would be of a 9.5 score quality. That seems to be the story all too often these days, but I digress.

    The controls are horrendous. Accidentally throwing to the wrong base cannot be corrected by pressing the proper button in time (you press X with the faintest pressure, by God the ball is going to home plate from right field). All base throws are done with right thumb (main buttons) yet cutoff man is left index (L1). Without game-specific conditioning to diminish natural tendencies this causes your outfielders to prance around and frolick (jump with ball from R1) instead of throw to the cutoff man. Steals and passed balls are difficult to notice. The camera cuts and the crowd cheers all the time; these are not properly noticeable indicators for something that would be blatantly obvious on an actual baseball diamond. Diving at R2 is not intuitive for me, and since it has to be coupled with a L-stick direction, middle infielder diving catches are impossible--I react with plenty of time but instead of my reaction consisting of pressing a button, I frantically and fruitlessly try to remember which button to press. There are no options to reassign controls outside Classic/New.

    The coding is also poor. This game was churned out without much work on anything outside the Road to the Show feature--everything else was largely ignored. The sportscasters, for example, commonly make mistakes like talking about the other team's cleanup hitter when yours is at the plate. I have noticed at least four unique scenarios where the commentator programming draws the wrong data.

    I have played one full Spring Training in franchise mode, and I still do not have a grasp of the fielding controls and make many user-generated (and often unscored) errors all the time. The controls should work well enough to pick up after playing 30 games.

    I also own a Wii, and with vastly fewer system resources, EA's MLB 2k8 is simply a better game than this one.

    5.5/10    … Full Review »
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