MLB The Show 18

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 101 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 101
  3. Negative: 32 out of 101
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  1. ShadowPeter
    Mar 27, 2018
    10
    MLB The Show 18 - 9.5/10

    It is true that baseball isn't a very popular sport in Europe, i'm not a big fan either. But even so, I have a baseball cap from the famous American baseball team, the New York Yankees. But going to what matters, will this MLB The Show 18 be higher than last year's version, which already had good reviews? From what I have seen and experienced, my answer is this:    MLB The Show 18 - 9.5/10

    It is true that baseball isn't a very popular sport in Europe, i'm not a big fan either. But even so, I have a baseball cap from the famous American baseball team, the New York Yankees. But going to what matters, will this MLB The Show 18 be higher than last year's version, which already had good reviews? From what I have seen and experienced, my answer is this: no doubt.

    I liked the attitude of San Diego that dares to sting us with an introduction full of good moments and shows the reason of the North Americans to adore this sport. I will start talking about the news of this MLB The Show 18 in relation to the previous one. Nothing more than joining the useful to enjoyable. We have more options on player customization on Road to the Show, whether the real player or not, we have new camera angles, we have more player emotions and more fan reactions. The Road to the Show, in addition to the improvements in customization and now being more Role Playing Game, also received another addition. When we are going to create a new player, we have to choose an archetype, each with its limitations and benefits. The use of the in-game currency to improve the attributes of our character has been removed from this game. Now, to improve our character in this 2018 version, it's based on the success we're doing on the field and during training.

    Diamond Dynasty also had improvements. We now have a flexible program system in which we must choose the missions to play and in an attempt to obtain legendary cards and immortal legendary cards. Yes, you are correct, this game has more legendary cards than the previous one. The online has also been improved, although it still has a bit of lag, but it still doesn't compare to the 2017 version and I admit I had a good time in multiplayer. Unfortunately the online Franchise mode has been removed, but don't worry, the offline version is present in this MLB The Show 18.

    Now reaching the ball with the baseball bat is easier and the physics of the ball are better. The animations of the audience and the players have also been given extra attention and the stadiums are excellent. The truth is that the game is difficult for those who understand half or less than that, the rules of baseball.

    Retro Mode and Home Run Derby are also present. Home Run Derby is a tournament of, well, Home Runs and retro mode is basically meant to delight those who love to see and experience nostalgia for baseball games of yesteryear. The soundtrack is also on point; bands like Daft Punk or Imagine Dragons are present in this game. Anyway, just good things in this MLB The Show 18.

    In short, the SIE San Diego Studio in what concerns baseball games, really knows pruning. Inevitably this MLB The Show 18 is a recommended product for baseball fans. I even started watching baseball a bit differently after playing this title.    … Expand
  2. andy24king24
    Mar 27, 2018
    10
    Ok let’s get down to brass tacks. It’s not leaps and bounds better than The Show 17, so that’s that sorted. But if you’ve been lucky enough to play the brilliant The Show 17, you’ll be excited to know you can continue all progress from 17 to 18, including your player in the show and your franchise too. Graphics are improved but only slightly; the sounds including commentary again onlyOk let’s get down to brass tacks. It’s not leaps and bounds better than The Show 17, so that’s that sorted. But if you’ve been lucky enough to play the brilliant The Show 17, you’ll be excited to know you can continue all progress from 17 to 18, including your player in the show and your franchise too. Graphics are improved but only slightly; the sounds including commentary again only slight improvements but the commentary doesn’t offer anything new, sometimes gets a bit samey and repetitive. Only new updates could improve this but I don’t think so. The gameplay is like last years offering, brilliant, exciting. Is it worth the £45 I spent on it, no. Is it better than last years, no. Is it worth waiting for the usual price reduction YES. Cos for me this more like 17.5 than 18. But still by far and away the greatest baseball game on console. And don’t fall the annual garbage R.B.I. 18, it’s apparently woeful compared to this. So to sum up, wait and get cheaper and continue playing 17.… Expand
  3. Eljayem
    Mar 28, 2018
    10
    Absolutely the best sportsgame ever...period! Dont understand why some people give this game a low rating, cause its a very good game, despite some server issues in the beginning, this game is a must have for baseball fans.
  4. NavyBean
    Mar 27, 2018
    9
    Listen to me, people. This is the best game of console baseball ever made. There is a ton to like about it. It plays great. But, and I have a big but ... there's nothing significantly upgraded from 2017. Every single year I've bought The Show and there's been reasons that the new version has excited and surprised me.

    Just not this year.
  5. cogdotnet
    Mar 27, 2018
    9
    Overall, I enjoyed my time with MLB The Show 18. It’s as close to living the dream of being on the field during a Major League game as I’ve seen. Is it going to be a hit with non-baseball fans? Probably not, simulators have a history of only being for hard core fans of a sport. For those hardcore fans, though, MLB The Show 18 is going to be a hard act to follow.
  6. z28guy30
    Apr 1, 2018
    10
    Best MLB The Show ever! Batting has improved...and the game just simply looks and feels more realistic this yr!
  7. hiltong55
    Aug 7, 2018
    8
    With over 100 hrs poured into this game I think I can give it a fair analysis at this point. I would like to start by saying that I am a huge fan of the franchise and is usually the only new game I am guaranteed to purchase every year. Without MLB The Show I am not sure that I would even bother buying a PS4 as I am mostly a PC guy. But I would also like to disclose that I am experiencingWith over 100 hrs poured into this game I think I can give it a fair analysis at this point. I would like to start by saying that I am a huge fan of the franchise and is usually the only new game I am guaranteed to purchase every year. Without MLB The Show I am not sure that I would even bother buying a PS4 as I am mostly a PC guy. But I would also like to disclose that I am experiencing some burnout and will be taking a year off from the franchise.

    From a sports simulation standpoint this, in my opinion, as close to reality a sports series has ever come to the real product. Your Madden's and FIFA's can be fun in their own right but I always feel like I am compromising realistic gameplay at times in order to have fun. For the most part, pitching, hitting and fielding all perform as they should by the AI and are all very approachable for new players. Hitting does take some time to get a handle of but I have become at least competent over time (still not great), pitching is a bit easy on lower difficulties, the defense can take a little time to get used to but is definitely masterable and baserunning is okay but is one of the things I still struggle with.

    Road to the Show received another cosmetic change this year as your player is boxed into a player type (power guy, speed guy, contact guy, etc) I guess to more mimic reality. I personally don't have a problem with this because this is kind of how I like to build my player anyway but I can see why this would anger players who want to build a powerhouse. The progression feels fairly good as you move up based on your play and can even be reassigned to other positions. Also, like last year, you can put up a stink and possibly get yourself traded or benched.

    Franchise mode went largely unchanged but the developers did add some scheduling tips for players who do not know anything about the interworkings of the MLB. I am a veteran of this mode so I really did not find any of this to be any help but I also didn't find that any of this hindered my progress at all. I mostly just like to take a crap team and build them up through simulation anyway.

    In the past few years, I have largely ignored Diamond Dynasty. I have never been a huge fan of hitting and playing defense but this year I figured I would give it a try. Of course, I got addicted to it lol. I am a very mission-oriented person so this mode really got me into all that The Show has to offer. I have learned how to hit and run the bases a lot better than ever before and love unlocking new cards and completing their missions. Conquest mode is where I spend most of my time as now feel the need to fill out that dam map lol.

    Let us get into the negatives. Yes, Diamond Dynasty can be a bit of a money grab as it is very difficult to get those Diamond cards without ponying up some cash to buy stubs. I really wish the odds of getting gold and diamond cards were just a little bit better, I think this would make your average player a little bit more willing to grind. I, however, enjoy this kind of grind as there are missions in everything you do and I am not really crazy over getting diamond cards. I wish Franchise mode went into a little more depth with things such as international signings and more realistic contracts. The advancement of depth has been lacking in this mode for a few years now.

    Overall I personally love this game but I can see why people think this becoming more and more of a money grab. Sony needs to be careful with this. But even with this being the case, MLB the Show 18 still has much more to offer in modes like Franchise and Road to the Show that are not attacking your psychology. I hope they take some of that money and put it in to their other supporting modes in the future. 8/10 great.    … Expand
  8. SinceDa90s
    Aug 12, 2018
    8
    When playing against friends this is a big improvement over last year. Much more enjoyable
  9. TheJackMurphy
    Apr 20, 2018
    8
    MLB 18 The Show is going the route of other sports games such as NBA 2k and Madden and focusing mainly on two modes their "create a team" mode known as Diamond Dynasty where players can create a team by earning currency called stubs and using them to buy packs or players off the market. Also on their road to the show mode where players create their own player and try to make it into theMLB 18 The Show is going the route of other sports games such as NBA 2k and Madden and focusing mainly on two modes their "create a team" mode known as Diamond Dynasty where players can create a team by earning currency called stubs and using them to buy packs or players off the market. Also on their road to the show mode where players create their own player and try to make it into the big leagues and be successful in it. There is still a franchise mode where you can take over a team however you can tell San Diego Studio wasn't focused improving that as much. When it comes to gameplay it runs smoothly. Hitting dynamics feel better than ever and fielding is much harder than previous years (as it should be) Online is a little laggy but better than last years and will continuously improve.

    The main complaint about the show how its pay to win, While you can purchase stubs with realm money it is not at all pay to win. First of all, you can play online quick play where you can just pick whatever team and have your record recorded and while not improved very much their still is a franchise mode that people can take advantage of that allows them to make trades sign Free Agents that people that want to simulate the job of a GM would love to play. And you don't need to pay to play diamond dynasty I have an all gold and diamond team and I haven't spent one cent on the game.

    Overall MLB the Show is great, there isn't much improvement from last years game other than the features of diamond dynasty, road to the show and a few gameplay tweaks. Diamond Dynasty is the clear highlight of this game and if you are interested in Madden Ultimate Team or NBA 2k my team then I would suggest The Show because Diamond Dynasty is my personal favorite of the bunch    … Expand
  10. Alpha3
    Sep 15, 2018
    9
    My favorite sports franchise and the only one I play year-round (NCAA '13 & '14 are close as far as playing time). I've always been a big fan of Road to the Show and have enjoyed the fact the developers made putting up "video game numbers" even more difficult this year. Franchise mode removed is what makes this an 8.8 instead of a 9.8.
  11. SportsPhan8
    Mar 2, 2019
    9
    Good gameplay, strong graphics & fun RPG mode. Highly entertaining & I recommend to any baseball fanatic.

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Best PS4 Game of 2018
88
#88 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018
43
#43 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 21, 2018
    80
    This PS4 exclusive still merits Hall of Fame consideration, but with nothing truly original it will feel underwhelming to the hardcores. For casual players, it's a must-buy. [June 2018, p.89]
  2. Critical Hit
    May 21, 2018
    80
    MLB: The Show 18 is an incredible game with as much depth as you are willing to handle. It has incredibly intuitive and nuanced controls, entertaining commentary and a swathe of freedom that allows you to traverse the immense depth of the game as you feel comfortable doing. This is a game you can enjoy whether you’re a hardcore baseball fan or someone looking for something new in the sporting genre that isn’t FIFA 2018.
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  3. Worth Playing
    Apr 23, 2018
    77
    Road to the Show remains the soul of The Show 18 to me, with everything else feeling like a fun distraction, like getting to step into the shoes of baseball's past greats or the tasting the 8-bit flavor of retro mode. As I progress more into my player's career, there's this unshakable knowledge that he's never going to be better at some things than he is now. He will be in a box — an enjoyable one, but a box nonetheless.
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