- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: Apr 1, 2022
- Also On: PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Apr 20, 2022Why would you want to buy MLB The Show 22? If I’m being completely honest, it’s really hard to justify taking the plunge this year, especially if you owned 2021’s installment. This release feels devoid of any marque justification for purchase, aside from continued refinement on existing mechanics. It’s really hard to shake the feeling that this was supposed to be a grand slam and ended up being a dribbler off the end of the bat.
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Apr 19, 2022Spending time playing the different modes, and just getting a general feel for MLB The Show 22, I found myself enjoying more of the game than I thought I would. Homerun Derby among the other game modes really helped to engulf and immerse myself in the game. Between stats and rosters it is always fun to mess around with major league rosters the way you would want real teams to manage their rosters. With what should be a lasting impression MLB The Show 22 leaves little to the imagination from its predecessor. What should be a definitive installment with the addition of online co-op, winds up being more of the same formula that needs some updates and changes if it is to have a lasting legacy.
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Apr 15, 2022MLB The Show 22 is a well crafted video game for baseball fans, but it is more of the same in more ways than it should.
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Apr 14, 2022MLB The Show 22 is a fantastic baseball simulator that fans of the sport will enjoy. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough notable changes to the game that make it a must-have. There are some little tweaks here and there that dedicated players will notice, but the total package isn’t too different. That said, it’s still worth picking up if baseball is your game.
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Apr 14, 2022This is still the best professional sports sim you can get on any hardware and if you are a baseball fan that hasn’t played The Show in recent years, this is an experience to look out for. For others who have been waiting years for something new, this one sadly isn’t it. As a PC version of this game eludes us once anew, I will again be hoping that next year is when SIE San Diego opts to redefine video game baseball for the next generation.
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Apr 9, 2022MLB The Show 22 feels like MLB The Show 21 after a decent-but-not-major patch has been installed. If you haven’t played the series for a few years, or are a newcomer looking to dive into baseball sims for the first time, this is the best thing on the market. If you picked the game up last year, you’re paying for minor tweaks and a roster update, and you might not feel a new game is worth it.
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Apr 8, 2022The key modes in MLB The Show 22 are as fun as ever, which is no surprise given that most of them haven’t changed meaningfully. Hitting, pitching, and fielding remain sublime, and another year on the newest generation of hardware has virtual ballplayers looking even better. However, technical issues are a nuisance and co-op, the most ambitious new element, is fun but unfortunately underdeveloped. The push-pull between reliable small refinements and incomplete major additions is evident, and it’s the clearest sign of the limitations an annual release can have on the series so far. MLB The Show 22 remains a very good baseball game, but it’s beginning to look like a star ballplayer on their way toward a post-prime decline.
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Apr 7, 2022MLB The Show 22 still plays a fantastic game of baseball, even if tweaks to fielding and hit variety are mere subtle improvements compared to anything more impactful. Additions to March to October and (especially) Diamond Dynasty enhance both modes, while Franchise and Road to the Show continue to stagnate by doing little else than treading water. There's still a ton of content to sink your teeth into, and MLB The Show 22 will keep you busy into the winter months, but it's difficult to ignore how conservative the series has been for the past two years. This is an excellent sports game, just as MLB The Show 21 was. The problem is that the list of reasons to upgrade is getting smaller and smaller.
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Apr 5, 2022MLB The Show 22 is one of the most conservative annual sports titles I’ve played in some time. Aside from a few minor mechanical tweaks and a handful of ancillary features like online co-op and new commentary, this is essentially the same game we got last year. It’s a shame because the franchise’s core gameplay remains rock-solid, but it’s increasingly difficult to ignore its lack of ambition. Those new to the series can add at least a point to my score, but longtime fans aren’t getting much to cheer for.
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May 29, 2022There’s something to be said about not messing with something that’s working just fine. The Show 22 is a familiar product for better and for worse. The ball game is as solid as ever, but the video game entry fails to offer something truly new for PlayStation owners who bought last year’s installment, while its most noticeable change doesn’t really help matters.
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Apr 19, 2022Additionally, while improved trade logic was supposed to show up in this year’s game, I was still able to trade for Shohei Ohtani with just a handful of my second-tier players; trades remain a bit too easy to execute in this game (NBA 2K’s sliders are recommended as the fix here). And there are still no custom created draft classes, meaning your Franchise mode eventually winds up with a host of random players if you play it long enough. (I’d love to see historic draft classes in this game)...It all prevents an intriguing game from reaching its ultimate potential. MLB The Show 22 sets a new bar in one category, and every sports game can learn a lesson from it. And it’s fun enough. There’s just more potential to be unlocked, hopefully next year.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Apr 7, 2022Like the sport it portrays, MLB The Show 22 will take a very long season to show me its real virtues. But the short-term successes I’ve already had make it enticing to see that season through to the end. I am sure that repeated commentary, rote animations, and inexplicable simulation results will nag at me come September. I’m also sure that I will still be playing this game in October.
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Apr 4, 2022It’d probably be reductive to describe many of MLB The Show 22’s improvements as the kind of thing you’d expect to find in patch notes, but it’s still somewhat true. The gameplay feels better than ever, and we really like the additions to March to October as well as the Mini Seasons mode in Diamond Dynasty. But while this is undoubtedly a streamlined, enhanced version of the already excellent MLB The Show 21, casual players will struggle to spot the difference – and, frankly, some aspects of the series are really beginning to tire.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 33 out of 70
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Mixed: 7 out of 70
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Negative: 30 out of 70
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Apr 5, 2022
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Apr 4, 2022
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Apr 5, 2022This game is on my xbox game pass day one, and I downloaded it without any additional cost. Thank you