Major League Baseball 2K8

What a shame. I liked 2k7, but 2k tried to do too much new and ruined the fun experience and sim aspects with the stupid analog stick pitching that is broken. Way too many meatballs. Frame rate is substandard, especially on the PS3 version. Save your money and get 2k7 if you only have an XBox 360. If you have a PS3, then the Gods of Sim Baseball have shined on you with MLB 08 The Show, the best baseball game yet.

2k is on the verge of losing their MLB license after the complete utter mismanagement of their baseball game. EA will own them before too long anyways and then we can get another great version of MVP Baseball.

I played a lot of MLB 2K7 last year and was really looking forward to 2K8. All of the negative reviews kept me from buying it at first but then I finally took a chance and bought it anyway. I really wanted to like it, but I'm definitely disappointed. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why but it's just not that good and not that fun to play. The visual screens in Career Mode are a little bit difficult on the eye too, which matters because you can spend hours in that mode.

You know, this is a good game, significantly improved over last year's version.

Mainly, I like the precision pitching. I thought that pitching in 2K7 was the best I'd ever seen, but it just consisted of choosing the pitch well, aiming it well, and timing hitting the same button twice well (sorry for that convoluted sentence). Pitching in 2K8 takes a little more skill than timing though. You move the right stick in a pattern that (loosely) replicates the spin of the ball, and that gesture is rated on a 0-100 scale. The more closely you've matched the called-for pattern, the better the pitch. Of course, in addition to this, you have to aim it will (with the left stick) and time the release of the right stick well to help with control. Pitching only takes a few days to pick up, but mistakes are never entirely eliminated. That makes for more realistic gameplay.

I've enjoyed batting, too. The swing-stick is improved. Timing on both the step and the swing is very meaningful. When you're even slightly off, it's going to be a pop-up or a weak ground-out. You have some small control, using the left stick, on the direction you're trying to hit it. This all adds up to a better batting experience than simply pushing the 'A' button at the right time.

Fielding is better as well. The right stick is used to direct the speed and direction of the release and throw, and the timing occasionally is tricky. Again, this is much better than hitting one button and all throws being equal.

I rather like the graphics, too. I agree with others that the faces don't match very well all of the time. Still, the parks are well done, and whenever I've left the game on while I'm flipping channels, I'm regularly tricked into the thinking an actual game is on. They have the batting stances and pitching motions down awfully well, too.

So, I've not much other than praise for this. There aren't a whole lot of frills. It's a basic, good baseball game that hasn't gotten dull for me yet (and I've played it a lot). I'd recommend it if that's what you're looking for.

The controls have a steep learning curve, but are very rewarding once you figure it out. The graphics are OK and there are some glitches in the game, which is pretty standard for every sports game.

Considering this is the only baseball game for the 360 it is worth buying and a very rewarding gaming experience.

I am not a fan of using the right analog stick for pitching, batting and fielding and that is what deterred me from buying this game due to all the negative reviews. I have trouble using the analog stick to move sometimes lol...however, once I saw a review that said you can choose "classic" controls for everything (or for only batting, its your choice how much of the new controls you want), I said I needed a baseball game and I bought this. I am definitely not disappointed. Though the game has its frame rate issues and load times are disappointing, the gameplay is much more realistic than I expected, even with classic controls. The little intricacies, like knowing when a pitcher is warming up, seeing league leaders when in the franchise screen, and seeing rain when you play is very cool. The graphics are overall pretty good, some players have shapes like their counterparts though I would like to see the bulkier players look bigger, etc...the face models are terrible though and I don't see how you do that in 2008 when you have these next gen systems at your disposal. I like the fielding and the catches, everything is realistic...the glove reaches for the ball, etc. Definitely buy this game if you like baseball