The first look at gameplay for MLB The Show 26 has dropped, with fans treated to two minutes of curated clips about what is coming in the next edition from San Diego Studio and what they should be looking forward to. As with any news drop for an upcoming popular game series release, it has generated a lot of talk, some of it good and some of it bad.
We wanted to take some time to assess what is being said after fans checked out what’s in store to identify the strongest points for and against the game, and what they might mean for the game when it actually releases.
The Criticisms Of MLB The Show 26’s Gameplay Reveal Trailer
Releasing first looks at a video game always opens developers up to the potential for negative reactions, and this is particularly true in annual sports games, where there is even more pressure to show in just a few minutes that the game coming out is meaningfully improved enough from the prior title to justify it. Fans are always on the lookout for warning signs, and after the first look at MLB The Show 26, these are some of the top concerns gamers have raised:
- Too Much Of The Old Ball Game: Anytime there’s a new annual sports release on the horizon, the first thing gamers are looking out for is how much looks different, with criticisms of expensive roster updates dogging new releases. After a first look at the new gameplay trailer, some grumbling has begun about the game not seeming to offer a significant shake-up in any of its major areas, relying instead on incremental changes that gamers worry may not add up to enough to justify the cost of staying on the latest edition.
- A Lack Of Visual Improvement: We are indisputably at a time when gaming systems can handle more and where games have the ability to look better and more realistic than ever. We are also at a time where the year-on-year improvements can feel more incremental when not making use of a newly developed technology. Fans watching the trailer were left underwhelmed about the graphics and the way the players moved, feeling that it did not look like much of an upgrade on The Show 25.
- Online Focus Continues To Harm Offline Play: Yet another common complaint that is far from unique to The Show, many fans find that the modern sports game development model focuses too much on card-based online games. While these modes are vitally important to studios and their bottom lines, with the ability to turn games that sell most of their copies in a short window into year-round revenue machines without lowering the upfront cost, for fans, it’s a mixed bag. The modes are popular and beloved by large portions of the fanbases, but the extra attention on them has led to fans of offline modes feeling neglected.
- Exclusivity Leaves Some Gamers On The Bench: Unfortunately for some gamers, whether The Show is good or bad is mostly irrelevant, as they’re stuck on a system that doesn’t have access to the game at all. PC gamers notably will again not be receiving a release from San Diego Studio, and with baseball being a sport where the simulation market is down to a single competitor, this means once again being shut out of realistic MLB gaming entirely for another year.
The Defenses Of MLB The Show 26’s Gameplay Reveal Trailer
Rather than dwell in negativity, let’s take some time to look at some of the positive things to come out of the first gameplay reveal. There were several promising elements that some fans of the series pointed to as signs that The Show 26 may go down as a winner, including:
- New WBC Content Adds Visual Flair: The World Baseball Classic is back in The Show 26, with integration into the online Diamond Dynasty mode. While this is not a perfect meeting of the fan’s wishlist as it leaves offline play and recreating The Classic out of bounds, with cosmetics for all 20 nations and the introduction of the Tokyo Dome, the WBC interjection will add some new looks to the experience for online players.
- More Attributes Allow for More Unique Athletes: Sports gamers and professional athletes alike care a great deal about the ratings released in annual sports games. Waiting to see what everyone comes down as and complaining about who is too high or too low is an annual rite the fanbase can look forward to with glee. This year, there is even more for fans to look forward to, as there are new attributes are being added to the game. Ratings for skills like catcher’s pop time when throwing out a base stealer and directional reaction times for field position players can help make each player feel more distinct and let San Diego Studio better replicate the individuality of real-world players.
- New Mechanics for Tactical Depth May Be Just Right: Although criticism of minimal updates may be fair, that doesn’t mean there is nothing new coming to the game. San Diego Studio is trumpeting the inclusion of new Bear Down Pitching to give you enhanced control in big moments, while batters can counter with Big Zone Hitting to maximize impact on the ball. New mechanics always come with a tempering reminder that it’s impossible to know how good they actually are before the game is in players’ hands, but any improvements that add depth and fun to the game are always welcome.
- Modern Strategy Would Be A Boon: Few sports in the world are better suited to dive deep into advanced analytics, with so much of the sport able to be boiled down to a direct duel between two players with clearly defined outcomes. As more and more work has been done to find the tiniest of margins, it has led to a drastic overhaul of what’s considered good strategy from the dugout to the front office. The Show 26 is promising improvements to trades and AI roster management, designed to make teams in the game behave more realistically compared to teams in the real world for a more engrossing and challenging experience.
- College & Negro League Experience Improvements: MLB The Show may be a series about MLB ball, but it also includes elements outside of it in the form of Negro League integration in Moments and college ball in your pro player’s early development. In The Show 26, there will be more for fans of these additions, including another season of Negro League Moments and an expansion of the number of teams available in college play and the implementation of an accurate College World Series bracket.
How are you feeling about MLB The Show 26 after watching the first trailer? Do you think this will be a step forward for the franchise, or do you have concerns that there will be too few improvements to make the game worth your while?
