MLB 12: The Show

After a productive off-season, Sony’s critically acclaimed baseball sim heads into spring training in the best shape of its life thanks to a focus on more realistic presentation and physics, new and improved game modes, cross-platform support, and full PlayStation Move integration in MLB 12: The Show. The new “TruBroadcast” feature makes a point of focusing on player reactions, the in-game commentary now includes more season-specific discussions, and a completely revamped baseball physics engine results in more realistic bounces and bloops than ever before.

MLB 12’s “Franchise” mode has been tweaked to produce more plausible trade scenarios, so rebuilding teams will be more likely to acquire prospects while contenders will seek impact veterans. Draft-eligible position players now reflect traditional baseball archetypes, such as a slugging first baseman or an all-glove shortstop, while computer-generated pitchers now have more realistic pitch repertoires — no more power pitchers who also throw baffling knuckleballs. New minor adjustments include customized “Play Now” matches and settings that remain fixed across all modes.

The biggest addition in MLB 12: The Show is the “Diamond Dynasty” mode, which allows gamers to manage their own custom online team, recruit star players, and take on other custom online teams to earn development points. PlayStation Move controls have been fully integrated in MLB 12, allowing players to pitch, run, field, and hit using their Move Motion Controller across all game modes. And gamers on the go can now cloud save their “Franchise,” “Season,” and “Road to the Show” data, then access it and continue playing from either their PS3 or PlayStation Vita.