Game review: MLB The Show 20

Sometimes it can be hard reviewing sports games because they all come out every year and the changes that have been made are usually minuscule. That doesn't seem to be the case with the MLB The Show series because the franchise always does its best to try something new each and every year. With this in mind, what does MLB The Show 20 have to offer?

Let's start talking about the presentation in MLB The Show 20because the graphics are as good as a sports game can get. Over the years, developer SIE San Diego Studio has done a great job improving on the visuals each and every year and MLB The Show 20 is no different.

Players will marvel at the realistic-looking players as most of the current roster has been face scanned for immaculate accuracy. I also appreciate that the game also includes all of the cool looking and unique baseball stadiums that are located all over the USA and Canada. They even included the minor league parks as well which further increases the game's authenticity.

MLB The Show 20 is the last year the series will be a PS4 exclusive, so next year will be very interesting. With the power of the PS5, we can be sure that next year's game might look more realistic than ever before!

In terms of content, MLB The Show 20 has all of the current teams and players of Major League Baseball. The roster updates itself during the season so statistically, everything should be as up-to-date as possible whenever you decide to boot up the game this year.

The game also includes some of the minor league teams too. It's pretty cool to finally play some of the minor league players as diehard fans have been requesting this feature for quite some time. My only wish is that the game could have included more classic teams as the NBA 2K series adds several famous teams of the past for you to choose from.

As for gameplay, there aren't too many new features added that I noticed. There are a few fielding improvements making that element more realistic, although pitching and batting is pretty similar to last year's game.

I do admire though that the game caters to both hardcore the casual gamers. You can alter the controls for pitching depending on your skill level. You also have the option to change the batting controls too as you can use either the face buttons or swing with the analogue sticks.

In terms of game features, MLB The Show 20 pretty much builds upon many of the same modes that were introduced in last year's game. A mode that I spent a lot of time in this year is 'Road to the Show'. Road to the Show is pretty much where you create a rookie and build them to become one of the biggest stars in MLB.

What I like about this year's game is that you can carry your save data from last year and continue on. This is pretty cool because I didn't need to start from the beginning all over again. My pitcher was already on the same team and already had a head start in his career.

Another mode I spent a lot of time with was 'March to October'. Here you choose a team and play through famous moments from their MLB season. It's nice to play through this mode since you don't have to slog through long games all of the time. You can pretty much just play the crucial moments to help your team succeed.

Diamond Dynasty and Franchise modes allow you to attain players and customise your own teams and leagues. There is a lot more options and rewards that you can attain in this year's game and I can tell many hardcore fans will pour many hours into these modes.

MLB The Show 20 also retains the many fun 'Mini Modes' that includes the popular Home Run Derby as well as 'Moments'. The Home Run Derby is the same as last year, but it's always fun to try and hit as many home runs as you can.

As for 'Moments', here you can relive some of the most famous plays in all of MLB history. This mode can be difficult at times though because there are no checkpoints and you have to do tasks such as get a home run from one pitch or strike out as many batters as you can!

MLB The Show 20 is sure to please baseball fans as it continues to be the best baseball game franchise of all time. While it may not add too many new features compared to MLB The Show 19, it still offers the same great gameplay and realistic visuals.

Verdict: 8.0/10