Every sport has its share of fever and a dedicated audience that swears by it through the ups and downs. The same rings true for their video games, whether it’s the continued success, even in a relatively off year, for EA Sports FC, the blockbuster NBA 2K series or the recent PGA Tour 2K25 (which marked a return to form for the series). And while you could think of baseball as a whole other beast, it’s captured the hearts and minds of its followers for decades, spanning Japan, Mexico, and the United States of America.
MLB The Show 25, Sony San Diego Studio’s premier flagship franchise, understands this. In terms of recreating the magic, the atmosphere, the drama, and the rich history that the sport has to offer, very few titles have been able to match it. This year marks some much-needed improvements and new additions, to say nothing of the incredible animations, but it’s still very much an evolutionary upgrade rather than a sweeping revolution. Not that there’s anything wrong with that since its gameplay and presentation are some of the most polished available despite some quirks.
“Storylines enters Season 3 and focuses on several more legendary African-American players, including James “Cool Papa” Bell, Wilber “Bullet Joe” Rogan, and Norman “Turkey” Stearnes.”
If you’re making the jump from MLB The Show 24, much of this will look familiar. Road to the Show returns, this time allowing players to start from high school, finishing strong in that playoffs to hopefully get scouted from a worthwhile college. Dynamic Challenges spice things up, introducing new goals to complete for more rewards, including Tokens, which are used to upgrade different Tools representing your player’s various talents. You can also modify the respective attributes in each if you really want to min-max in a specific field. It’s a noteworthy addition, and despite not breaking new ground or overhauling things, Road to the Show suffices as a decent career mode.
March to October still allows for taking a team, be it underdogs and diamonds in the rough to fan favorites and rising stars, through an entire season with high stakes and drama. Diamond Dynasty introduces a new rogue-like mode, Diamond Quest, for those keen on even more single-player action. You essentially assemble your squad of players on board with random tiles, take any number of steps, and complete the required challenges, including boss showdowns. Failing means receiving penalties that impact your performance, and you can also earn Peanuts to purchase boons. Though it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, I find the mode novel, but after spending dozens of hours grinding Simulated Universe, I would expect a much faster flow.
Storylines enters Season 3 and focuses on several more legendary African-American players, including James “Cool Papa” Bell, Wilber “Bullet Joe” Rogan, and Norman “Turkey” Stearnes. It doesn’t take too long to navigate the various episodes, but it’s arguably the highlight of MLB The Show 25. Completing challenges as each legend at different stages of their careers with real-life quotes, live-action footage, and even animated illustrations is a magical experience. You truly gain a new appreciation for the sheer talent and excitement that existed outside of the big leagues at the time.
From the outset, jumping in and customizing my preferred control schemes for each aspect of the sports from fielding and batting to pitching and running, couldn’t have been easier. The Plate Coverage Indicator seemed the best option initially for precisely lining up hits. After extensive failures with that and the timed button presses, I eventually settled on the right analog stick for swings. The feedback is still immediate and extensive with precise data on late and early hits on top of details on preferred pitching spots from the opposition.
“It’s somewhat of a shame that the graphics haven’t evolved much. Compared side by side to MLB The Show 24, players look pretty much identical, save for some missing facial hair.”
Finding the right timing can be challenging, even if a simple bunt is enough to create an opportunity. Still, the sheer amount of outfielders who capably caught my Power shots felt a little too high, even on lower difficulties. It wasn’t enough to stifle the tension, but the AI is unusually on point more often than I’d like. They’re not typically as capable in batting, but maybe it was because I took more comfortably to the meter-based approach. The fact that well-timed pitches could still be successfully hit and the key lay in keeping my opponents guessing, at times intentionally pitching early or late, made for some fun strategizing.
Regardless of your approach and control scheme, there’s no denying that MLB The Show 25 nails it in terms of atmosphere. The commentary can repeat some lines on occasion (hello, “Swing and a ground ball base hit, right field,” my old friend). However, it still flows naturally, especially in Storylines when offering up facts about each player.
The excitement of the crowd, coupled with the broadcast-style presentation, the electric organ, the choice songs, and the bated breath between each pitch – everything meshes together to create this infectious atmosphere. There’s also no denying the sheer tension when it’s the bottom of the ninth (or close enough), the bases are full (or nearly), and you need that one solid hit to send the crowd home happy. Conversely, missing everything and giving away runs feels about as awful as it would in real life.
However, it’s somewhat of a shame that the graphics haven’t evolved much. Compared side by side to MLB The Show 24, players look pretty much identical, save for some missing facial hair. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, and all that, and the animation quality is still extremely well done, though avoid paying too much attention to the facial animations in Road to the Show. Even the stadiums look incredibly detailed, despite a few inaccuracies here and there, but if you’ve been waiting years for a true jump in visual fidelity, this isn’t it. For what it’s worth, this is still a good-looking game, but we’re a long way from the series heralded for its earth-shattering fidelity.
“Time will tell if San Diego Studio truly overhauls the formula next year or sticks to its guns, offering up more of the same quality content with its own hiccups.”
Despite both long-running complaints, MLB The Show is still the premier baseball series, even if this year’s iteration isn’t the undisputed king. The unmistakable atmosphere, combined with the sound design, signature movements and details unique to each player, and smooth controls make it worth experiencing, hiccups and all. Maybe not as much for those burned out on last year’s iteration or expecting massive changes, but it feels like an essential experience for any baseball fan.
The sheer love and enthusiasm seen in Storylines, which dives into some of the biggest legends of the sport; the robust Road to the Show and March to October; the new Diamond Quest; and much more all come together into a solid baseball sim with the same solid gameplay that fans know, love, and are probably sick of. Time will tell if San Diego Studio truly overhauls the formula next year or sticks to its guns, offering up more of the same quality content with its own hiccups. But as it stands, MLB The Show 25 does a pretty good job holding down the fort.
This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.
