Review By Bill G.
First off, let me state that I come from the school of thought that if they had done nothing but update the rosters I would consider the game awesome, so what I have seen so far deserves A+ in my opinion. Secondly, let me add that I have no interest in analog control. I tried it for about 30 seconds. I don't see that it adds to the experience for me at all. I am all about playing Franchise on All-Star level with my Cubs and Yankees and I have only played some pre-season games so here is what I can offer.
Graphically I see improvement in terms of the appearance of the players. The biggest thing I have seen with limited playing time is that the movement of the players in the field is, to my mind, significantly more life-like. They move toward the ball in a more natural fashion and I have noticed that if you try to change direction they are not able to turn on a dime, but have to slow down and will move in a much more realistic way.While I am still feeling my way through the settings (that's what Spring Training is for) I am starting to really appreciate the broadcast camera view. I am still getting used to it and it can be a little deceptive when fielding , but the look of it is really pretty.
I have also noticed that the hitters will take their sweet time in between pitches. It can be a little frustrating if ,like me, patience is not your best trait but it is very realistic and really adds the relaxed pace that is a game. And on the subject of issues that arise with a lack of patience, I loooove the balk feature. And I learned you have to be careful. I was getting beat and getting frustrated so I started to hurry and balked a guy from first to third and he scored on a hit. If you don't like it you can turn it off, but I love having to come set . Again--the real feel of the game comes through.
I think the commentary, while largely the same, has improved. Karros is heads and shoulders above Hudler--he speaks in a more relaxed,conversational tone that adds to the leisurely ambience that is baseball--not goofy and on fire all the time.I almost fainted when I heard interaction between him and Vasgersian, when Matt asked him if he agreed that C.C deserved CY Young consideration!
Hitting is still challenging, and it almost seems like pitchers are mind readers in foiling your location guesses. It also seems to me (with only 4 games under my belt) that the hit zone requires a little less drastic left stick movement. I played with the zone off which I learned to be comfortable with only after hours of play with '10. I was struggling here at first and I turned it on just to get a feel for it and it seemed to me that the hitting zone circle looks much bigger than in mlb 10 (maybe I have just forgotten) I turned it back off and seem to have better succcess with less drastic left stick movement. Hitting remains frustrating and challenging for me on the All Star level--that is you have to be patient, work the count, be aware of pitcher (and umpire!) tendancies. After I had a strike called on a high pitch clearly out of the zone, I took a chance that the wiley pitcher was going to try and get away with that location again, and roped it for a single. I have not tried the contact swing too much, but love the idea that with a 2 strike count you have the option to try to protect a little bit and cut down on the strike outs. The cancel throw feature is also a great idea.
The game is even more visually stunning than last year and I haven't even scratched the surface of what I will see as I am planning for the first time to play all the Spring games to really get a feel for the game and my roster and build that anticipation toward opening day!
If you really love baseball and have the patience for hitting, with no arcade expecatations that you will hit a homer every at bat this game is a real loving tribute to America's past time, and really done in a first rate fashion.
A tape measure home run on this one for me!!
EDIT:
I have played several more games as the Yanks in Spring Training and I am really struggling on All-Star level. I did not have trouble at all in last year's model, but I am averaging like 1 run a game with a team BA of .177. I have won two games out of teh nine I have played. One, I was down 7-0 in the third and got miffed and simmed it to the end, and lo and behold the CPU had the Yanks win 13-7.That kinda pissed me off. The other I beat the Nats 1-0 on a suicide squeeze in the 11th after Burnett had a no - hitter thru 8 1/3. I don't know what the deal is, but I cannot buy a hit and I am supremely frustrated. One at bat went 13 pitches until I struck out on a perfect 14th pitch.If I guess low and away; the pitcher goes hi and tight. If I guess middle in he goes midde way I mean, these guys cannot only pitch they can get inside your head. So much for getting rewarded for working the count. I dont know if the CPU is just messing with me during spring training or what, but I have never had this much trouble scoring. I refuse to go back to Vet mode, but I have to say it seems to me much harder on this level than last year's version. Pretty frustrating. And my wife is not the least bit sympathetic.
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