Visually, MLB 2K12’s most recent patch mended many of the game’s hiccups and framerate hitches, yet a number of graphical oddities remain. Likewise, the whole component will most likely cease to be supported at the end of the 2012 season. Regretfully, the mode is time-sensitive miss the opportunity to play an imperative game and it’s gone forever. Taking the helm of a single team and using an updated roster with up-to-the-minute stats, players can attempt to outperform the pros. One of the more contentious elements of MLB 2K12 can be found in The MLB Today Season mode, which permits players to play alongside actual games. Baserunning felt like parallel parking rather than controlling a nimble athlete. Regretfully, it can also feel a bit unrefined thanks to unsightly player models and a handful of control snags. From an accelerated game speed by only having to participate in plays your athlete has a hand in, to the sentiment of success expressed from seeing your avatar rise from Triple-A obscurity to big league sensation, the mode is consistently rewarding.
Although My Player Mode already felt like a sports RPG, the addition of specific roles (which alter progression, rating, and other evaluative criteria) advances the amalgam. Many of last year’s core gameplay components reappear, albeit with nominal changes. While it’s an interesting addition, some additional tweaking seems necessary, as athletes seem to take a few superfluous strides before throwing the ball. In execution, players are forced to decide between urgency and accuracy, endowing the fielding with a nice risk/reward mechanic. Now, the game examines the balance and speed of the fielder, presenting a green-yellow-red colored meter which represents the power and precision of a throw. Much like pitching, 2K12’s slow motion replay’s uncover some elaborate algorithms at work, with balls careening convincingly off of hits and exhibiting a bit of extra momentum when hitting a bat’s sweet spot.ĢK12’s throwing system receives a minor augmentation, calculating the difficulty of each toss into a gauge-based system. Wisely, battling has been overhauled, resulting in a realistic selection of energetic choppers, soft bloopers, and streaking line drives.
One of the persistent problems with hitting was the 2K’s limited variety of outcomes, with contact verging on the predictable. Much of the game’s reported eighty hours of new dialog functions like an unseen coach, providing suggestions for when to reach into the bullpen or divulging a particular pitcher’s concealed qualities.īatting preserves the same engaging right stick to mechanics introduced into 2K10, allowing players to connect with the ball, aim for the fences, or lay down the bunt. Amazingly, 2K12’s commentary also provides an insight into a player’s pitching, with the team of Gary Thorne, Steven Phillips, and John Kruk offering accurate observations. Likewise, players will need to vary their throwing locations, lest batters will hone in your preferred zones.īeyond a tracking system which offers an advantageous diagram incorporating each throw, players are given visual data of overused pitching zones as well as an indicator revealing a color-coded projection of success. Hurl too many two-seam fastballs, and the opposing team grows wise- lowering the effectiveness of the pitch with each additional use. With 2K12, each throw is measured against the man on the mound’s actual style, discouraging exploitation. Typically, players facing the CPU utilized a fraction of their arsenal, unrealistically relying on a few pitches to advance the inning. While a seemingly minor improvement, the addition of the Dynamic Tendencies System fundamentally changes the throwing game. Using the gesture-based pitching system remains engaging, as players twirl their controller’s analog sticks to fire off blistering fastballs or plunging sliders. Yet, the title also fails to impress where it ought to, exhibiting enough gameplay and graphical glitches to undermine its veteran status. Following nine seasons of measured improvement, the recent release of MLB 2K12 steps to the plate with an established grip on the fundamentals pitching, battling and even throwing are all proficiently articulated. Hall of Famer Branch Rickey once remarked that “baseball is a game of inches.” Unsurprisingly, this quote could also be used to describe the Major League Baseball 2K series, where yearly iterations usher in minor adjustments rather than comprehensive revisions.