Let me start off by saying that I buy only one video game a year on release day and that is my yearly MLB 2K game. I prefer to wait and read reviews. However, I can't wait to unwrap 2K's baseball bad boy and see whats changed. I'm sorry to say that this year's edition is lacking!
First, the graphics are at times awesome. Stadium detail and environmental factors are wonderful. Spring training looks crisp with large rolling clouds and Florida palms. However, player development, appearances, and signatures come off on the lazy side. Batting stances and pitching deliveries look very similar if not identical to last year. As a devoted fan, I'm offended by this! I want more accurate appearances, tweaks, and signatures. I do not want a "new" $60 roster update. Secondly, The camera angles and fluidity of motion in gameplay is patchy. Sometimes it comes off flawless. However, the next time the camera will sometimes jerk and give unnatural pauses. Its almost like the visuals can't catch up to the gameplay. I have since installed this game to my hard drive and it runs a lot better. This may not be an option for you depending on your drive size. I'd give this a poor overall score of 2 out of 5.
The gameplay is solid. I have found the controls that 2K uses feel more natural and balanced compared to games like The Show. I felt last year's game had issues with analog movement and pitch recognition. This year's game seems to recognize this much better. I've found that holding the analog stick in place after delivering your pitch motion seems to help. I also like that the pitching is more accurate with ball to strike ratio. However, the umpires literally give you no corner strikes. The A.I. on the game will seriously test your patience. You can be up 0-2 on a hitter only to watch him pass on 4 straight pitches on the black. If you have a quick temper, you might want to take a few breathers. The A.I. batters will literally single your pitcher to death sometimes. The fielding controls seem to be fluid but highly sensitive. Its very easy to make simple mistakes by not adjusting your position or timing and release. You also have very little time to nail speedy baserunners. The batting remains mostly unchanged from last year and sufficient. Overall, I would rate the gameplay at a 3.5/5.
The intangibles of the game leave me pretty disappointed. My favorite gameplay is franchise mode and little has been done to improve this feature. Forget accurate waiver, F/A signings, or customization. I don't know who comes up with player contract information, but I have found several errors. For instance, Brian McCann starts a franchise in a walk year. In reality, McCann signed a six year contract in 2007 with a team option for a seventh. It would really awesome if somehow option contracts could make there way into the game. However, I would settle on 2k just getting the basics down first! Secondly, I've had several games where I've hit a homerun only to have the computer scale the wall for a catch. This is fine, but it ends up counting as a homerun and an out. Finally, one of the biggest complaints I have is in instant replay. This might just sound picky but the home plate umpire disappears. At first, I thought this was a glitch. However, every instant replay outside of swing analysis lacks the presence of a home plate umpire. Where does he go? 1.5/5.
I'll continue to play MLB 2K11 and hope for some patches to fix the flaws. However, I don't think they can't patch out all of the "lazy" efforts in the game. My numbers average out to 2.3, but I'm rounding up on the hope that 2K improves the game in the next few weeks. In conclusion, I truely believe if The Show was marketed to Xbox, 2K sports would up their efforts!
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I'll give the game four stars, because it is really well-rendered and looks great. The play is also better. The only problems that still carry over from MLB 2K10 are:
1. Batters will still check-swing for no reason.
2. (Not a problem, just not understandable) When the game shows the replay of a hit (like a two-RBI double), it follows the runners rounding the bases instead of a wide shot showing the ball hitting the gap.
3. A problem I'm only encountering in Franchise Mode: the game freezes. That's a problem, especially since it doesn't seem to do it early on in the game. It tends to do it around the seventh or eight inning, when you REALLY don't want to go and play the whole thing over again. Your only recourse at that point is to shut the console down and fire it up again. No, it's not my console. I've checked the boards online and a lot of people are encountering this issue.
I have to add, I've NEVER encountered this problem just doing the Quick Play, although some on the boards say they have.
The pitching is about the same. The batting mechanics are the same. I've noticed, for some reason, if a grounder is hit up the middle and the SS or Second Baseman isn't right there to dive for it, if you try to run at it, he runs in slow motion and it gets by.
It's still fun to play, if you can get past the glitches. And, in my opinion, they're not MAJOR fun-killers.
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So I picked up this game day-one because I was loving what I had seen from both the demo and multiple blogs/pics/videos. I was so excited to play a full game, and start a franchise. Yeah, once I played the first game, my joy turned to frusteration because the bugs started to show. Lets just get this out of the way now, the game is just OK.
The first problem for me was the way the game presents itself. I really dont know why they found it necessary to change the camera angles, especially in the field. When the ball is hit, I undestand the concepts that they were going for with a Television broadcast, it just doesnt work. The field looks distorted when they go to these views and they just look very poor. When you are controlling the fielders the view is just too close, on pop files is where this is really a problem. Last year, the game used a sky cam that still showed detail and here you go closer and get good detail but very hard to judge fly balls, whether your player is super good or super bad.
The game also is very graphically sound but it costs it in the frame rate category. The frame rate drops and gets really choppy on pop ups, really high foul balls and really high pop ups on the infield especially. The game is looking better but running worse, take your pick but I would rather a game flow better than look prettier.
The mechanics are much of the same and there are some minor changes as far as they go like more customized stances and movements, but overall it just doesnt make the game more playable and thats the biggest problem.
Pitching can be hit and miss and while I appreciate the "non-spot-on" because no matter if you are the best pitcher or the worst, none are spot on every single pitch. I really think that overall the delays that you get when you are watching the motion draws out the game in an unnecessary way. It moves too slow and can really throw off your timing.
Again, this game is OK, its not an improvement over 2k10, which I enjoyed, actually its probably a little worse. When it comes down to it I really feel like the developers had to know that these bugs were here but I guess when you have the rights to something that makes you the sole producer its ok to just put something out because when you own a 360 its your only option should you love baseball..... Like me :-(
Honest reviews on Major League Baseball 2K11 - Xbox 360
As a long-time player and fan of the 2K franchise, I pre-ordered this from Amazon, tore it out of the box, and started playing with my beloved White Sox. As eager as I was to play and as much as I continue to play it, I have to be honest and only rate it a 3 out of 5 stars. Why? Not much change from the previous version. I can't really say that other than the pplayer updates and a few cosmetic changes, that you need to rush out and get this version unless you are a hard core sports gamer. In fact, while the Madden franchise really put a lot of effort behind speedign up game play from 2010 to 2011, I tend to find the game play in MLB 2K11 somewhat slower than in 2K10. It seems to take a much longer time to choose and then deliver the pitch. One improvement I have noticed is that in 2K10 you could pretty easily foul off balls for a while. 2K11 seems to have gotten smarter in this regard and doens't let you do that quite as easily.
That said, you shouldn't be confused and think that it is not a worthwhile game. It surely is and it is the best baseball game out there for the Xbox platform bar none. You will enjoy the game play immensely. It is just not a major upgrade from the previous version--which isn't always bad!
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If there were ever a game which was truly merely a Roster Update, this is it. I am so disappointed in this game, only because it is
last years, with a different menu.
That said, I so enjoyed 2k10! It was the funnest game I had played since Major League Baseball 2005.
Game Controls:
The controls are logical, and easy to learn.
-Pitching is challenging, but in a balanced way, not too hard, but not a cake walk either.
-Hitting with the right stick is much more interesting than simply pushing a button. Again, challenging, but the right balance between a need for focus, and fun; never frustrating when you get the timing down.
-Fielding is logical as well. Go get the ball with the left stick, and throw to the right base with the buttons. My complaint here, is the landing spot indicator is smaller in 2k11, than in 2k10, and until you learn it, it is Very difficult to pick up where the ball will land. Frustrating at first. An un necessary change.
-Base running is so much easier than on MLB The Show! The left trigger, or right bumper advances one, or all runners. An easy, well thought out system! The hard part? if you're on defense, throwing out a base runner is almost impossible. If you're playing, "Career Mode," and you are the pitcher, your catcher NEVER throws out the base runner. I've played 4 seasons, and have just accepted this as a flaw, that was not fixed from 2k10.
-Graphics are beautifully rendered. Stadiums are realistic, but the fans look like cardboard cutouts. The faces of players are generic as well. Now for me the fun is in the game play, so I don't really care about faces, and fans, but it is just lazy, and cheesy that the programmers didn't take enough pride in their work to make the look of the players better.
-Animations. Lazy, no improvement, and no pride in their work. This franchise has been around for many years. Why an outfielder throws toward third, and the ball goes to second; my player throws to first for a final out, than runs half way into the outfield before turning around to go to the dugout, or I can literally disappear into a wall is to me inexcusable. This game is not cheap. If you want to be taken seriously, like Madden, or "The Show," show some pride. Again, it doesn't take away from the game play, but no improvement in animations in years is just sloppy, and in excusable.
There are literally NO changes in game play, modes, graphics, AI, or animations from last years game. It is a roster upgrade, with a different menu. It is the laziest release I've ever seen in a sports game.
Love or hate the latest releases of Madden's, there are differences, and attempts at trying different functions, such as, "Gameflow." This game doesn't even pretend to be different.
The three changes I've seen.
1) Menus are easier to navigate
2) The throw meter is different. It isn't as good, or exact, but it is different.
3) The location of where the ball will land on pop up's and fly balls is smaller, and frustratingly more difficult to read.
Bottom Line: If you have 2k10, keep it. If not, 2k11 is a worthy game, however, you can get 2k10 for a whole lot cheaper than '11, so you might want to think about that as well.
I hope this was helpful.
Happy gaming!
