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Platform: Xbox
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All-Star Baseball 2005Score: 8.1 / 10 |
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Pros: -
Best…Commentating…Ever! -
Fluid animations -
Remarkable graphics and detail on both players and stadiums - A Franchise mode that goes deeper than most grass roots |
Cons: -
Annoying AI problems and decisions -
Not made for casual baseball gamers - Some difficulty in navigating through the menus and franchise options
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Related Links: Review: MVP Baseball 2004 (XB) Review: MVP Baseball 2003 (XB) Review: Inside Pitch 2003 (XB) Review: All-Star Baseball 2004 (XB)
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"…All-Star
Baseball 2005 truly delivers a baseball experience." |
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The baseball season is now in full force and the surprises are already popping up. The Detroit Tigers have won more than a few games, the Yankees have struggled, and Barry Bonds broke Willie Mays’ home run record on an amazing pace. The gaming world is no different as All-Star Baseball attempts to be a surprise and improve their long-running series.
Having
never played an All-Star Baseball (ASB) game I came into their newest
addition optimistically. I have heard about the great statistic tracking
and flawless gameplay that composed the package. The first thing you’ll notice is that there is a lot to do and experience in ASB 05. Be warned that ASB is not for casual baseball fans. The amount of depth and nit-picking involved will please only those who know a lot about baseball. For those who are still a bit shaky, there is a crash course of some of the rules such as the Rule 5 Draft and information on terms like, “Double Switch.” That being said the game delivers a lot of history. One of the new features is the “This Week In Baseball Challenge”. Where you have the ability to reenact some of the best, and worst, moments of 2003. Remember Steve Bartman? Well, if you don’t, I’m sure the Cubs fans remember the ball he grabbed before Moises Alou could make the foul ball catch, which can be played in ASB.
As
a snapshot ASB looks standard without all of the bells and whistles of
MVP Baseball. In motion, ASB has the smoothest animations and the best
baseball atmosphere I have ever experienced in a baseball videogame.
From the “K” signs in the outfield to the pitchers rolling around on
the ground after giving up a homerun, ASB truly delivers a baseball
experience. The use of “pre-loaded” throws, where you select which
base to throw to before the ball reaches the player, spawns some
remarkable animations. Not only do the player animations look great but
so do the stadiums. With the exception of a few, they all resemble the
real-life structures including the all-new Padres and Phillies stadiums.
The faces of the marquee players look just as outstanding although not
all players get the same level of polish. Part
of the gameplay that is revamped is an all-new camera known as the
FielderCam. The FielderCam pits the camera in a 3rd person
view of a selected fielder. In short, you see the ball the way you would
standing on the filed. The effect is very strong and makes every ground
ball important but there are some problems that downplay the camera.
First of all the ball can be very difficult to track at times. On fly
balls, the ball is highlighted with a red glow and can be easy to track,
but on straight liners the ball disappears into the grass and can get by
your infielders rather easily. The FielderCam is one of those “you
either like it or you don’t” features and, in all honestly, I like
it. The perspective makes me feel as if I’m part of the action rather
than watching from the bleachers. For those of you who cringe at the
feature you can always choose to go back to the regular camera angle. Although
the gameplay is supported by outstanding animations there are some
technical problems that cannot be left unmentioned. In some instances I
scored inside the park homeruns because the AI never chased down the
ball. They all stood in their natural stances watching the ball sit
there. This is very annoying and has happened more than once. Another
problem is with the fielders’ “vacuum” gloves. The ball will go
past them but rocket back into their gloves, the way a vacuum gathers
dirt. At regular speeds this isn’t noticed as much as when watching a
slow-mo replay. The
pitching and batting of ASB 05 is pretty standard. For pitching there
aren’t any bars to fill, as in MVP and ESPN baseball, rather a couple
button presses. For batting, you can choose 2D cursor batting, 3D cursor
batting, timing or zone. Each mode will give you different results. Zone
batting will result in many homeruns and high-scoring games while the 3D
cursor is more difficult to bat with (but generates some realistic
scores). The other two modes lie in the middle and should be considered
by new baseball gamers.
The
batting interface can also be tweaked to make the game faster or slower.
Making it faster will speed-up the animations shortening the time spent
between pitches; while playing the game slower will make the game more
realistic. The
final aspect of ASB is the sound, which is the finest of all its
features. The commentating is the best I have heard in any sports
videogame, counting all of the other games including Madden, NBA Live,
and others. The duo in ASB delivers great comments and conversations
resembling a live telecast. Aside from talking about the action on the
field the two discuss recent happenings in baseball such as the long
debated salary cap issues and steroids use. And if you leave the menu
paused long enough, you’ll hear some “interesting” comments. Part
of why the atmosphere of ASB is so strong is because of the ambient
sounds during the game. The crowd reacts with the play on the field and
the hecklers can be heard all across the field. You’ll hear not only
one person yelling but three or four people simultaneously making the
experience very real.
The music of ASB is also well done with some mainstream music and
authentic baseball tunes heard every now and then. With the support of
Custom Soundtracks, you can play the game listening to your own tunes
and even give your players authentic intro music. All-Star
Baseball 2005 is a great game with an accurate stat system, fluid
animations, and plenty of depth to last a very long time. Although ASB
doesn’t have the glamour and beauty MVP Baseball 2004 may have, the
real beauty lies inside. If you consider yourself a die-hard fan of
baseball than ASB 05 should already be in your library. If not, than MVP
might be a better choice. The amount of work involved in maintaining a
steady franchise will jolt some of the brightest of minds. If I had to
select one game with the most potential of becoming the best baseball
videogame, it would be ASB. -
Eric Lahiji (April 29, 2004)
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