Every year I purchase both MLB: the show and MLB 2k series baseball games for the PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively, reason being i like being able to play baseball in the man cave "PS3" and also in the bedroom "Xbox" before i hit the sack. Needless to say I am familiar with the game of baseball as well as it's video game counterpart- which brings me to why i felt the reason to post a review on this game... IGN giving this game an 8 out of 10... seems suspect when everyone else scores it above a 90% doesn't it? Seeing as IGN gave MLB 10 The Show a score of 9.0* stating the need for analog stick controls as a big vice for the 2010 version, and as how the big addition to MLB 11 The show is finally analog pitching-hitting-and fielding controls, It's pretty clear IGN low balled the Show. IGN would have an argument for giving it a lower score than last year if Sony would have just added analog controls and left the rest alone waiting for next year to improve, but this is not the case. Right from the get go you can see the Menu overlays have been greatly improved as well as textures and player models- not to mention the lighting is literally night and day from last years lighting engine. And those are just the visual enhancements, commentary has gotten a much needed color boost by replacing Rex Hudler with Eric Karros, the "Road to the Show" mode has seen a huge change with the replacement of checklist style goals to an overall performance review style system, and not to mention the inclusion of both local and online Co-op play as well as numerous other upgrades and gameplay improvements- Dynamic Weather anyone? But all in all this years version of The Show is easily the best video game baseball game made on next gen hardware, IGN... Normally I'm a fan of your work, but this time- You struck out on 3 pitches. LET'S PLAY BALL!!… Expand

Such a fantastic baseball experience. The improvements made are well worth the purchase even if you own last years. The Fielding is fantastic and really makes a difference in the outcome of the game. Adding the new Pure Analog Controls similar to EA's old NCAA MVP Baseball is a blessing. It really adds more depth to pitching, making YOU put in control of everything now. If you're a baseball fan do yourself a favor and get this, it's only on the Sony consoles- so buy yourself one if you don't own one. It's worth the purchase of a system for any die hard baseball fan. tl;dr- If you're planning on buying a baseball game- get The Show. 2K11 is complete garbage. If you're still curious on it read the reviews they don't lie. Just ignore IGN's score it was obviously influenced by a check 2K wrote.… Expand

The Show once again amazes. I am the kind of person that tends to get sports games every other year, because usually it takes 2-3 years for any major changes besides rosters to show up and make a difference. This is not the case with MLB, which makes the purchase well worth it every year. The big change this year is the analog control. Personally, I prefer the old style of controls, but the fact that I now have to option to change my control scheme (and even mix and match analog pitching with classic hitting, for instance) to another scheme that works really well (from what i can tell) and isnt just a gimmick is great.

In addition to the above major change for this year, there are minor , yet nonetheless awesome, changes abound. You can now mix and match uniforms a la madden 11, which I have been wanting for years. You can now take your buddy sitting in the room with you and both of you can play online as a team. The fielding reaction time stat has been added, and makes you think when subbing players late in games. The only one of these changes that I not super thrilled about is adding eric karros to the broadcast team. His lines seem a bit awkward at times, but luckily you can adjust th volume of specific announcers so its ok. I'm sure there are tons of features that I have left out, but I want to finish writing this review so I can go back to playing!

An easy 10/10 for me, and it should be a no-decision buy for any PS3 owning baseball fan. Why 2K even bothers to release their game on the PS3 baffles me :P… Expand

You like baseball do ya? Then you need this game, tell 'em Phantom- Tommy sent ya..........you might get some money off the game, but you probably wont. MLB 11: The Show is a fantastic sports game and should not be missed by any self respecting baseball fan, what more can i say.

Best baseball game on the market. Hands down. My friends and I rent each one every year to decide which one we should all get, and this is the second year The Show won, and this year it was unanimous. Truly a great video game all around.

the best is made even better - once again, ignore the lazy and biased IGN review (8.0 for graphics?? come on, who are you kidding) - this is one of the most incredible and deep sports games ever created, even if you're not a big fan of true real baseball.

There's not much more that can be said about The Show series that hasn't already been said. The Show 10 was great, and 11 still manages to improve upon that. Is it perfect? No, but in my opinion a game doesn't have to be to warrant a "10" review. My favorite improvements are perhaps not ones that have been mentioned a lot. 1. Streamlined game play settings saving. Last years system was a mess and it felt like you had to save the same setting in 3 different places if you wanted to make sure all your games in any mode played a certain way. This year, you just make a custom settings profile and you can apply that 1 profile to any game mode at any time.
2. Fielding improvements. For example, a ground ball is hit to the first basemen; last year he would go through a short 1/2 to a full second animation to prepare to throw the ball to another fielder, when really all you wanted to do was make him touch first. This year, he'll field the ball and straight away you're able to control him and touch the bag. (this is just an example).
3. Home Run Derby is EXCELLENT with the Move controls added this year (though I'd like to see them eventually incorporated into the rest of the game as an option)… Expand

Still the most realistic sports game on the market. Could improve in some areas, but there are a lot of new features (co-op, challenge of the week). Watch the A's in 2011.

let's get real,honest for a change.This is the definite baseball title this year but I see a pattern,a mountain will you.Sony hit the high mark with last game's title and quite honestly it was the best baseball game ever made and probably will never be matched.This game has it all like last year but if you really go into it and put over 100+ hours like I did,you don't see the genious like last years title.mlb 10 the show should of held back like most titles do but they went ahead and threw the perfect package.There is always spit shine like what they tried to do here but it doesn't match the mind blowing quality that last year brought us.For die hard fans,this is a necessary buy for rosters sake, but for everyone else hold back,ESPECIALLY on there new title mlb 12 the show cause like I said,"down the mountain they roll!"… Expand

I have bought this game since the 08 version (ok I live in the uk alright, we dont get baseball over here)... and to be honest the series has got better every year..but i feel this years version is very close to 10. The inclusion of analogue controls is a big plus , but Ive found that its very frustrating, sometimes it feels like it doesnt work properly as quite often ive pushed up and left (or right) and the ball goes in the completely opposite direction sometimes not at all ..its also seriously sensitive even on the lowest setting, and batting is just as hard. So for me ive gone back to the buttons. That aside, the game is visualy better, there are a ton of small "improvements"..ie the cpu will make more mistakes , the crowd has been ramped up reacting to play more often, different camera options etc...more online options this year as well. So imo if you have 10 and are not too bothered about analogue control, or smaller improvements (and lets be honest what else can they improve on!) then stick wih it. If you want to try the new control scheme then get this game. and of course one thing to remember as well if you play online alot is your going to have to get this as the MLB 10 servers are being turned off....and thats a sham… Expand

I hate baseball. Cant stand watching it. That said this game is incredible. 10 out of 10. Best sports game on the PS3. Best baseball game ever made. The graphics are amazing. All the stadiums are so detailed. Even the minor league fields are accurate. The physics in this is are top notch too. I love playing the home run derby at heigh elevation maps. It actually takes into account the thinner air and that makes it so much easier to drop bombs.… Collapse

Oh boy. Where to begin? If you have played this series for the last 5 years or so, this should be easy to write. It's everything it's always been with some tweaks, improvments and minor additions. The new controls are nice. I didn't like the right stick pitching at first, and went back to the meter. After a few games I realized that I actually like the stick pitching better. It's more accurate believe it or not. The game still takes the pitcher your using into account when playing, so even though you may moved the stick perfectly, it doesn't always guarantee a strike or where you put it. Hitting, I found to be 50/50. In one hand, it's a little more forgiving than last years. When you get a good swing on a pitch, obviously you'll get a hit, homer or some other sort of gratifying result. The problem is, for me anyway, it was hard to aim with the left and swing with the right, causing me to strike out alot more than I usually do. Hopefully with some practice, I will get better. Than there's RTTS mode, which I find myself playing 80% of the time nowadays. Depending on the position(I personally like starting ptiching), you get alot more points for pitching well. It's feasable to have a beast of a pitcher by year two. Other positions need to be improved. Like catcher mode. It takes FOREVER to get through a game and will be boring for most. The only reason I play it is to get the Acheivements. The turn around isn't enough for me. My favorite position to create is an infielder. The reason being is mainly, because you can get through games faster. One trick is to put your sliders up for the first couple of seasons that way you can guarantee progress fast. After you acheive beast like status, adjust them accordingly. I love this mode, but it could use some more tweaking. It's very easy to throw to the wrong base, commit errros, and gaff on the basepaths when the camera swings around. I can't tell you how many times i've rounded third only to stop short and start running back to third because of this problem. They should give you the option to use regular controls for baserunning in this mode. A minor flaw that RTTS vets. will be able to overcome. Other than that, this game is SO deep! I have had it almost a month and havent even scratched the surface. Franchise has been modyfied. It's still the same pretty much except the interface has changed a little. What else? OH Yeah! Games will start during twilight and slowly make their way to night time. Day games will cast shadows thru the clouds, giving a cool light/dark effect when hitting. Some ball parks accentuate this effect, making it hard to hit during some innings when the ball passes thru the shadows. Can't comment on multiplayer because I havent had time to play it. Plus I stink against real people. I did dabble in the menu area and got my daily roster update. There seems to be some cool gamer rating stats and stuff if youre really into that sort of thing. From what I know and judging by the amount of people playing online, it seems to work. 10 of thousands of people online at once isn't a fluke. There you have it. If youre getting the B-ball fever, this game will give you the fix you need. p.S. the player models are as real as ever. Some of the animations are still strange, but there are also some cool things too. My 1st baseman ran to a slow grounder that was foul and in danger of rolling in fair. A run would have scored, but he ran to the ball and booted it away frrom the foul line with his glove to insure it would stay foul. The booth commented on the heads up move which was cool. These sort of things seem to happen at least once a game which gives you the illusion that every game is different than the next. I really love this game and even though it is still the same at it's core, there are enough improvements to keep you going all season long.… Expand

This baseball game is probably the most true to sport game that I have played. Graphically this game shines esp when my buddies came over and thought they ere watching a real game. Batting in this game is real hard. The pitch speeds come in really fast so the game forces you to be patient and work the count.. if your playing a top tier pitcher your gonna have a long day. Fielding in this game has been improved with the analong stick throwing. You throw to the base with the stick in the direction the base is in and depending how long you hold down is the strength of the throw. you must wait as well til you get your fielder the ball or youll juggle the throw and will make a error. This makes fielding must more realistic and makes you patient. I had trouble with the sticks to pitch and bat so I did the classic meter and timing and it plays fine for me if your good with the stick then hey its a option they made for people to enojoy. This year they added Aa new announcer (eric karros) which makes it alot better in the box for the game so it feels like a broadcast and not as bad as the past few years of the show have been but it woulda been nice for them to make the old announcers have a bunch of new lines. Other than that its the show the best in the biz for baseball if more sports games would follow suit and pay attention to even the smallest detail which immerses you into the game they way it should. If you love baseball this game will not dissapoint… Expand

The best sport series is back. The analog controls for batting, pitching, and fielding just add to the depth of the game. The only thing somewhat wrong with the game is the commentary.

The sense of accomplishment this game provides is substantial. This is the best of the series and one of the top baseball games of all time. It's not without its issues, however. The player models, for the most part, are drop dead gorgeous. You don't know how many times I've heard, "I thought you were actually watching a game." For the most part, especially from a distance, the stadiums look fantastic. The only gripe I still have is some of the textures up close in places that aren't normally seen close. Sometimes things will look bland, and things such as buildings in the background outside of the stadium just look horrible. The audience up close still doesn't look good. But the cutscenes, and the presentation, however redundant, will throw you a curveball on something new every once in a while. The analog hitting and pitching are the money makers. I started out the game overcomplicating the hitting and couldn't hit squat, so I toned down all the prepitch predictions and can get a solid game of hitting going where my guys are hitting realistic numbers. I did have to apply slider settings but I have it to the point where all the games are close. I haven't touched the pitcher settings on mine, and the only gripe I have is that when i put a pitch somewhere, it only goes to where i put it maybe 70% of the time. I can't tell if it's me, or if it's an accuracy thing with the pitcher i'm using, because I feel like i hit it right every time. And still there seems to be some scripted offense, to me, when playing against the computer. One random inning, they just seem to do everything right, and it's just that one inning, generally the third. I don't think i've won by more than 4 runs more than twice, the games are always close and compelling. Hitting a game winning home run is fantastic. The franchise and season mode still are consistent with the past. I don't play 162 game seasons b/c i don't have time for it. I'm playing a 30 game season, and what bugs me is the lack of thought put into generating a season. You play every team the month of april. No teams do any transactions during a season. I haven't done the franchise b/c like i said, no 162 game season. How bout do a franchise mode for once where you can portion the season. I don't like simming either b/c i like the players to have the stats I accrued, not the computer. I also haven't played online or done the RTTS, b/c that's just extra stuff, I stick to the season. But besides the few quirks I mentioned, which ironically haven't really ever been addressed, this is the most solid and satisfying game of baseball that you can play to date and is a must buy for baseball fans and maybe even worth the switch over to this system.… Expand

Strong Baseball game that builds on an already solid foundation. Lets start with Graphics? The graphics and animations in this game are one of the best I've ever seen... Each year Sony adds a little more in this area. If a player slides into a base the dirt gets messed up and you can see the slide marks. The mound will progressively get marked up through out the game because of the deliveries. The stadiums are Gorgeous!!! The back drops around them not so much but hey Im not looking outside the ball park...If they got certain landmarks down, Im happy as there seems to be no dip in frame rate from what Ive seen! There are some collison detection problems when running into the wall an arm might go through it. It in no way takes away from the game. Score: 9.2 Sound, The sound is great you hit a foul ball you here a symbol crash. The fans cheer and gasp and groan on a call they believe should have been a ball or strike...depending on who they are rooting for. Authentic baseball sounds makes you feel like your at the stadium. The Commentary well its about the same as yrs past. I dont know if anyone will ever be able to get this down. As you can only put so many lines in before the start getting repetitive. That's my only gripe is it get repetitive quick. Other than that most of the time they are on point about the game and whats going on. Score: 9

Gameplay: Heres where its at you can have the best looking and sounding game around but if it looks and sounds like a porche but drives like a broken down pinto well then, Its just no good! This year Sony stepped it up. with the pure analog controls.. I will admit it at first I wasn't crazy about them but now I Love them!!! once you get used to them Im telling ya you wont go back to buttons. You have so much more control. Example when fielding the ball If you think a runner is going to go home you can push down to start the throw home, however if you dont let the stick go you can hold the runner at 3rd rotate to 2nd and get the easy out. I like this where as you push X to keep the runner at 3rd now you have a runner on 2nd and 3rd. Pitching is tight also with the pure anolog controls!!! You have control over the ball in the zone. depending on the guy on the mound you will have better control. Now for the bugs..Of course with the new anolog controls there come some problems. A lot of errors over throws at first etc. with that said I found you make less mistakes if you just hold the stick till its green and let it go. unless you have a gray hound running... you have plenty of time to get the ball over to first. the more you put on it and hurry the more of a chance you have of an E. They can improve on this for next yr! and if you dont like the pure anolog contols you can always switch back to the buttons. Score: 8.9

Overall Great Graphics sound and game play. Remember it looks and sounds like a porche it also drives like it as well. It has more game modes that will keep you busy through Oct and into spring training of next yr. A must have game for any sports fan! PLAY BALL!!! Over all Score: 9… Expand

The Show is always the best baseball game, this year's is no exception. I love the new controls but for me the single player mode is what seals the deal. Road to the show is the best - BY FAR single player mode in any sports title. Being a baseball guy I look forward to spring training, the launch of the Show and opening day all happening in about a month's span.

The pros is that this game finally included analog controls for pitching, fielding and batting. Also the many ways you can customize the game cameras is a plus. Besides that it's the same game with updated rosters. If you own last years game you pretty much have the same game as MLB the Show 11. On a side note I'm very bitter that SCEA is turning off the servers for MLB 10. Not even EA shuts down servers this quick. SCEA has been doing this for the past 3 years and I will not buy a new game from them. Get last years game to get you through the season and then buy MLB 11 around December for $10 used off of Gamefly. This game is not worth $60!

1) Still no playoff tournament mode.
2) Online is really bad (lags)
3) Presentation is the same as prior versions (very stale and now boring).
4) Franchise bugs, wait for patch again.
5) Graphical glitches (ie players going through walls) graphics over bright. 6) Collision detection still bad.
7) Load time and game saving is painfully slow.
8) Features removed from the game (ie pitch count button)
9) Developer is lazy with player portraits on the stock roster that shipped.
10) New game, new bugs, old bugs, same shish different day. $20 DLC at best!

MLB 11 is a good game, but 08, 09 and 10 were also good games, the only reason to upgrade is for rosters and online, but online is still broken.… Expand

This is the best baseball game in this year. Graphic is clean and easy to use More realistic player modeling and their animations. all looks great. Like this game.

If you say you don't like this game you either A don't have a ps3 and wish you did or B you are not a baseball fan. This is a great game. Makes you feel like you are there in the action. 360 owners I'm sorry this game is not available to you I really am but get over it.

Best MLB game out there, but there is still more to improve, so I'm giving it a 9. The things I'd like to see are loose uniforms that blow in the wind, live weather via satellite or something, different swing types and personalities for different players...

Being a huge baseball fan and gamer, it's never been too difficult to find an MLB game that has the authenticity and stays true to the game, at least not in the last few years with MLB The Show around. No game has me as hooked as this game does. Everything is pretty much how baseball is. All the players are there, and if they're not, then you can do a roster update as it becomes available and you're set. Season and Franchise are both just as addicting as ever with small updates. Road to the Show is just as real and a great mode as the others. I can't say enough about this game, it's a must have for all baseball fans.… Expand

This is the best sports game ever made up to this point. It has amazing graphics and gameplay. I played over 150 hours on just the franchise.

I have always been a big baseball fan and love the graphics of this game but this game really sucks. No matter what you do to try and win the game or how many different ways you try to win, the computer always seems to find away around it. There is no reason to play any game if you have no chance of winning the thing. I hate this game with a passion, because of that. I have no use for this game. The only thing this game does for me is frustrates me to the point where if the creator of the game was in front of me, that I would punish them for making a game that cheats to no end.… Expand