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Major League Baseball 2K8

EMAIL PRINT xbox360

5.9 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 28 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 34 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: 2K Sports

Developer: 2K Los Angeles

Genre(s): Sports, Baseball

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: March 4, 2008

Summary

Although he is best known for his speed and base-stealing ability, the Mets' Jose Reyes is also one of the most well-rounded players in the game and is the first player in baseball history to have more than 63 steals, 120 runs, 192 hits, and 19 homers in a single season. Reyes led the Major League in 2006 with 17 triples and 64 stolen bases and set a new Mets club record with 104 hits at Shea Stadium. Also an avid video gamer and long time fan of 2K Sports’ products, All-Star Shortstop Jose Reyes is a natural fit as the official spokesperson for this year's edition of the critically acclaimed Major League Baseball 2K series. [2K Sports]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Major League Baseball 2K7

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Planet Xbox 360

The game is an upgrade in every way from last year's solid offering, making this one fantastic title every baseball fan should check out.

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Game Informer

It delivers new experiences with its gameplay, offers rewarding bonus content (playable minor league teams, and collectable baseball cards), and improves upon its already robust online play with an array of sorting options that will allow players to find the appropriate match-ups. The only area that needs work is Franchise mode.

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PGNx Media

Major League Baseball 2K8 is a great baseball game. Kush Games made plenty of improvements to the core baseball engine, most of which are wholly welcome.

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My Gamer

With controls that make things challenging but rewarding, the game is just what baseball fans have been waiting for.

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GameDaily

The new gameplay features, particularly Total Pitch Control, are great, and the franchise and online modes will appeal to baseball fanatics. The graphics and sound could've been better.

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G4 TV

A positive step forward for an already good series.

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TeamXbox

It might be time for the makers of MLB 2K8 to take a step back from adding bells and whistles, and put a little more concentration into the on-field action. In a lot of ways they’re headed in the right direction, but if the game itself is frustrating to play, all the cool features and classic players, and awesome mo-cap animations go to waste.

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1UP

This year, the game has junked its poorest parts and replaces them with some seriously innovative goodies -- but there are a handful of reasons why we're not jumping for joy and declaring this the must-play baseball title of 2008.

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GamerNode

MLB 2K8 is a game for true fans--it's like being there at the ballpark. There are lots of details that only baseball fans will appreciate. It won't appeal to general gamers or those who don't really like baseball though.

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IGN

It’s the lack of authenticity while on the field that really hurts MLB 2K8. Next-gen simulation sports games are gauged by how closely they emulate the look and feel of the real thing and while the new gameplay mechanics do lend themselves to a more true-to-life experience, the presentation and look of 2K8 in motion really hurts it overall.

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GameTrailers

MLB 2K8 accomplishes what it set out to do--giving players more control in every phase of the game. Unfortunately, the changes come at a price that is hard to accept. In addition to the terribly inconsistent frame rate, evidence is everywhere that the game simply isn’t finished.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

Fielding features the sweetest setup in years, with its simple analog-based meter. And baserunning and hitting benefit from less-complex models. Something's still missing. [Apr 2008, p.73]

Games Radar (in-house)

We were so ready to fall in love with 2K’s take on major league baseball again this year, but we just can’t get past the depressing drop in visual fidelity.

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GameTap

If you're able to look past the framerate, the pitching and franchise are worth checking out, but if you only have enough money for one baseball game this year, Sony's Show is definitely the one worth attending.

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Game Over Online

MLB 2K8 is one of those games that hurts to play because you just know it could have been so much better.

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AceGamez

The meat of the mode sandwich for 2K8 is again the Franchise Mode.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

A nondescript but very decent rendition of a nationally-derided sport. [July 2008, p.82]

Cheat Code Central

One very big frustration I have with this game is the music selection. To each his own, but when I play a baseball game I expect to hear the music associated with live baseball games - hip-hop, hard rock, and Latin music. For some reason, this soundtrack is filled with horrendous artsy indie rock.

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GameZone

The ideas are there, but they have too many issues to be considered a drawing point.

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Gaming Age

The stuttering on the field obscures what can be a very fun, tense and rewarding game of baseball.

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Worth Playing

It's a shame that MLB 2K8 is the only baseball offering for Xbox 360 owners, as the efforts to do more than a simple roster update have resulted in a game that has solid ideas and a deep set of features, but is so buggy and inconsistent in almost every regard that it isn't worth your time unless you absolutely have to play a baseball game.

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GameSpot

MLB 2K8 is full of new ideas; unfortunately, it's also filled with technical problems.

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Gamer 2.0

It’s unfortunate for baseball fans without a PS3 that MLB 2K8 is their only choice.

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Official Xbox Magazine

The entire experience, however, is tarnished by a framerate that bogs down any time a ball is put in play. A simple 5-3 putout turns into a noticeable slideshow as the camera pans across the diamond — which is a shame, as fielders sport some great animations this year.

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DarkStation

You could see the developers had high hopes for a lot of the new functionality of the game, but when it is all said and done, everything doesn't gel together all that well.

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GameShark

Barring one heck of a patch from 2k Sports, there’s no magic pill to cure all that ails this game. The legacy of developer 2k Los Angeles (formerly Kush Games) continues to be the delivery of high-potential but brutally flawed games that lack considerable polish.

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Game Revolution

What's good about the game isn't a great improvement on last year's version and, in fact, the game seems to have taken a step back graphically. Meanwhile, at its core, the game isn't true to the nature of baseball, because the bottom line - the numbers - just don't jibe.

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GameSpy

The poor frame-rate combined with the shoddy online play and the occasional system lock-ups drag the game down into mediocrity. And that's a terrible shame for Xbox 360 owners who really have no other choice but to wait for an update from 2K Sports.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 5.9 (out of 10) based on 34 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Job A gave it an8:
Incredible.I've played the heck out of this game.For one because I love the 2k series with all there games,for two the reviews just got worse from there 2k7 game so I wanted to see if they had a broken game here or if it was just people that dont see there innovations and there ability to make such a great game from such a complex sport.I admit that I didn't play this game when it came out,I was stuck on Major league baseball 2k7,but ow that I really gave it a chance,its amazing!Its January 2010 and I love Major league baseball 2k9,its my favorite baseball game but I will definetly play this game from time to time.I still go back to play World series baseball 2k3 because its crazy good to this day.This game has a place in my game library because the pitching in it is Great!I have mlb 08,09 the show because I like to compare games to each other and honestly I think this game is better then mlb 08 the show-for sure,but I dont think it is better then the show 09.Major league baseball 2k9 is better then both though.This is a stand out game for sure,I give it a 8.9

Ryan S. gave it a4:
MLB 2k8 is a visual step up from it's 2k6 and 2k7 predecessors, offering smoother gameplay and a bit of improved AI. The opposing teams are no longer the supermen they once were, climbing the fence for every home run and running a series without a single error. However, the 'total control' system seems to be even more flawed than before, sometimes even fails completely. Baserunning has seen no improvements, defies logic sometimes, i.e. running for him on a bunted ball with no user input. While graphically, this game takes the cake, it hasn't improved on most of the core of the game, further increasing the stereotype of 'The plague of sports game.' Buyer beware: You won't be impressed.

Corey F gave it a1:
This game is by far the worst baseball game I have ever played. The pitching is ridiculous, you can pitch a perfect game for 7 innings and then all of a sudden pitches well outside the strike zone are hit for home runs, or into the gap and the reading on your pitching meter depicts a perfectly thrown pitch. I could see if you were making a mistake and these balls were being creamed, but a ball throw well out of the strikezone away from the hitter being pulled for a home run is totally unrealistic. 2k sports has been declining every year. This game is horrible.

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Major League Baseball 2K8

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