Major League Baseball 2k9 Preview (360)

MLB 2k9 is coming out next week, so we're running a preview here on e-AAGH.net. MLB 2K8 had some issues, namely it's graphics engine. The game looked good - not great, mind you, just good - but the engine couldn't keep up. The framerate was horrid at times and allot of things seen in Sony's MLB 09: The Show were absent from 2K's offering. Little things like fan interaction and dynamic field activity were passed on by 2K because the game's engine couldn't handle them. Also lost were 2K7's camera angles and overall cleanliness, which I can't defend - there was no reason for that to happen. Finally, the uniform cloth physics were a little over-the-top, looking like flags billowing in the wind.

This brings us to MLB 2K9. The framerate has been cleaned up (so far), and it's a joy to see fans fight for a ball in the stands. Uniforms now move much more subtly, and primarily from player activity, something that was lacking last year. The camera angles included are much better then last year, as well, harking back more towards 2K7's efforts.

As far as gameplay goes, I can see why they toned down the pitching mechanism, because last year's controls were a little unwieldy, but I think they went too far. This new pitching system lacks the connection that the old one did, and I feel more like I'm flinging the right stick around to no avail this year. Batting is better, though, with the new step-whenever style making it easier to hit the ball. Fielding, though, is a huge sore spot right now. I'm not sold on the way it's set up right now, because allot of times on fly balls, my fielder will stop near, but not on, the marker on the field, and refuse to move. Sure, he'll step one or two times in a direction, but that doesn't mean a thing when the ball is falling 10-20 feet away. I've also had fielders watch the ball go over their head and make no effort to try and snag it. This is the biggest hurdle for MLB 2K9 right now; if it can shore up this aspect, 2K Sports could have it's best baseball game so far on it's hands. Otherwise, I may just stick with 2K8. Alphasim out.

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