About a month ago, we found out that the legendary Ken Griffey Jr. would adorn the cover of MLB The Show 17. At today’s PlayStation Experience showcase though, we learnt that the presence of the Hall of Famer isn’t the only throwback found in the game.
At the tail end of the new trailer for MLB The Show 17, we caught a glimpse of the brand new Retro Mode. Inspired by old-school baseball titles, Retro Mode is a simplistic take on America’s pastime. Players are free to move around the batter’s box and pitcher’s mound as they please, and the mode is oozing with retro style.
As for the rest of the trailer, there were some interesting new features on display. Enhanced stats are being added to The Show 17, such as individual baserunning metrics, new animations for players and additional retro ballparks. The biggest addition, though, appeared to be the presence of a revamped Road To The Show. We saw a player-coach interaction playing out via cutscene instead of the traditional menu-based system. I doubt this will be anything like the comprehensive stories found in the NBA 2K franchise, but we’ll see.
The addition of Retro Mode is sure to please those who want a simpler baseball experience alongside the main game, but I do have my concerns. The brief clip we saw reminded me of MLB Advanced Media’s perennially disappointing R.B.I. Baseball revival. Sony San Diego haven’t really done wrong in awhile, so I’m not going to completely write this off just yet, but I’m definitely not expecting much.
We’ll continue to have coverage of MLB The Show 17 in the lead-up to its March 28, 2017 launch, so stay tuned for more.