SIE San Diego Studio·Released Apr 5, 2022·Single player
Experience faster, deeper and more intense moment-to-moment match action on the field, with a variety of game modes for all you rookie players and returning seasoned vets. Every pitch. Every hit. Every win. Make your mark and Own The Show in MLB The Show 22.
Sony's yearly baseball game continues to perform well on the field and finds new ways to deliver excitement within the single-player and online spaces.
It'd probably be reductive to describe many of MLB The Show 22's improvements as the kind of thing you'd expect to find in patch notes, but it's still somewhat true. The gameplay feels great as always, and we really like the additions to March to October as well as the Mini Seasons mode in Diamond Dynasty. But while this is undoubtedly a streamlined, enhanced version of the already excellent MLB The Show 21, casual players will struggle to spot the difference – and, frankly, some aspects of the series are really beginning to tire.
MLB The Show 22 is mostly a retread of an already great game with more bugs than usual.
A ‘lite Franchise’ mode is an unexpected winner
MLB The Show 22 stills plays a phenomenal game of baseball, but incremental updates reveal a series that's lacking in ambition.
MLB The Show 22 is another brilliant arrival in the series, and once again delivers fluid and gorgeous presentation on Xbox Series X|S. The gameplay remains highly satisfying, while Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty remain compulsive modes. While 'no money spent' is still pleasingly feasible in the latter, it feels a little more grind-heavy this year, so hopefully that will ease off. Elsewhere new commentary is welcome, but is too short on lines this time around.MLB The Show, as a series, does feel like it needs a leap at some point; as another steady iteration, though, this latest entry is still a standout sports sim and a must for baseball fans.
Still surprisingly swing-and-miss online, but for long-lasting and moreish solo play, NBA 2K22 is its only competitor in a two-horse championship duel.
The ultimate question is whether you should play MLB The Show 22 on Switch. Well, it depends. If it's your main or only platform and you're happy playing CPU and offline games, then yes, it's not bad and holds things together just enough for gameplay to be enjoyable. If you want an 'on-the-go' version to accompany a more powerful home console version, perhaps on Game Pass, then it's another yes. If you want to mainly play online in Diamond Dynasty? No, this isn't the way to go. MLB The Show 22 is admirably packed with content and features, but it's not entirely comfortably packed into the diminutive Switch. It lacks the fluidity and crispness found elsewhere, which is perhaps expected but doesn't change the fact. If you're happy with the compromises, though, then step up to the plate.
