While the name may be simple, the results are anything but. MLB 2K5 has re invented on how baseball presentation should be executed, with dramatic cut scenes, life like visuals, dramatic real time lighting, and screen wipes and overlays pulled from the ESPN vaults, who could ask for anything more? Well, myself for one. While everything is grand and spectacular on the audio and visual side of things, there are a few notable chinks in the armor that may turn some gamers away, even at 20 bucks. First off, there are some substantial glitches in the game that take away from some of the enjoyment, some can be fixed with sliders, and some cannot. Next is some game play mechanics that keep the game from achieving the most realism, for example the power swing. Lastly, while the facelift that Take Two gave the game is impressive, the Franchise mode is now very bare bones and basic compared to the other two games it is competing against. Otherwise, the game is fun; it looks great, and has fantastic online support for both PS2 and Xbox.

What more can I say about the visuals than WOW! There is very little to complain about when looking at what Kush Games and Take Two have done this year visually. The stadiums are grand and large in scale, supplying all the intricate details even rabid fans expect from their hometown stadiums. The player models are just as nice, while some come off looking scary realistic, some just look scary when their heads do not quite fit their body frame, but this is only on a few stars that I have seen thus far. The texture quality is superb, with stitching on the uniforms, dirt and pebbles on the base paths, and you can even tell the difference in turf and grass by the textures alone. The presentation also does wonders for the industry, and for any casual fans who say baseball is boring, won’t feel this way when lacing up the cleats powered by ESPN. When you play a game, it really feels as if you are watching Baseball Tonight. The wipes, the overlays, the K Zone, it’s all there and brought to you in flawless execution. It is not all cookies and cream though, as some of the animation transitions are stiff, and do come off as looking rather odd. Overall, though, you would be really nitpicking if you were to come off as saying that MLB 2K5 did not deliver in the visuals department…and you would also be blind.

Audio is just as impressive, utilizing their patented Game Sound to bring the action right into your living room. The ambience has never been delivered with more of a stadium atmosphere than with MLB 2K5. The crowd is very responsive to situations, reacting with pertinent oohs and ahhs. The on field sounds are authentic, from the crack of the bat to the way the ball sounds hitting the mitt, you will be amazed on who detailed it all sounds. Some excellent play by play featuring Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, and studio analyst Karl Ravech round off the audio quite nicely. The commentary has its bit of repetitiveness, but it never seems scripted.

Top it off with Custom Soundtrack support on your Xbox, which allows you to put your music in the game. Whether you want music to fit a certain stadium, HR celebration, or batter walk up music, the customization is at your fingertips. To say the sounds are great is an understatement to the quality put in MLB 2K5.

It looks and sounds great, so MLB 2K5 and their exclusivity gives gamers a sigh of relief knowing this may be one of few gamers can choose from to get their baseball fix, right? Well, not so fast, as there are some serious A.I. issues and bugs that were not addressed before this game was “rushed” out the door an into gamers hands. First off the goods. MLB 2 K5 does play a very good game of baseball, hands down. The game isn’t broken by any regards, and with that being said, where what you can expect from a game play point of view is. MLB 2K5 introduces “another” new pitching innovation called the K Zone. You pick your pitch, hold down the button for effectiveness, and you must match up two dots that move horizontally and vertically by the point of origin you chose for the pitch to go. This is actually a very good pitching scheme that allows for some very unpredictable outcomes when it comes to balls and strikes. While I still prefer the meter pitching that MVP and MLB offer, the K Zone is still better than the basic point and click of old. Something else offered this year is the Slam Zone cam. Let’s just say I flat out hate this option and it is turned off in my menu. This feature provides you with a stylish presentation that allows you to attempt to unload on a pitcher’s mistake. While the idea is a good one, it totally kills the pacing of the game, as you go to another screen and style to witness this. What also blows is that in order to play ranked games online this feature must be activated. Can you say BS? The base running, once you are adjusted to it, is the finest example of how this needs to be built on and perfected as it gives you the most accurate portrayal of trying to steal a base. It is done by simply hitting the right analog stick, which puts you on the base paths. You can now watch the pitchers delivery and try to play that game of cat and mouse with him. At anytime you can hit the right analog to go back to the batter’s view. The execution takes time to master, but once you have it down, you’ll wonder how you’ve lived without it all these years.

With all good things aside, there are some bad points I must address. Keep in mind that if this game were delivered on time in April, versus a month early, some of these key issues could have been caught, nonetheless they are there. First, the sliders will need to be adjusted right off the bat. For instance, there is more times than not that you will throw wild pitches, as will the CPU when in pressure situations. I’m not talking a couple here and there, but any time the pitcher is in a jam, expect to throw one away, maybe even multiple times to one batter which will result in runs scored. There are a few more game play glitches, and with the help of sliders will be remedied. What can’t be fixed are the statistical glitches that really keep the game from being fun. Things such as shortstops getting saves, games not counting, etc. are commonplace. There is nothing more frustrating than having a good baseball game with a terrible stat bug. All Star experienced this a few year back, and it has crept back up in MLB 2K5. There are a few other nagging issues, and for those and their fixes, check your nearest message board for the answers.

Let it be known that I want baseball to be here faster than most, it is my favorite sport. But for developers in the heat of competition to toss games out there without competent testers making sure such glitches aren’t present is inexcusable.

If you get the game to play the way you can live with, there is plenty to do in MLB 2K5. All your favorites return, Franchise, Exhibition, Season, HR Derby, Online Play, etc. Where MLB 2K5 falls behind the crowd is the lack luster Franchise Mode. Three years ago this would have been a good amount of detail, but today, this mode needs some serious tweaking. No personality is delivered in MLB 2K5’s Franchise Mode. All you have control over is the wheeling and dealing between games, but there is no emotion from the players. You can’t control much outside the managerial side of things, and with this series not being new to the game, this comes out as disappointing. Toss in the screwy stat issues and this all becomes pointless.

What may have turned out as the best baseball game of the year, turns out to be tolerable for twenty bucks with all the problems that lay before gamers. The game isn’t totally unplayable, but for stat junkies like myself, this game will be sent to the minors for exhibition and online play only. I hope that Take Two learns from these mistakes and brings out a game we’ll all be proud of, especially since we will all but be stuck with it.