R.B.I. Baseball started its life as a game series back in the 1980s on the NES, spawning multiple sequels in the years that followed. After getting a long awaited reboot in 2014, it officially kick-started the next generation of R.B.I games developed, and published, by MLB.com. The latest offering in the series has arrived in the form of R.B.I. Baseball 16, but can it deliver an enjoyable experience to gamers and baseball fans alike?
The short answer is no.
It’s probably best that I explain my reasoning. Getting straight to the point, the vast majority of disappointments occur with the gameplay itself. Take the batting for example, with just the two options on offer to hit the ball; either swinging the bat normally or going for the bunt. Apart from timing the hit and positioning yourself in the batter’s box before the pitch is thrown, you’ll not have much control on where the ball is batted to; at least that’s the way it feels. As I have dabbled in a few baseball games before, of both the simulation and arcade nature, there could’ve be some kind of power bar to make it more interesting, or even a slog type batting choice. Not only was it incredibly boring simply pressing A for nine batting innings, but it also became increasingly frustrating as the ball flew passed the bat, despite feeling like it could’ve easily connected with the ball.
Surely the pitching would be where things pick up? Ever so slightly they do, in the way that there’s a whole four pitch type variations to initiate, depending on the direction held on the analog stick before pressing A. There’s no cursor or such to help aim, you just line up your pitcher – who might I add just like batters do, move similarly to a cardboard cut-out on wheels – and throw a curve, fast or slow ball.
Moving onto the fielding and I’ll admit it is pretty useful that it’ll automatically catch a batter out if the ball is dropping close enough – especially if I want to win. But where’s the fun in something cool happening, such as a jumping catch, and you’ve not really had a hand in it? Not to mention the lack of fun I had with the slow moving fielders, who can watch a ball roll along the floor then take an age to catch up with it. Throwing to a base works perfectly though. I haven’t missed one yet. I’m great at pressing A.
So that’s the majority of the negatives out of the way and I can focus on the redeeming qualities of R.B.I Baseball 16. Firstly, all 30 Major League Baseball teams plus the All-Stars are included with the rosters being officially licensed and up to date. For true fans of the sport, using teams/ players you recognise and have affiliation with, whilst defeating the ones you dislike, really adds to the occasion and gives a little extra incentive to win.
There are four game modes to choose from; Exhibition, Season, Postseason and Online. Exhibition simply allows for a one versus one game against a friend locally or the computer, with the ability to set the amount of innings and whether to initiate the mercy rule. It isn’t a bad way to learn the ropes before heading into a full on season.
The Season mode covers multiple seasons, giving you the opportunity to take control of a single team, tracking all manner of baseball stats. With 162 games in a full season, you could spend hours in this mode hitting home runs and striking out batters but that’s no use to anyone like me who doesn’t enjoy the gameplay. In fact, it sounds hellish. When a season is over, the standard protocol is to begin the postseason which is basically an elimination tournament for the best placed teams. That was more appealing to me and fortunately, thanks to the Postseason mode I can jump straight into it. It’s over pretty quickly since I’ve not made it past the first round yet.
Online areas in the lesser advertised digital games can often be sparsely populated; hence I was pleasantly surprised to find matches easily via Smart Match, which gives you an opponent of similar skill level. It also allows you to invite a friend to a game, as long as they have the time to play – games can take ages to finish. For as impressed I was at finding opponents regularly, I didn’t appreciate the horrendous stuttering and lag throughout; it’s very off putting and makes a generally boring game really painful.
I understand the developers, MLB.com, have gone down the arcade style route with R.B.I. Baseball 16 however, the simplicity of the gameplay just makes proceedings lack any form of excitement. The graphics are sub-par for the newest generation of consoles and the whole game feels like it belongs on mobiles and tablet devices. I wouldn’t mind so much if the price reflected that. But it doesn’t. For anyone who garners enjoyment from such simplicity, they can at least make use of the decent game modes within.
I’d say R.B.I. Baseball 16 definitely brings all the names to the table with the MLB license but when the game is so boring, does it really matter if you’re using the New York Yankees or Generic Giants?
If you’re looking for a fun and exciting baseball game then head on over to Super Mega Baseball instead, because this just makes me beg for the mercy rule.
