Aside from 2K’s persistently stellar NBA 2K series, the rest of its sports lineup has been a little suspect in quality. Its NHL 2K franchise has often played the role of “scrappy underdog” to Electronic Art’s NHL games for years. Not only that, but their Major League Baseball 2K brand has consistently had trouble competing against Sony’s PlayStation 3 exclusive MLB: The Show.

So coming off the glitchy, bug-infested failure of Major League Baseball 2K9, developers Visual Interactive realized they had to make some serious changes in this year’s edition in order to remain relevant against the competition which so often dogs them.

In sum, they almost succeeded. Major League Baseball 2K10 takes some big, necessary strides to revive itself from failure in the eyes of gamers and critics, but there’s just enough short comings to hold it back from scoring big.

As for the improvements, pitching and batting has been drastically revamped to allow for more control and precision. When stepping on the mound, you can select your pitch, choose whether or not to follow your catcher’s advice, and then let it rip by rotating the control stick in the correct position.

But timing is everything, and if you don’t move the joystick exactly at the right pace, your pitch can easily go sailing into the dirt, or worse, give the batter a clean hit.

Batting is dedicated to the right stick. Simply pull it back to prepare the swing, and then move it forward to make contact. It certainly sounds easy enough, but reading the ball as it comes zipping towards you at 90 miles per hour isn’t so basic.

Just like in real life, learning how to time your swing takes practice. Fortunately, your player will periodically be able to instantly recognize where the pitch is coming from, giving you ample amount of time to prepare.

While the fielding aspect of the game is still a bit of an issue, the series has evolved a great deal since the early days on the Sega Dreamcast.

However, the computer still seems to do most of the work in MLB 2K10. More often than not, the computer automatically positions your players where they need to be, meaning all you need to do is maneuver them slightly to catch a pop fly or toss it to a basemen.

Other improvements include the graphics, which have been touched-up to look distinctly more next-gen than last year’s version. While stadiums and crowds could still use a little more attention to the particulars, the detailed player models help ensure that the animations are fluid and realistic-looking.

Most of the game breaking glitches from Major League Baseball have been blessedly fixed. That doesn’t mean there were still glaringly evident flaws though.

Player models would clip through one another, outfielders would continue running aimlessly into walls and, on two occasions, the game completely locked up during the final inning. Despite these few nagging issues, MLB 2K10’s visual presentation is a sizable improvement. 

That’s not to say that MLB 2K10 is just an upgraded version of MLB 2K9 though. It also brings in a new gameplay feature—the highly-anticipated “My Player” mode.

Just like in 2K’s other sports games, “My Player” mode allows you to shadow a player’s career as he makes his way from the minors to superstar status in the major leagues. You can choose your position and then, based on what skills you perform (batting, running, pitching, etc.), you earn points that can be invested in upgrading their abilities.

“My Player” mode is a great addition to the game—assuming you choose a position that’s actually exciting to play.

For instance, if you choose to play the role of a pitcher, you’ll be a lot more active than an outfielder who has the misfortune of never getting the ball hit remotely in their direction. Some positions are better suited for video games, and if you choose wisely, it’s a lot of fun.

In addition to “My Player” mode, you can also play the role of a team manager in Franchise Mode, practice or hit home runs in the Home Run Derby mode. The MLB Today news ticker keeps baseball fans abreast of the latest development in their favorite sport, updates player rosters and enable you to play current games that are going on in real life.

Some of these modes are standard to anyone who’s played a baseball or a 2K Sports game in the past, but they’re still appreciated.

Final Verdict

Major League Baseball 2K10 showcases some serious improvements that make it worth a purchase. Well, at least for Xbox 360 owners who don’t have access to MLB 10: The Show. It’s still not clear whether Sony’s baseball title has the goods, but if it’s anything like last year, MLB 2K10 isn’t quite ready to stand up against a game of that caliber.

That’s not to say MLB 2K10 isn’t good. Far from it. With its upgraded visuals, revamped batting and pitching controls and new My Player Mode, its easily one of 2K’s best baseball games in quite some time. It still has a few rough edges (primarily the lackluster fielding and occasional glitches) that definitely need to be ironed when Visual Concepts tries again next year. But MLB 2K10 should restore some faith in the series.

It’s ready to make its comeback—but it still hasn’t happened quite yet.

Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Visual Concepts
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PSP, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360
Rating: Everyone
Release Date: 03.02.10