I Can't Wait To Try Out This New Feature In MLB The Show 25 - & It Could Change The Series Forever

MLB The Show 25 recently showed off some new gameplay features that have me excited for the possible new direction of the series. Like most annual sports titles, MLB The Show has felt stagnant for a while. While not nearly as bad as a series like Madden, the tweaks and additions to MLB The Show have been so gradual that I haven’t felt that much has changed since I picked up my first version of the series back in 2014. However, it looks like that might be about to change in a big way.

Based on the first gameplay trailer for MLB The Show 25, the game is going to be embracing many more traditional video game elements. The series has been moving in this direction over time, especially with pitching mechanics, but MLB The Show 25 seems to be taking things even further than MLB The Show 24’s changes did. One gameplay innovation, in particular, is something that could shake up not just this series but what sports fans expect from any title in the genre going forward.

MLB The Show 25 Will Have First-Person Gameplay

At Least Some Of MLB The Show 25 Can Be Played With A First-Person Camera

MLB The Show 25’s trailer, available on the offficial MLB YouTube channel, gave us a first look at the game’s new first-person camera mode. While the extent to which the game can be played in first person hasn’t been fully revealed, it’s clear that at least some of the fielding can be done from this perspective. I would expect this to be an option for Road to the Show since that mode takes a single player approach. It would probably be somewhat jarring to quickly switch between first-person perspectives, so I’m not sure if we’ll see it in a mode where you control the team.

From the few snippets of first-person gameplay that the MLB The Show 25 trailer showed off, it looks like you’ll need to do things like manually move your glove to field balls, aim throws, and participate in quick-time events to make sure you’re throwing the ball accurately. While there does seem to be an option to zoom in on the batter’s box, it’s unclear if there will be a first-person perspective for hitting or if it is restricted to fielding at the moment.

How First-Person Action Will Shake Up MLB The Show

First-Person Gameplay Will Present A Unique Challenge

Adding a first-person perspective will bring some major differences to MLB The Show 25, most obviously in terms of gameplay. First-person camera modes are naturally a bit more restrictive than third-person modes. In a sport’s title, this will present a new challenge, as it will be more difficult to see everything that’s happening on the field.

Ilook forward to taking on this new challenge once I feel confident playing the game from its usual perspective. When playing a game like College Football 25, I’ve always enjoyed the ability to take over just one player and play the game from a more restrictive camera angle. Playing quarterback in College Football's Road to Glory mode makes it harder to survey the entire field and see pass routes because the camera is closer behind you than in a normal game. A full first-person mode is going to step up that challenge even more.

First-person mode is also going to make MLB The Show 25 a much more immersive experience than a typical sports game. Although you get to control the players, a sports title usually comes closer to watching a game on TV than actually playing it yourself. By experiencing the game in first person, you’ll actually get to see things from the perspective of an MLB player instead of just a spectator. I look forward to a chance to see what fields like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field look like to the players during a game.

Why This New Feature May Be Key To The Series' Future

Shifting Toward First-Person Could Change Sports Games

The more immersive experience created by MLB The Show 25’s first-person mode could prove to be the innovation the series has needed for a while. If the mode ends up being popular, I wouldn’t be surprised to see next year’s version of the game expanding on it even further. While progress in the world of sports games can be slow, a gradual push towards more first-person perspectives could eventually lead the series to completely change how the game is played. And, if I’m being honest, that might be what annual sports games need to survive.

Video games are always becoming more expensive, both to buy and to produce. Relying on young players picking up their first sports title or the section of players willing to shell out $70+ a year to buy what is essentially the same game to stay afloat might not be realistic in the long run between production costs and licensing fees. That’s why sports games have been leaning more heavily on monetization practices like pushing in-game currency for certain game modes. I can’t play Madden without the game I already own trying to get me to spend money on Ultimate Team.

Slapping microtransactions onto the same tired gameplay experience doesn’t make me excited about picking up a new sports title. However, a massive change to the game’s mechanics, like adding a first-person mode, does make me interested in trying a new game. That isn’t just true for MLB The Show 25, but I would be equally intrigued to try playing Madden or the NHL games from a first-person perspective.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that MLB The Show 25 isn’t the first sports game to include a first-person mode. Before Madden got exclusive licensing rights from the NFL, the NFL 2K series featured a first-person camera. Some of the old Fight Night games also had a first-person feature, which made the fights a lot more immersive. However, MLB The Show 25 is the first example in quite some time. There have been a lot of innovations made to gaming since the last Fight Night or NFL 2K games, and I’d love to see them incorporated into a first-person sports title.

How much of an effect MLB The Show 25’s first-person mode has on the series or the wider sports game landscape will likely depend on how successful it is. While I’m excited to try it out, if it proves to be poorly implemented or just not very fun, I doubt it will be as big of a game-changer as it seems right now. Still, I’m trying to stay optimistic that it can be the type of innovation I’ve been waiting for in sports titles.

Source: MLB/YouTube