High Heat Baseball 2004 |
| by Oscar Sodani | |
| March 19, 2003 | |
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This is a review of the PC version of 3DO's High Heat Baseball 2004. Being a huge baseball fan, and a big fan of the series, I have played just about every version since the original. While this year's incarnation is a graphical treat, there are some things glaringly lacking...
The Bad The first, and most important missing feature that you'll notice upon installing the game is the complete lack of mouse support. You have to navigate through the menu screens and in-game screens using a joystick or keyboard. While this is fine for the casual player, if you are a statistics geek like myself, it makes running a franchise much harder than it should be. The other flaw is the lack of an in-game save. So if you decide to start a game, you HAVE to finish it, or leave the game on pause until you can come back. These are the only bad points, in my opinion, of an excellent game. But they are MAJOR flaws. Hopefully, a patch will improve this situation. The Gameplay The gameplay is the best of any baseball game I have ever played. The breadth of options is staggering, and if you just want to jump in and play a quick game, it can do that, too. The games are consistently exciting and fun. The players truly live up to their real abilities, and provide what is a believable, and ultimately engrossing experience. The franchise mode is excellent, putting you in complete control over a baseball franchise from the majors to the minors. You negotiate with free agents, and strive to stay within a budget. I'm playing as the Montreal Expos, and have found just how difficult it can be to run a franchise with very limited funds. The Graphics They are the best of any baseball game I have ever seen, bar none. Everything looks and feels realistic, and the details of the stadiums are fantastic. A+ Extras The best part of the game, I've found, has been the excellent support within the modding community. Dozens of people have spent time adding value to this game, such as different rosters, cool ugly uniforms (like the Astros uniforms of the 70s and 80s), enhanced ballparks, etc. I've set mine up so that the game looks like a Fox Sports Net broadcast, and it took me only a few minutes. And whenever someone hits a home run, I set it up so that the music from "The Natural" plays. Check it out at http://www.highheat2004.net Overall Despite the flaws, and the lack of a multiplayer mode, High Heat Baseball 2004 is a game that excels at being a baseball game. If you can get past the flaws, you will be completely engulfed in pre-season bliss. Grade: B+ |