I played seven hours of video games last night. I had to pick up my kid at the airport after midnight, and it’s well known I will fall asleep in front of any TV set any time of day when watching shows. Not movies, not video games, but “TV TV” will always knock me out.
Since I knew The Big Quiet was coming, I gave in and paid $80 so I could play The Show three days “early” – man what a racket that is. Yeah yeah my pre-order came with “stubs” or some nonsense only Generation Z cares about – but since I was eating the game on Monday anyway, I swallowed my pride
On to the game. The short version is, buy the game right now.
It looks great. It reminds me that I like baseball, just not Major League Baseball – like actual Major League Baseball is terrible. But video game baseball zips along nd is fun. And maybe games should be three innings long in real life.
Normally I play my career mode, and I liked being able to import “Me” from 2019 into this game. I know this feature has been around for a while, but I was so into “Me” from 2013’s game that I kept playing MLB 2013 until last year. Then I decided to get ’19 (great game) which led me to decide to get ’20.
So I uploaded “me” and see that my guy carried over and I will be able to pick up my career in 2023 now on my second stint with the Orioles after starting with the Mets in 2019, losing all of 2020 to an injury, then asking for a trade in 2021 when the Mets stuck me in the bullpen traded to Baltimore, traded to Miami, traded back to Baltimore where now I am Ace Like. I bet the bloggers of that universe are killing the Mets for letting “me” go.
But we digress, I didn’t play that mode.
I decided since I had started this new version of Day One that I would try to keep up with the Diamond Dynasty stuff the kids like, so I created my team The Los Angeles Cyclones. (when I make billions off this blog I am buying the Brooklyn team and moving them to LA just to be a jerk). I started the grind, and got some cards which allowed me to acquire Dave Kingman and Willie Mays’ Mets old man version. That’s all fun.
I also made “me” who is the 5th starter on the Cyclones, and that’s where I came to this awesome piece of customization…
Yeah baby! LOW PROFILE. Love it.
Played that mode for like 4 hours and did the conquest map (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, basically the grind is you play some three inning games, games get you some points, you spend the points on cards, and you build your team. I left out some details but that’s basically what it is. Play more, get better guys, win more, chase the next dragon…)
Then I decided to check out Franchise Mode, which I think will be my jam this year. I took the Oakland A’s and rebranded them as the Long Island Ducks.
There is something called “The Vault” which has some logos some other people made. The game engine has the announcer saying “Long Island” and “Ducks” so it’s kind of cool and makes the whole made up team feel legit. The only thing that’s sucks is that unlike say the NHL and NBA games, I don’t think you can realign the divisions, so my Ducks are stuck in the AL West.
I left the Oakland green alone, which probably isn’t accurate but who cares, and changed the gold to whatever orange my slider landed on when I dragged it. Looks fine.
Then I went to the Free Agent market and signed two players. One is Tom Seaver! I basically blew my budget but hey I get a de-aged Tom Seaver, who keeps all old stats. It’s funny to see that 1986-2020 gap on his baseball card, but the numbers are all there. I think he’s now de-aged to be like 28 or so, but he’s still The (made up ) Franchise.
Some nice opening day ceremonies and then…
There he is! I love the lean they have him do.
Tom went 8 scoreless before giving off a lead off single and being relived. Then the alonsing bullpen blew it. My Ducks won in 11 but Tom did not get the win. (Alonsing is my new favorite swear word.)
Now, when I play video games I play for fun. Some of the best advice I ever got was from the Press Row Podcast who advised switching Madden to Arcade Mode. It’s just more fun. Also in NBA2K turn the play art on.
So as part of my fun, I picked up another Free Agent…
Do you recognize him? Hint: he has returned. I will tell you all about him in the next post at 11am. We have a lot of time to kill here in blogland.
SUMMARY: Buy the game now. You have nothing to do all weekend, so spend the extra $20 and get it. Great game. Lots of fun. You have nothing else to do.
