The similarities end here between this and regular baseball games. Throughout each game you will be gaining points which are awarded for strikeouts, base hits and big catches. Once you get 100,000 points you will acquire big hit or big heat ability. Each ability can only be used once per 100,000 so choose wisely. The big hit is exactly what it sounds like once activated when you connect with the ball it will be an instant home run, and more often then not you will make contact. The big hit gives your pitcher super speed which makes it very difficult to hit the ball.
Throughout the games, you will also gain turbo which is acquired by throwing strikes while pitching and taking balls when you’re hitting. Turbo is used to increase your speed no matter your field position. Turbo also gives you advantages such as: throwing faster pitches, swifter bat swing and more power to run around the bases.
The last new feature that the Bigs 2 brings is the ability to make legendary catches. To make a legendary catch, you first will need to press X and then the direction the ball is heading, which then triggers a minigame. This is probably one of the harder aspects to the games since these occur at unexpected moments and require split-second timing. But if you manage to pull them off successfully, you will a lot of extra points.
The graphics for Bigs 2 are pretty impressive in that the environments are vibrant and colorful, and the animations for each player are spot on. A heavy metal sound-track lets you rock out while each batter gets ready at the plate. Also, listen carefully to hear the familiar sounds of the ballpark, such as crowds cheering, drinks being spilt, feet stomping, pyrotechnics from the scoreboard, and of course the loud and repetitive announcers.
However, the game is not without its drawbacks. From the split-second minigames, to monitoring your Big hits and Big power, to managing your opposition (as well as figuring out the best time to use your turbo) is a very daunting set of tasks. Even when you do get the hang of it, there are frustrating situations when the computer performs way too good, which brings me to my biggest complaint. The difficulty levels separated by huge gaps. When I first started, I was playing on Medium Difficulty and was continuously getting beaten by 10 or more runs, but once I switched it to Easy Difficulty the situation completely flipped and I was winning by 10 runs.
The last complaint would be the lack of any kind of franchise mode. The Become a Legend and Season modes do give you most of what you crave, but with most sports games coming packed with at least some sort of franchise mode it seems odd to leave out something like this. Yes, the game is packed with a lot of features, but the lack of a franchise mode puts The Bigs 2 at a sore disadvantage to other baseball titles.
Overall, The Bigs 2 game is just one swing away from being blown out of the park. It doesn’t revolutionize baseball, but it does bring some new things to the table. In the end, the learning curve is just too steep, and having a hardcore blitz game mixed with baseball just seems out of place. If you’re a fan of baseball it’s worth a rent, but you won’t miss much if you skip it.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
Controls like any other baseball game, except for the minigames. Lots of energy and good graphics, but the learning curve is a bit steep. |
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