Regardless of the outcome of the game, OOTP records every statistic imaginable. Wonder how well a hitter performs when there is a person on 2nd base, when playing a night game on a real grass field? How does the team do when it comes to covering 3rd base? Anything that you could possibly want to know about your team’s performance is recorded. All of this information is easy to find and very informative.
“Informative” can sometimes mean emotional detachment or extreme boredom, right? A good example of this is if you just think about the last office meeting or class that you had to attend that involved PowerPoint. Thankfully, OOTP dodges that bullet like a pro and doesn’t force feed you anything you don’t want or need.
The game also adds human elements to a potentially monotonous experience. Taking a look at the injuries that can happen in game might show injuries resulting from “heroically rescuing neighbors from a house fire” or “his kid ran into him with his bike.” Watching a game can yield such announcements as “the 1st base coach reached out to catch a foul ball one handed, that’s got to hurt!” Little things like these draw you deeper into the simulation.
It got to the point that I didn’t even realize I was hooked. At about the 10th game in my first season as manager for the Cincinnati Reds,
my boys won 21-0 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. They burned through 6 pitchers! Two things happened simultaneously at this point. One, I felt that I was literally holding my breath every time the opposite team stepped up to the plate. Two, I realized I was now referring to the Reds as “my boys.” It was then that I gave in and accepted the fact that I was addicted.
Other than setting up lineups and watching the games play out, OOTP10 also gets you involved with the draft and salary arbitration. News stories are created when something spectacular happens. Personal messages are sent by players when they are happy (or not). Scouting reports are made on upcoming matches against rival teams. These are all just scratching the surface of what happens.
Truly, there is so much to love about OOTP that this review could be as long as the game’s manual. It runs well with nary a hiccup and proves to be a solid experience all around. OOTP performs exactly the way it should for a baseball management game. This game is not for everyone. However, if you can get past the original learning curve that is steeper than most games on the market, Out of the Park Baseball 10 will have you coming back for season after season.
Don’t take my word for it. You can download the full version of the game (weighing in at only 220MB) from
the official website and play it for 7 days. You won’t regret it.
A-
If you like baseball and a challenge, Out of the Park Baseball 10 will be your game of choice. Getting past the initial difficulty rewards the player in a way that few other games can.
Page 2 of 2
