The way MLB The Show 21 has been shaping up, it would appear that San Diego Studio is listening to fans more than ever. The developer has already promised a number of brand new features, one of the most exciting being the new Stadium Creator mode. In a recent presentation, a couple of developers at San Diego Studio showed off some new gameplay mechanics, with a particular focus on pitching. MLB The Show 21 seems to be doing everything it can to give players a bevy of options, while also ensuring that they receive the best feedback possible.
RELATED: Predicting MLB The Show 21’s Team Ratings
Perfect Accuracy Region
The first new pitching feature that the presentation showed off was the Perfect Accuracy Region, or PAR for short. Something that many players have taken issue with in the past is how perfect pitches with all-star pitchers don’t land where players mean for them too. The PAR clears up this confusion by adding a circle around where players are trying to locate their ball, illustrating the range of accuracy for that particular pitch. This region will be applied to the pure analogue, meter, and brand new pinpoint pitching modes, and each will differ in accuracy. Pinpoint pitching will have the smallest PAR, and pure analogue will have the biggest.
Pinpoint Pitching
MLB The Show 21 will be introducing a brand new pitching interface called pinpoint pitching. This pitching option aims to really challenge players, giving them a high-risk, high-reward approach when they take the mound. The process of each pitch will have its own unique movements that players will have to execute with the right stick. The real challenge for this pitching mode will come from the timing required for each pitch. The movements and timing required for a fastball will be different from a curveball, so getting the intricacies down will be vital.
Enhanced Feedback
In addition to the new pitching interfaces and PAR system, players are going to receive much more feedback on their pitches. Although it was only shown with pinpoint pitching during the preview, MLB The Show 21 is going to let players know just about everything in regards to how well they’re throwing. Players will be able to see their accuracy when tracing the pitch movements, their timing, and the final angle of each pitch as soon as they throw it. These enhancements to The Show will take more of the guesswork out of pitching, and give players a better idea of where they might need to improve.
San Diego Studio has promised more feature premieres as the release to MLB The Show 21 comes closer. With the addition of stadium creator and these pitching enhancements, it’s clear that SDS is doing everything it can to make this year’s game something special. Most yearly sports games only have incremental changes, but MLB The Show has routinely stood out among the rest. Now that the game is able to take advantage of next-gen hardware, future installments are likely to be even more impressive.
MLB The Show 21 is releasing on April 20, 2021, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
MORE: MLB The Show 21’s Cross-Play Will Be Great for the Franchise
