Parents need to know that “MLB The Show 16” is a professional baseball simulation that is the latest installment in the sports franchise. There’s no questionable content in this game except for product branding across billboards and stadiums, along with team websites and other URLs. But parents should be aware this PlayStation exclusive can be played online with voice support, so kids could be engaged in inappropriate language (or hear profanity) as there’s no monitoring or filtering.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

“MLB The Show 16” aims to be the definitive interactive baseball simulation, whether you prefer to play by yourself or with a friend beside you or online. Available for PlayStation 4 and the older PlayStation 3, this year’s game includes many improvements and fixes over last year’s “MLB The Show 15” — already a stellar pro ball sim. Along with playing as or against your favorite Major League Baseball team from the National or American League (and if you like, recruiting legends of the game onto your team), new this year are additional gameplay modes (like ShowTime, where you can replay big baseball moments with more control and precision), enhancement to fan-favorite modes (Diamond Dynasty and Road To The Show), more personalization, unlockable (and redeemable) perks for playing, and tweaks to the A.I. and control. Note: The PS3 version of the game doesn’t share all of the features (or near photorealistic graphics) as the PS4 version.

IS IT ANY GOOD?

This year’s baseball game is nearly flawless, and is easily the best baseball simulation money can buy. How was this achieved? Well, Sony took last year’s already excellent game and improved it in almost every department. Load the game and right off the “bat” you’ll see the slick production values as you scroll through the menu and select what kind of baseball experience you feel like. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or new to the franchise, some of the new additions worth noting are tied to the Road to the Show mode. One is a feature called ShowTime, which lets you slow down major game moments and replay them with more cinematics and drama. Plus, the Road to the Show mode now lets you play out a string of games without having to return to the menu.

New modes include Battle Royale — which is similar to” Madden 16’s Draft Champions” – which lets you build a fantasy dream team for hours of fun, and then there’s Conquest, a strange new mode that has you compete against 30 other teams to see which one can build the biggest fan base and “conquer” North America through short 3-inning games. Players also receive in-game rewards through every mode, earning XP and Tickets (think Chuck E Cheese) which you can use towards unlockable goodies like special players, player cards, bonus stats, and more. Franchise Mode is as meaty and challenging as previous “MLB The Show” games. Plus, there’s new A.I., new pitcher and baserunner controls, new animations (including the Jose Bautista “bat flip” on the Toronto Blue Jays), classic stadiums, new broadcast-like presentation, and more. Other than no PSVita version as in years’ past, there’s nothing really to complain about this “MLB The Show 16.” It’s a grand slam of a baseball game.

RATING AND CONTENT

Recommended for ages 8 and older

Quality: 5 out of 5

Positive Messages: 4 out of 5

Positive Role Models: 3 out of 5

Ease of play: 5 out of 5

Violence: 0 out of 5

Language: 0 out of 5

Sexy stuff: 0 of 5

Drinking, drugs and smoking: 0 out of 5

Consumerism: 4 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)

GAME DETAILS

Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Price: $59.99 ($39.99 for PS3)

Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment America

Release Date: March 28, 2016

Genre: Sports

ESRB Rating: E

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Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.