MLB Advanced Media's RBI Baseball 20 has released on consoles and this seemed like the perfect time. With real world sports being cancelled across the globe due to COVID-19, there are very few avenues for fans to check out their favorite sports. For many this has meant turning to video games, and at first glance RBI Baseball looks like a perfect real world substitute. Ultimately though, RBI Baseball 20 plays like a poorly made PlayStation 2 title.
Graphically RBI Baseball 20 looks rough, and it is obvious that the game hasn't improved much over its past iterations. It is challenging to distinguish between the faces of each player on the field, and every ballpark looks the same. Character animations are stilted and buggy with players clipping through the environment and each other at random. This becomes incredibly jarring the more time that is spent with RBI Baseball, and the players all have a creepy uncanny valley effect to their movements and faces.
There are several gameplay modes, and the only one that is really fun is the Home Run Derby. This is a tournament style game mode against computer controlled players. It is quite fun to hit as many homers a possible, all while getting better at the game's batting mechanic. The other game modes are just regular baseball games and this is sadly where RBI Baseball 20 falls apart.
The modern controls for pitching are pretty interesting in that players can choose different pitching styles and direction. Pitching isn't quite as complicated as in games like MLB The Show, but it is serviceable. Batting on the other hand is a mess. RBI Baseball has little depth perception while batting, so it is awkward to time swings correctly. Batting instead feels like it comes down to luck in a normal game (Home Run Derby is different in that players have the opportunity to swing as many times as they want to get their swing just right).
Other game mechanics just don't work the way that they should in RBI Baseball 20. Getting players to steal bases or move further around bases after a ball is hit is infuriating. There seems to be input lag to these actions that should be split second decisions. A lot of the in-game mechanics are also not explained very well by RBI Baseball 20 and must be figured out on the fly.
One interesting option that RBI Baseball 20 gives players is the ability to choose between playing with Classic or Modern controls. The Classic controls are the simplified controls of the older RBI Baseball games, whereas Modern controls allow for more options for batting and pitching. The Classic controls can help make the game less confusing, but the animations are even less impressive for these controls than the Modern version. While batting and pitching using Classic controls players tend to just float off the ground when moved rather than moving their legs. This experience is deeply jarring and unsettling, even if it is simpler to use than the newer style.
Ultimately, RBI Baseball 20 is a frustrating experience for anyone who tries to play it. The game suffers from problematic game mechanics and visuals. This game can't even be recommended as a good time waster, as many players will grow tired of it within a few hours. Unless players absolutely need their baseball fix, their money would be better spent on something other than RBI Baseball 20.
RBI Baseball 20 is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Android. A Nintendo Switch code was provided for the purposes of this review.