Out of the Park Baseball 20

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Out of the Park Baseball 20 is a highly detailed and customizable baseball simulation game, officially licensed by MLB, MiLB, and the MLBPA. It allows players to step into the role of a GM and/or manager, own the future or rewrite the past of their favorite real-world baseball franchise, and build their team according to their preferences. With a rich historical component, players can also manage teams from the past dating back to almost 150 years.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,686 reviews

graphics16 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

OOTP 20 is the best baseball management simulator available, offering incredible depth and customization options for players.
The Perfect Team mode adds a fun and competitive element, allowing players to collect cards and build their own teams.
The game provides a realistic simulation experience, with detailed statistics and the ability to manage historical, current, or fictional leagues.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and issues with save files, leading to frustration for players.
The user interface can be overwhelming and not very user-friendly, making it difficult for new players to navigate.
The focus on the Perfect Team mode has led to concerns about pay-to-win mechanics and a lack of attention to the core gameplay experience.

graphics
82 mentions
20 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally considered outdated and functional, with many users noting issues such as bugs, lag, and inaccuracies in animations. While some improvements have been made in recent iterations, the visuals are not a primary focus for players who appreciate the game's simulation aspects. Overall, the graphics are seen as a minor concern compared to the engaging gameplay and statistical depth.
- “Not sure when they came out with the graphics of the players actually moving about the field, but it's new to me and really adds a much needed dimension to the already very deep gameplay.”
- “While the gameplay is among the best I've ever seen, the aesthetics are what really take the cake.”
- “I've played 17, 19, and now 20 and each iteration gets cleaned up a little more and visuals get a little better.”
- “Its statistical recreation is highly inaccurate, the graphics are inferior, and its overall playability is poor.”
- “But... the graphics are long outdated, the user interface is terrible, the game doesn't explain the myriads of abbreviations or mechanics that make it work.”
- “For me the immersion in the game is being able to watch my team on the field and the little stickman graphics never cut it.”
gameplay
46 mentions
30 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Out of the Park Baseball is praised for its depth, engaging management simulation, and customization options, making it a standout in baseball simulation games. However, the introduction of lootboxes and gambling mechanics has drawn criticism, detracting from the core experience. While the animated gameplay adds a new layer, it suffers from unrealistic animations that can disrupt immersion, and the outdated graphics and user interface pose challenges for new players.
- “The gameplay of Out of the Park Baseball is fantastic - it's really fun to virtually manage a baseball team.”
- “Lots of depth, massive amounts of information, and a very believable simulation model for both gameplay and management aspects.”
- “The gameplay keeps you engaged - especially if you're down with a couple of innings to go.”
- “Now inundated with lootboxes and gambling mechanics just like every AAA sports video game.”
- “The devs simply added the gambling game mode and forgot about the other 98% of gameplay.”
- “There are too many completely unrealistic animations of gameplay, from fielders standing with the ball, one foot from the bag, and waiting for another player to run 60 feet before tossing him the ball, to infielders holding the ball instead of making easy outs. I understand that they're just making the animation match the simmed outcome, but it's poorly done in some cases.”
optimization
18 mentions
17 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on older hardware when graphics settings are maximized, leading to stuttering and slowdowns. While the AI adapts based on player performance, there are calls for improvements in trade logic and overall game performance, suggesting that players would prefer fewer new features if it meant enhancing optimization and AI capabilities. Overall, the game's 3D engine may be too demanding for some systems, impacting the overall experience.
- “The developers started with a fantastic collection of cards and regularly update with new sets each week, whether through unique or whimsical themes, or through sets that recognize outstanding performances by today's major leaguers (e.g., player-of-the-month or team-of-the-decade sets).”
- “I don't mind less new features if the time is spent improving performance and the AI, which was already pretty good.”
- “The AI will change in strength depending on your performance.”
- “The 3D engine may be too demanding for older hardware, especially when all eye candies were turned on - stuttering and hesitating gameplay were noticeable.”
- “I had stuttering and slowing down issues when the graphics options were maxed out.”
- “I don't mind fewer new features if the time is spent improving performance and the AI, which was already pretty good.”
story
10 mentions
20 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally well-received, particularly for those who appreciate the evolution of baseball leagues and players over time. However, some players feel that the game should prioritize financial mechanics over narrative elements, suggesting a need for a more balanced approach. Overall, the narrative is seen as strong, with statistics playing a significant role in conveying the story.
- “Story: very good, especially if you enjoy the evolution of the baseball leagues, teams, players over the long season.”
- “But the developments that have come throughout this season, from collection missions to tournaments have provided avenues for free-to-play players to make it to the highest level 'perfect' leagues, normally a few dozen of which run each sim year (real-life week) and win a few seasons here and there.”
- “Game in general has to step back from some story aspects in it and actually get some of the financial stuff put down correctly.”
- “Instead of writing a story, I'll just list out some pros and cons.”
- “The stats tell the story.”
monetization
10 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model, particularly through the "perfect team" mode, is criticized as a predatory cash grab akin to similar modes in other franchises, leading to a pay-to-win environment that detracts from the core gameplay experience. While some fans appreciate the overall game, the focus on microtransactions and the negative community sentiment suggest a significant dissatisfaction with the monetization approach.
- “Despite this game having a monetization model in the form of Perfect Team, it still manages to do everything just right to keep sim fans satisfied.”
- “The PT mode, like Madden's MUT or FIFA's FUT, is nothing more than a greedy and predatory cash grab.”
- “Unfriendly old boys all over the official message boards, a cynical pay-to-win cash grab taking development away from the core game, and a 'small sample size' magic bullet to shoot down any critique of unrealistic results make this a year to skip.”
- “All the hype is about Perfect Team from the developer as it's their big cash grab.”
replayability
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability, with extensive customization options that allow for nearly infinite variations in gameplay. Players can engage in historical, online, and custom leagues, enhancing the fun factor and immersion, making it a standout sports simulation experience. Overall, the replay value is highly praised by users.
- “The amount of stuff you can easily customize in-game, allowing for pretty much infinite replayability, makes this the best sports sim out there.”
- “There are historical MLB leagues, online leagues, custom leagues - replayability is amazing.”
- “Perfect Team is a lot of fun, and I can see a lot of enjoyment and replay value with OOTP.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of funny, sad, and occasionally disgusting moments, with players finding amusement in the discrepancies between animated figures and the accompanying text. While some aspects of the game excel in humor, there are also instances of absurdity that players can appreciate without feeling they detract from the overall experience.
- “The discussions are both funny, sad, and disgusting at times.”
- “Occasionally, some unbelievable things happen, but you can just take it in stride as humorous rather than game-breaking.”
- “This does some things very well, but baseball mogul does some things way better; however, the animated figures during play-by-play can be hilariously different from what the text says occurred.”
stability
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, including buggy and laggy 3D graphics, particularly during errors and extra base hits. Additionally, many experience frequent laptop freezes upon exiting the game after a certain point in the season, making it impossible to reload.
- “After a certain amount of time in the season, my laptop freezes when I exit, and it is impossible to reload the game.”
- “It did not: after a certain amount of time in the season, my laptop freezes when I exit, no matter which settings I use.”
- “3D graphics are buggy and laggy on errors and extra base hits.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report forming deep emotional connections with the characters, enhancing their overall gaming experience. This strong bond is highlighted as a key aspect of the game, making it highly recommended even without exploring additional features like the team gamemode.
- “You grow a strong emotional bond with them all.”
- “Touching on the perfect game component.”
- “A definite recommend, and that is without even touching the perfect team gamemode.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, citing a lack of user-friendliness and intuitive navigation. The frequent interruptions from player screens and the absence of keyboard shortcuts contribute to a cumbersome experience, making the grinding feel excessively laborious.
- “I just found it extremely tedious.”
- “I don't find it particularly intuitive, and the constant player screen popping up when trying to click anything remotely associated with a player (and an inexcusable lack of keyboard shortcuts) is so incredibly tedious.”
- “On the downside, the game is not very user-friendly and navigating between pages can be tedious and frustrating.”
music
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game received mixed feedback, with users noting the presence of baseball action sounds and crowd cheers, but a lack of memorable background music. Overall, the absence of a significant musical score was a common observation among reviewers.
- “There were baseball action sounds, cheers, etc... I don't recall any background music.”
- “No background music.”
- “There were baseball action sounds, cheers, etc... I don't recall any background music.”