R.B.I. Baseball 15
- April 30, 2015
- MLB Advanced Media
RBI Baseball 15 slightly improves on RBI 14's biggest faults, but game-breaking bugs make us want to charge the mound.
R.B.I. Baseball 15 is a sports game that offers both single-player and multi-player modes. The game features authentic ballparks, detailed player attributes, and multiple game modes including Season, Postseason, Exhibition, and online multiplayer. However, players have reported numerous bugs that may impact gameplay. The game includes deep stat tracking, adjustable difficulty settings, and retro-style 2-button controls. With over 1,000 MLB players and updated rosters, R.B.I. Baseball 15 provides an immersive and customizable baseball experience.
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic arcade-style baseball experience reminiscent of classic titles from the NES and SNES eras.
- It features updated rosters and allows for quick gameplay, making it easy to pick up and play without getting bogged down by complex mechanics.
- The graphics, while not cutting-edge, are decent and the game runs smoothly for many players, providing a fun casual gaming experience.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with fielding, pitching, and game freezes.
- There is a lack of depth and features commonly found in modern baseball games, such as trades, injuries, and detailed season management.
- The controls are often unresponsive or unintuitive, especially for keyboard users, making it difficult to navigate menus and execute plays effectively.
- graphics26 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing them as dated, basic, and occasionally glitchy, reminiscent of older console games like the NES and SNES. While some appreciate the clean presentation and find the graphics acceptable for a fun gaming experience, others criticize the lack of detail, rough animations, and overall sub-par quality. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics are not a strong point, they do not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the game.
“The graphics are a little cartoony, but if a game has Xbox 360 control compatibility, then yes, buy it.”
“Graphics-wise it's fairly clean and it's alright.”
“The graphics are decent; not over the top, and not bad either.”
“This game reminds me of the SNES era of baseball games with updated graphics, and even fewer features than those had.”
“The graphics are kind of meh; that normally doesn't matter in sports games, but the player animations are rough; they glide rather than run.”
“The graphics are sub-par, there's no difference in the stadiums, and there are no announcers.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users noting its fast-paced, arcade-style nature but criticizing its limited features and subpar mechanics. While some enjoy the nostalgic feel and simplicity, others find the controls awkward and the overall experience lacking depth, often describing it as bare-bones and plagued by bugs. Overall, the gameplay is seen as enjoyable in short bursts, but ultimately disappointing due to its lack of polish and variety.
“The gameplay is very good and I enjoy playing.”
“The graphics are basic and the gameplay is very fast, which I love.”
“Well, RBI Baseball is a very bare-bones game with little features and fast gameplay; everything from a new batter to pitching changes or a pinch hitter is instant.”
“Gameplay is extremely limited and, quite frankly, not very good.”
“The fielding mechanics are subpar and random at best; when trying to field the ball, you can either be spot on and miss or 5 feet away and catch it.”
- stability17 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many users reporting frequent glitches, freezes, and bugs that significantly disrupt gameplay. While some players noted occasional fun moments, the overall experience is marred by issues such as graphical errors and gameplay lockups, leading to a consensus that the game is currently too buggy to recommend. Despite some patches addressing specific problems, many players still find the game frustratingly unstable.
“This game locks, freezes, and rubberbands online.”
“But the reason I would not recommend the game to others is because it is simply too buggy in its current state.”
“I feel like we haven't had one for years and RBI Baseball comes close, but it's so insanely buggy that it's close to unplayable.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted to be present during loading screens, but it fails to enhance the experience, as players express frustration with unresponsive prompts and lengthy wait times, leading some to consider refunds.
“I didn't even get past the loading screen when I was told there was a roster update available with unclickable yes or no buttons. I spent 7 minutes waiting on the screen for anything to happen while the music played in the background, then decided to try and get a refund.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from the exaggerated, clip art-like animations of the pitcher and batter, which some players find amusing, though others may view it as a cheap design choice; however, it does not detract from the overall gameplay experience.
“When the pitcher and batter move at the plate/mound, they look like clip art, which is funny (and might be considered cheap), but it doesn't take away from the gameplay.”
“The quirky dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud; it's a refreshing break from the usual serious tone of most games.”
“The slapstick humor and unexpected gags keep the gameplay light-hearted and enjoyable, making every session a fun experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game lacks high-resolution optimization and does not offer options to adjust the resolution, resulting in fuzzy text and poorly rendered player models.
“There is no high-resolution optimization, and there are no options to lower the resolution, resulting in fuzzy text and poorly rendered player models.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it difficult to enjoy due to lag and frame drops.”
“Optimization is lacking, leading to long loading times and frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users feel that the absence of a stadium speaker and sports commentary significantly detracts from the game's atmosphere, leaving it feeling flat and lacking the immersive experience typically associated with sports events.
“No stadium speaker, no sports commentary; a huge miss that really detracts from the atmosphere.”
“The lack of ambient sounds and crowd reactions makes the game feel lifeless and dull.”
“The overall environment feels empty and uninspired, failing to immerse players in the experience.”
Critic Reviews
R.B.I. Baseball 15 Review
At the end of the day, we're not entirely sure why R.B.I. Baseball has been revived. A full-on, retro styled game would perhaps be a reasonable alternative to MLB The Show, but this game ventures way too closely to Sony's series without having the budget to compete – and it makes a poor connection as a consequence. Bench this one, and get your baseball fix elsewhere.
40%R.B.I. Baseball 2015 review
Stripped down to arcade basics, it's buggy, bland, and not much fun.
45%RBI Baseball 15 Review
RBI Baseball 15 slightly improves on RBI 14's biggest faults, but game-breaking bugs make us want to charge the mound.
49%