Game Stooge

REVIEW: Out of the Park Baseball 9 (PC/Mac)

• Scribbled on June 22nd, 2008 by Jonah Falcon
• Filed in Mac, PC, Reviews, Sports, Strategy

Markus Heinsohn’s baseball strategy game has returned, and several things have happened since we reviewed Out of the Park Baseball 2007 over a year ago. For one, Out of the Park Developments had a divorce from SI Games, so the series resumes its numbering system; OOTP 2007 was renamed Out of the Park Baseball 8. Much of the core gameplay remains in the same as the previous edition – read the review for an overview – so this review will focus on the updates to the game.

Perhaps the most helpful update is the revamping of the scouting system. No more do you have to assign individual scouts to various countries and teams; it was a micromanagement headache for most. Now, you hire a scouting director to handle the whole shebang. The quality of your scouting reports are dependant on the amount of resources you devote to it.

The other most noticeable change is the in-game managing, in which bells and whistles have been added, to give a more aural and visual flair to games, such as ball tracking and upgraded sound effects. Another nice addition is the fact that the Lehman stats file is now included in the game, so you can automatically have season replays without having to point the game to the file’s location. Game replays are included as well, allowing the player to save and watch a game over again.

There are some bugaboos, however. While the documentation claims that trading AI and injury calculation has been improved, it still needs to be worked on. It’s too easy to fleece the computer on great players in certain positions (middle relief, for instance) using mid-level prospects, especially if the player adds cash to the deal. Injuries happen way too often, and feel random, blowing the suspension of belief. Speaking of suspensions, they are way too long – I’d never heard of a non-pitcher suspended for more than 6 games for anything short of decking an umpire or taking steroids. Some older-but-productive players will inexplicably retire in the middle of a season. That said, player suspensions are a great – and amusing if they’re not on your team – addition to the game.

A minor problem I have is the 2008 rosters – the ratings and lineups are completely wrong (Bobby Abreu, leading off?), and some bizarre signings occur (the Orioles signing Roger Clemens to a huge 3 year contract? Even without the steroids scandal, this would be odd.) but this is just a “garbage in, garbage out” problem in which the rosters are based on the beginning of the year. You can bet someone will have a roster file that accurately reflects the 2008 season.

Otherwise, everything that was good about OOTP 2007 applies here. Everything is customizable, deep gameplay, massive statistical goodness, online franchises and leagues, and overall general baseball enjoyment. The best part of the game is the community support, which have plenty of logos, roster, and face files to adjust the game; the OOTP series is perhaps the most completely and easily moldable sports game ever.

While the new edition comes with a lot of new tweaks and updates, it also has its own glitches and quirks, so the score remains the same. However, if a gamer who owned OOTP 2007/OOTP 8 asked me if he should spend the $39.99 to update to OOTP 9, I’d say “yes” – especially since you can easily import the earlier game’s save game files. If you’re an OOTP fan, tack on the extra half-star.