With the MLB’s new young star Fernando Tatis Jr. grazing the cover of “MLB: The Show 21,” fans are now able to access the hot new sports video game.

It’s been over a year since the last game was released by San Diego Studios, and this year’s game already proves to be better than last year’s version. “MLB The Show 21,” available on PS4 and PS5, is available on XBOX for the first time since “MLB: The Show 16.”

While there are no new game modes in this year’s entry, many of the features get updates.

To begin, the first mode to discuss is “Road to the Show,” which is where gamers can create their own player, get drafted by a Major League franchise, and begin your career in the minor leagues, (Double-A, Triple-A). At this point, players can upgrade their players’ attributes based on performance points and skill points that you earn game-by-game. To be fair, the mode is basically the same as last year’s version, and there wasn’t much of an improvement at all.

The next mode of discussion is March to October. This mode is where players pick an MLB Franchise to control for a season and play key moments throughout the 162-game season. A player’s team’s success depends on their performance within the certain moments they are given. You can also earn rewards that go towards your Diamond Dynasty Team.  This is a quicker option if you don’t want to play an entire season.

Overall, this mode is also still the same and didn’t really have any updates outside of the rosters and the menu graphics. 

Diamond Dynasty is our next mode. Now this is personally my favorite mode in the entire game, as there are new and fun features added every year. New this year in Diamond Dynasty is that there are no XP Levels like there were in past games. There are also new players making an appearance in the game this year, such as Prince Fielder, Grady Sizemore, Roberto Clemente and many more. And of course, you can control your team and improve it as new players and cards come out. There are still modes like Conquest, Battle Royal and Moments in Diamond Dynasty.

Brand new this year and for the first time ever, “MLB: The Show” now has a Stadium Creator Mode. This mode, however, is only available on next-generation consoles, which are the PS5 and the XBOX One. This mode allows you to not only create your own stadium, but also the surrounding area. You can sort of make your own little town surrounding the stadium. As for the stadium, you can pretty much do anything you want to do. You can adjust how far the home run fences are, how many sections of seats you want, and all the other logistics that go into building a stadium. This so far has been a fan favorite since the game was released back in April.

Other modes that are still in the game include Postseason, Franchise, Challenge of The Week, Home Run Derby and Exhibition.

As for the flaws, up to this point the only real major issue has been the online servers. They have been down at least once every day since the game has come out, and it’s mainly in Diamond Dynasty. It’s resulting in players’ screens freezing, so they are forced to quit. 

Other than the servers being pretty mediocre up to this point, the game is great as you can see the updates in graphics, in-game sounds and the gameplay. The game is definitely for all MLB Fans and fans of baseball in general.