Review: Out of the Park Baseball 13

Every year before March I get extremely excited about four things:

• March Madness 
• Spring Training
• Fantasy Baseball Draft
• Out of the Park Baseball

This post is about the last bullet point:

As far back as I can remember, whether it was playing World Series Baseball on Sega Genesis or Madden on PS2, the most compelling aspect of the game for me was putting my General Manager hat on and managing the roster - making trades, signing players in free agency and finding new, young talent. Naturally, that joy led me to Out of the Park Baseball where I can literally put on my GM hat and take control of any franchise putting my fingerprints on every aspect of the team, from the team's international scouting budget to my recently drafted 18 year old prospect's pitch count. 

For any of you who are not familiar with Out of the Park Baseball, it is a computer based baseball simulation game and it's been my favorite game of any kind for several years now. 

Now, to call Out of the Park Baseball simply a "simulation game" doesn't do it justice as it is significantly  more in depth than any other baseball simulation game, or sports simulation game of any kind, that I have ever come across. As General Manager of a franchise you have complete and total control of the team both in the majors and the complete minor league system - from AAA to Rookie Ball. You can hire your Scouting Director and coaches for all of your minor league teams and it's advised that you carefully choose the right coaches, because their skills and tendencies affect your prized prospects and their development. Given a budget from your owner, you control ticket prices, how much money to invest in scouting amateur prospects, the minors, internationally and player development. Is your team trying to win now, and scouting major league level talent is crucial or are you 2-3 years away and would like to spend your money on amateur scouting and player development? You make the call!

If OOTP 13 were simply last year's game with updated rosters I would likely still buy the game and not question my decision. That's a testament to how great of a game OOTP 12 is/was, but OOTP 13 is more than just updated rosters, it's even better!

First off, the set up and layout of the game is more user friendly and appealing to the eye. All of the controls are intuitive and appropriately place where you expect them to be. But it's not just an improved interface that makes OOTP 13 improved, they have upgraded the games core engine and more and it shows:

• The computer AI is much smarter, especially concerning trades. Gone are the days where you could overflow the computer with decent minor leaguers to get their prized prospect. This may frustrate teams trying to find a quick fix to their struggling, but it's much more realistic and makes for a better experience.
• Interactive Storylines: I unfortunately haven't played enough to experience this aspect to the fullest but all of your decisions as GM affect the storylines that come up throughout the season. For example, if you bench your high-priced player for a up and coming prospect and he complains to the media, you have the chance to fine him. Sounds like an easy decision, right? Well, he may then start complaining more, bringing the morale down for the team. Decide not to fine him and the team may start losing respect - decisions, decisions, decisions. For lack of a better word, there is an obvious one-to-oneness in the new OOTP, with every move that you make having a potential consequence and it's made for a much better playing experience thus far.
• Houston Astros/Expanded Playoffs: This may seem like a simple, no-brainer, but I can't express enough how fun it's been to witness the Astros in the American League and expanded playoffs in action - before it's happened in real life! 

While those changes have all been for the good they've smartly kept many of the things the same that make me like previous versions so much:

• Advanced Stats. Curious what Albert Pujols' wOBA was in any given season? It's right there. Interested to see the zone rating of your SS to see if you need to upgrade your defense? You have the chance. If you read my blog, you're aware I'm a fan and user of the new stats and if you're like me and want that in your baseball game then OOTP 13 is your game.
• Offseason changes: One of the most rewarding part of OOTP is it's re-playability, no two games you start will ever be the same. One way that is done is in the offseason, where new rules are instituted or changed and where expansion teams are added to the game. 

I have only had the game for a short while but even in that time it's become evident that Out of the Park Baseball 13 is better than the previous version which was a hard game to beat. OOTP 13 has fixed what needed to be fixed, upgraded what you didn't think needed upgrades and added many new features that have contributed to their best game yet. Without hesitation I give this game a 10/10, 5 stars, and an A+ - using any metric you want Out of the Park Baseball 13 is Out Of This World!