Review: Out of the Park 13 (PC)

This is certainly not MLB The Show

Baseball simulations like Out of the Park Baseball 13 are perhaps the most anachronistic of all video games. In an era when the focus of most developers is on realistic graphics and physics, it is amazing a game can not only survive, but actually thrive, with no graphics or physics (to speak of). Instead, games like Out of the Park 13 and its competitors focus on being the most detailed, accurate simulation of all aspects of professional baseball. Out of the Park has changed a lot since I last played it (apparently OOTP 2012 was a major overhaul), but the core simulation engine remains the games focus and its strength.

This year's model has every Major League player and the entire Minor League organizational structure of every team. This means if you are a big Mets fan, you can take on the role of Terry Collins and put Batista and company through their paces. On the other hand, if you are a Minor League wonk like me, you can grab the reins of the Gwinnet Braves and try to do a good enough job to get a managing job in the majors at the end of the season (something I have consistently failed to do).

Players can choose between home or away team Play-by-Play announcers 

There are not only hundreds of teams in the game, there are also dozens of different ways to play OOTP.

I have always focused on single seasons, playing each game as manager and making decisions on a pitch-by-pitch or, sometimes, at-bat by at-bat basis. Played this way, the game allows the player to take on the role of a manager in the dugout, sweating over every decision. Even the decisions of the base coaches are simulated, and my favorite part of the game might be when the action in paused and I'm asked if I want to wave a runner in or hold him up at third (even though I always wave him in). It is super-satisfying to pull out a game on a late inning hit-and-run and super depressing to have the reliever you subbed in blow a save in the 9th.

Instead of micro-managing each game like I do, a player who found that concept tedious could simulate each game, or each week, or each month, or the whole season while setting parameters in which the action will be stopped and decisions can be made. For instance, a player could have the simulation set to pause whenever a player is injured or a pitcher was put on the waiver wire, etc. Played from this General Manager point of view, the player can keep up with every aspect of the franchise, including how prospects in the minors are handled and how the Minor League managers will coach each game.

In-game decisions like this make the game more exciting

As much as I'm enjoying this year's model, the game isn't for everyone. The main drawback for the casual baseball fan will be the complicated (overly-so) menu system and the relative opaqueness of the game flow. I have been playing Strat-o-Matic for the past couple of years (well, twenty years if you count table-top), and it is far more accessible because it really just handles one season at a time. Out of the Park is doing so much more but that added depth really adds to the complexity. There are also some annoying choices like not including the physical game settings (like resolution and full-screen/window toggle) after the game is launched. If I want to switch to full-screen (like to capture screen shots for a review), I have to exit the game and re-launch to access those options. Additionally, even a week in I found myself shuffling through tabs trying to find the one that had the option I needed to change for a particular tweak to my team.

Menu-design options aside, it is hard to find anything to complain about in this year's version of the game. It allows for so many different ways to play that, with some patience, any baseball fan should be able to find set up that works for him or her. Any experienced sim player would likely note that the way I play could be easily handled by the less complicated Strat-o-Matic, but even if you play just one season at a time, Out of the Park offers a deeper experience with hundreds more teams for a better price. At the moment, it is really the only option that makes sense for fans of Major League and Minor League Baseball.

- Danny Webb

The Good:
- Many different ways to play
- Minor and Major League organizations
- Stats, stats, and more stats!

The Bad:
- Shuffling menus constantly
- Quite a steep learning curve for new players

Score: 9.0 / 10