RBI Baseball 16

Not a lot has changed between last years RBI Baseball and this years RBI Baseball, but for the minimal “price of entry” it’s great to get updated rosters, a few nice fielding additions, and a slightly more crisp and vibrant graphical output. Is RBI Baseball 16 on Xbox One worth it? Without access to a ‘true’ MLB title, we think so!

We cannot say whether or not we would recommend this on the PS4, so I want to get that out of the way now. We have been told that both version of the game play equally, but the PS4 has something the Xbox One does not: a dedicated MLB title in The Show. Going forward, while this review will be fairly universal between Xbox One and PS4, our recommendations are for the Xbox One version only.

RBI Baseball 16 is arcade baseball at its finest. You have tow buttons to bat – A and B on Xbox One – and a few pitching options using the D-Pad. My preferred fielding controls allowed me to map the bases to the 4 face buttons, which makes fielding painless. The biggest addition to RBI Baseball 16 is new fielding mechanics, most notably a wall climb to grab a ball that appears to just sail over the wall.

Here are a list of new additions from MLB:

DEFENSE: A redeveloped defensive AI will introduce new fielding capabilities

including dives, wall catches, pump fake throws and more. This system will give

users more control than ever before in making defensive plays.

• BASERUNNING: Built in part from MLBAM’s award-winning tracking

technology, Statcast, baserunners’ abilities will be driven by on-field metrics from

the 2015 MLB season.

• BATTING: An improved batting engine will feature variable perfect timing. For

the best outcome, swing earlier on inside pitches and later on outside pitches.

• PITCHING: With a reworked pitching strategy AI, pitchers will play to their

individual strengths. For example, a pitcher who features a wide range of velocity

will mix speeds more often.

• SEASON SIM: During season mode play, sim a game or multiple games to

quickly advance through the season and into the Postseason – should the team win

its division or earn a Wild Card spot.

• LINEUP: Modify a team’s lineup pre-game or in-game, including substitution

strategies such as double switches. Lineups can be set from a franchise’s 40-man

roster or the game’s classic 16-player rosters.

• GRAPHICS: All 30 MLB ballparks will feature a new lighting system based on

actual geographic locations, field views and additional hi-resolution realistic

design elements.

Everything is top notch here, but the most noticeable difference between 15 and 16 is in the graphics. Everything looks cleaner in 16, and although a lot of the animations are still funny – switching the same handed pitcher during an inning will not create a different looking person on the mound – we need to realize that this is arcade baseball. The goal isn’t realism, but rather, a fun game of 9 inning baseball in a short period of time. On that, RBI Baseball 16 delivers 100%. We recommend it to anyone looking for a fun baseball title on Xbox One, and anyone on PS4 who prefers the arcade feel to the authentic feel.

We can easily give RBI Baseball 16 a 8.5/10!