MLB The Show 16

Subtle pacing changes make its predecessors seem laborious, and despite ShowTime's inconsistent debut, this version of Road to the Show is still more intriguing and playable than last year's. MLB 16 has the luxury of taking a few risks in the parts of its game that already are strong. The result may not be the equivalent of a dramatic home run, but it's still a solid hit.

Yes, MLB: The Show 16 is more of the same in a lot of ways. However, new features like ShowTime and modes like Conquest give this entry enough new toys to feel like a meaningful improvement over last year’s entry. If you’re a fan of the series, this year’s version is worth checking out unless you’re suffering from the most severe of digital baseball boredom.

If MLB The Show's new MO is just coasting on the good gameplay and providing minor tweaks to disparate modes, each with their own appeal (or lack thereof, depending), then there's no greater candidate for games-as-service that I can see. Because there's good money in it, however, I doubt we'll drop the yearly release format.