How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 82 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 63 | 54 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 64 | 100 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (35)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
“MLB The Show 18 is, for our money, the best sports game on console right now. Whether you love baseball or not, this is a flexible simulation that can appeal to both beginners and veterans alike, with some of the best presentation you’ll find on the PS4. On paper this may not sound like a substantial step forward for the series, but the under-the-hood improvements mean that it’s the best playing, best looking version yet. We’re not sure where Sony San Diego goes next with this series, but we say that every year, and it continues to smash our expectations out of the park. ”
read full review ↗ - 77
“Road to the Show remains the soul of The Show 18 to me, with everything else feeling like a fun distraction, like getting to step into the shoes of baseball's past greats or the tasting the 8-bit flavor of retro mode. As I progress more into my player's career, there's this unshakable knowledge that he's never going to be better at some things than he is now. He will be in a box, an enjoyable one, but a box nonetheless.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Sony's flagship baseball franchise has never been better. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“MLB: The Show 18 delivers the best video game baseball experience ever, and new additions and tweaks to old game modes make this a baseball lovers dream, from first pitch to last out.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“MLB The Show 18 makes some missteps this time around, and if you’re most interested in building up a star in Road to the Show, it’s an especially weak year. That said, with fantastic online play and the expected stellar hitting and pitching, it is still an incredibly fun game, and the best baseball simulator coming out this year.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“MLB The Show 18 offers a ton of options for new players to craft their own experiences while still giving veteran players the level of depth they’d expect from the latest entry in a series that’s been totally refined over the years. Some of its modes might seem a little dated, and only time will tell if MLB The Show 19 can finally be the game that makes Franchise mode a little more exciting to manage, but Road to the Show’s new RPG mechanics and The Show 18‘s overall great gameplay will give players new and old plenty to enjoy.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The strength of the MLB The Show series has always been its authentic gameplay, which traditionally does a fantastic job capturing the essence of baseball. The 2018 version of The Show continues that trend, creating the most realistic baseball game to date. However, the nuanced gameplay and visual changes don’t quite make up for the lack of innovation, or removal, of MLB The Show’s core modes.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“MLB The Show 18 is still a great game for those passionate about baseball, but the consistency the series has displayed over the past decade has been at least somewhat broken with this new edition. For many, the fantastic gameplay will offset the loss of modes, the lack of advancement in others, and the lingering server struggles. Ultimately, though, it's becoming more clear now than ever that the series is begining to have trouble meeting the heightened expectations now present within the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“MLB The Show 18 continues to be one of the best sports games released each year. The action on the field is an incredible recreation of the real-life sport. I do wish that Sony San Diego would take bigger risks each year with its Road to the Show and Franchise modes. But what is offered up in this year’s game makes for a great game of baseball and one that I’ll be coming back to all year long.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“MLB The Show remains a classy, spectacular baseball game, and if you’re a baseball gamer, you want this title in your library. It’s a home run. Just not a 500-footer.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“MLB The Show 18 is another notch in the successful belt of the MLB series from San Diego Studio. It has better mechanics, more meaningful modes, a gorgeous presentation style and it just feels like what you would imagine a baseball game should feel like.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“It’s far from perfect, but, as I said earlier, it offers a solid baseball experience that can’t be found anywhere else. ”
read full review ↗
Push Square
Worth Playing
GameSpot
We Got This Covered
Digital Trends
EGM
IGN
Sporting News
Darkstation
Digital Chumps
Gaming Age…and 23 more tracked reviews.