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) | – | 85 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 76 | 97 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 72 | 93 |
| 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 (36)
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 16 is one of the best baseball games I have ever played. Granted, I haven’t played many in my life, but this one really does have some great things going for it.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“MLB 16 The Show improves in many ways it needed to, but don't expect it to feel like a totally new game. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“While last year's release felt like the series was plateauing, this year, MLB The Show 16 returns better than ever. The gameplay remains consistently solid, and tweaks and additions to Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty will surely keep people coming back for more.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Once you deduce how to use the multifarious forms of interactivity, The Show is wonderfully calming when the rhythm of pitching becomes zen-like. As the controller beats like a frantic heart when the bases are loaded, the physiological feeling of vibration sends you inside yourself. But the experience as a whole isn’t completely fulfilling. The immediate challenge that remains is something as old as the hills, tiresome storytellers (the announcers). In an era during which we feel we don’t have the time to sit still on the couch for even an hour, listening to them pontificate is a royal pain.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“MLB The Show 16 is a letter of love for all baseball fans and fore those who likes sports games. Outstanding visuals, great game modes and accurate controls, makes this game a great experience. ”
read full review ↗ - 88
“It is nice to see that the team over at Sony San Diego has been given enough rope to try new things. The resulting product has once again shown why the MLB: The Show series is still one of the best sport simulations in the industry.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“MLB The Show 16 continues to find innovative ways to push the series forward by adding new features and improving on old ones. Some new problems have arisen, however, and old ones, most notably the horrendous stability of online play, continue to persist and hold the series back.”
read full review ↗ - 93
“Simply put, MLB The Show 16 is the best baseball game available on any current-gen console. It looks, plays, and feels amazing, offering many ways to play the great American pastime. Franchise and Road to the Show modes have made incremental but impressive improvements, while Diamond Dynasty offers entirely new ways to play. Not every mode works, but it’s encouraging to see such a radical new mix of gameplay. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“MLB The Show 16 is yet another excellent game in the series, but only enough has been done to sustain its status as such in coming off similarly received editions. Failing to properly address some long-running core deficiencies and a lack of innovation has prevented the franchise from reaching even greater heights...Instead, Sony San Diego has continued to build on its strengths with visuals and gameplay while further expanding the appeal of Diamond Dynasty. In doing so, The Show may lack some flash but it remains the most steady sports gaming franchise in existence today.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While it’s hard to say it’s a grand slam, it’s definitely an incredibly well done baseball game.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“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. It would at least be nice to cut the PS3 version, provided that the freed-up resources would make the yearly changes a little less incremental. Still, the baseball itself is as good as ever, and one of the better modes, Road to the Show, is far less clunky this time around.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“MLB The Show 16 is yet another great game of baseball, but for the first time I felt like the franchise is starting to wane in its greatness.”
read full review ↗
ZTGD
GameSpot
We Got This Covered
Washington Post
Atomix
ActionTrip
EGM
IGN
Sporting News
Examiner
Destructoid
Darkstation…and 24 more tracked reviews.