Wow! By now, it's no secret to anyone that 989 Studios' sports franchises could use a little work. In the days of the original PlayStation, 989 was one of the big boys on the block when it came to sports games. Past success has been hard to duplicate in the era of the PS2. However, this hasn't stopped 989 Studios from going back to the woodshed, and it looks like the hard work may have paid off. Though the game still lacks the graphical quality, it more than makes up for it with fun, deep gameplay.

MLB 2005 does a great job of providing the atmosphere of an afternoon at the ballpark. The overall graphical quality is much cleaner than last year, but there are no extremely noticeable graphical jumps from last year's game. The same general style is present, but a few details have been added, such as player's uniforms getting dirty during gameplay. Player models are big and look like their real-life counterparts. Animations are nice, but tend to get redundant. The little details like plate rituals and diving catches are always good to see, but they lack variety (especially catches) and wear out quickly. Ballparks are finely detailed, especially the crowds. Though still a tad blurry at times, the amount of detail that goes on -- such as individuals standing up and cheering while others sit around, is great. The only thing missing is the vendors roaming the aisles and over-eager fans snatching balls from the outfielder's glove. A number of other details complete the deal, like scoreboards that update with player pictures and profiles and stadium-specific landmarks.

Sound is mixed. Stadium PA announcements are fun, as are heckles from the crowd. The rest of the audio leaves much to be desired. The Play-by-play from Dave Campell and Vin Scully sounds phoned-in and emotionless. These two might as well be calling a chess game rather than a baseball game. While not completely ruining the experience, the audio detracts from an otherwise immersive environment.

Gameplay and options is where MLB 2005 really shines. The game of baseball is as good as it ever was and follows all of the same rules as it has in past games. So, if you haven't clue one about what baseball is, or how it's played, then this probably isn't the game for you. Unlike past games, the real focus of the '05 edition of MLB seems to be multiplayer. All of the play modes, except Career, can be played with a friend. Online options are even available.

Career and Franchise modes are where most of the game's depth can be found. Career mode lets you create your own custom player and play through his career. One of the more interesting features in this mode is the ability to use the Eye-Toy to map your face onto your created player's, essentially putting you in the game. This feature is nicely done and easy to use, plus it adds that personal touch and invests you into the game just a little more than sticking your name on a character. You'll start as a fresh-faced rookie and play though spring training. If you can manage to turn enough heads, you'll eventually get picked up by a major league ball club. As your character's career progresses, he will be awarded with stat points that can be used to purchase upgrades to his abilities. This can be one of the shortest, or longest, modes to play though. If your player is good enough, you'll be able to stay in the majors until retirement. However, if you hit a slump you can be released from the team entirely. I've never been a fan of these types of modes outside of boxing games, but I found this one rather enjoyable. The only thing that would have made it better was a minor league system.

Franchise is a bigger fish to fry, but is just as fun -- especially for you uber anal types who have to control everything. This mode puts you in the owner's position of a ball club. Here you'll have control over every aspect of the team, from trades, hires, player development and facilities (medical care, training rooms, etc...). If you desire, you can even plan out seemingly unrelated aspects like TV campaigns, billboards and even ticket and concession prices. This mode takes place over 5-year stints. If you do a good job, your contract is extended. Run your team into the ground, and you're gone. As expected, this mode takes some getting used to and will probably appeal only to a few wannabe owners, but it's handled well.

As mentioned earlier, MLB 2005 also offers online play over Broadband and Dial-up connections. However, Broadband is recommended for the best possible experience, which includes the ability to use voice chat to talk (okay...trash talk) other players. Also included in the online package are message boards, in-game email and stat boards. You can also check your opponent's win-loss records, disconnect numbers (which is a bug plus for anyone who's ever played a competitive game online) or run your own tournaments. Lag issues were hit and miss, depending on my opponent's connection speed. When running Broadband-to-Broadband, things were smooth as a bald Billy Dee Williams. Things got choppy when going against someone playing over Dial-up. The lag certainly wasn't that much of a detriment to the game, but picky players will want to check their opponents ping time (which can be viewed in the player profile) before challenging.

One of the major complaints I've had about every baseball game I've covered was fielding issues. Given that good fielding is required for a successful team, the poor fielding found in past games has always been a deal breaker. This is why I was pleased to see that MLB 2005 features some of the best fielding I've seen yet. It's certainly not perfect, and a number of lame antics will still go on sometimes, but overall it's excellent. Overall, I've always found the MLB series a tad too easy, and the '05 edition carries this legacy with it as well. Thankfully, it's not as easy as previous years, which means you'll have fewer blow-out victories. Short bloopers are still a little too common, but home runs aren't nearly as frequent.

As the tendency with most of 989 Studios' sports franchises, the interface and overall gameplay tend to take a more simplistic, arcade-like approach. Pitching, fielding and batting are all easy to pull off and very user-friendly. Most of the smaller details are handled by the computer, while the bigger things are up to the player. The batting interface comes in three varieties depending on how much control you want. Novice players can simply try to time their swing, while more intermediate players can try and aim their swing to where they think the ball will show up. Advanced players can guess the pitch type. The more complicated a system you use, the better your chances for controlled hits and home runs. The interface on the other side of the plate is just as easy, although doesn't offer as many options. After selecting a pitch and placing it in the strike zone, you hold the X button. The longer the button is held, the more power is put behind the pitch. If your timing is right, you even have to option to pick guys off. A growing trademark of all of 989 Studios' recent sports titles has been this use of the UBS headset in single-player games. MLB 2005 continues this trend by allowing you to control your outfield by telling them to back out or move in. This adds a nice wrinkle to the game's interface.

The overall feeling in MLB 2005 is a fun game that you'll play over-and-over again (or at least until MLB 2006). In order to keep you coming back, a rewards system has been implemented. As you complete challenges within the game, you are awarded points which can be used to purchase throwback uniforms and stadiums, cheats and legendary players.

Although the presentation leaves something to be desired, and there are a few apparent bumps in the road as far as difficulty goes, MLB 2005 provides a fun all-around baseball experience.