The BIGS 2 Demo Impressions
by 
The demo for The BIGS 2 was released yesterday for the 360. No word on when it will be reaching the PS3 but within the next couple Thursdays would be likely. The demo features a three inning game between the AL and NL All-Stars as well as Home Run Pinball in the Vegas venue.
Coming off The BIGS, one of my favorite sports games of this generation, hopes are high for the sequel. Just some initial impressions from the short time playing it so far the first being the ingenious strategical elements are still prevalent. I really appreciate how you can go at the games, and each individual pitch, so many different ways and nothing about it is frustrating unlike other arcade style games. The “Legendary” tag is a nice addition giving those fielders special abilities which I saw right away when the NL catcher jumped high into the air and onto the dugout to attempt to catch a foul ball. What I liked is they don’t always make those catches but they have a shot at them. The one thing I’m not really a fan of is the zoomed in camera which is just too tight in on the action. Since it follows the ball, which is thrown at laser speed, it is difficult to track what is happening and you miss some of the impact of all the action that is taking place.
Continue on to view the two videos I’ve captured thus far showing off the HR Pinball and a three inning game. Leave your impressions of the demo or videos in the comments!
June 19, 2009 at 2:54 pm
not the type of game for me, i like realistic
June 19, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Looks better than 2K9 to me…
June 19, 2009 at 3:03 pm
in every sense it really does
June 19, 2009 at 3:09 pm
No doubt about it. The BIGS is the best baseball game 2K makes.
June 19, 2009 at 7:44 pm
its pretty sad but yes the bigs 2 plays impressingly more well than 2k9
June 20, 2009 at 12:38 am
yeah and unfortunately the word "baseball" game is taken very loosely since this is an over the top arcade type of game and not realistic in any stretch of the imagination. Makes you wonder why 2k can make this game so well and they litterally seem incompetent when it comes to the sim version of baseball.
June 19, 2009 at 3:00 pm
looks fun. i am actually a fan of close up cameras.
June 19, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I didn't play the original, but this is fun. Not really my cup of tea, but they do arcade baseball well in it. If you liked Bigs 1, I'm sure you'll enjoy this.
June 19, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I tried the demo but i have to say it didn't really look that good. I'm not a hater but that game is nothing compared to other baseball games. OH AND I'M FIRST TO COMMENT.
June 19, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Everything about this game is better than 2k9. maybe 2k should make this there yearly baseball game.
even the graphics are better. Dammit EA go to court and get MVP baseball back. How amazing would MVP be on next gen………..PHENOMINAL
June 20, 2009 at 12:40 am
Being that EA makes games for both Xbox and PS3 and being that xbox has more limited disc space than PS3, I would have to say that MVP baseball wouldn't be all that awesome graphics wise. Being a PS3 owner I will stick with the Sony Proprietary property in MLB the show where they have no such restrictions and thus can cram that 50GB DVD full of baseball greatness.
June 19, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I'm going to buy this game Day 1.
Pros
+ The animation is incredibly smooth.
+ Graphics are colorful and wonderfully creative.
+ Player models look spot-on. (Players are not as muscular as first game)
+ The controls are instant and responsive.
+ Moody stadium lighting really sets the tone.
+ It's fun! Somehow this game doesn't lose its baseball core.
Cons
- Textures received a bump from the first game, but doesn't rank among the best in the genre.
- No self-shadowing on the players.
- The game runs 720p, what happened to 1080i from the first game?
June 19, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Yeah, non stop home runs. Fun…
June 19, 2009 at 6:46 pm
that is my only concern abt they game….is it all hr like the demo….i saw ichiro crank 1 and i thought that immediately
June 26, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I think this game gets a bad rap for "all the home runs" that are supposedly hit. Play on Hard or Super Hard and see how many Home Runs you hit. There actually IS an inherent strategy to hitting homers in that you have to scout out the outfielders' glove rating and try to pull it over their head. Players like Fuku, Ichiro, Torii Hunter, et. al will rob you time and time again if you challenge them.
..or, if you aren't into challenging gameplay, you can always opt for Ortiz or Howard's "No Doubter HR"
June 19, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Actually in the original it wasn't as though home runs were dominant. Sure there were some, but you also had to scratch out runs in other ways.
June 19, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Dont like the closeup camera. Is there an option in the game to change this?
June 19, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I looked through the menus and didn't see one even grayed out. So I'm guessing not.
June 19, 2009 at 7:45 pm
i didnt have many homers i had many hits which i liked alot 2k9 = too many homers
June 20, 2009 at 10:01 pm
yea exactly, is could harldy hit HR's with Quentin or Papi and there legendary unless i used turbo but i love it however the camera view is somewhat suffocating at times and i do not get when the bases-loaded grand slam thing is supposed to happen it's happened to my friend but not me so i don't know. but i do know you need to use big slam to do it.
June 20, 2009 at 7:16 am
Player models are really good. Also some of the best faces I've seen in a MLB game.
June 21, 2009 at 9:12 am
I hope everyone realizes they are using All Star Teams. So the home runs and legendary catches will be SEVERELY LESS with you team of choice.
June 26, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Yeah, that was Padre's response to me too and I think he has a legitimate claim. However, I STILL think the Legenday status is moderately overused. I mean, Tim Lincecum has only been in the league 2 years and they're already labeling his Fastball AND his curve as Legendary? Maybe his Fastball, but 2 for 1 seems a little excessive. Same thing with Fukudome's Glove rating after only being in the league 1 year. Personally, I would hope someone like Rick Ankiel (arm rating) gets legendary status as as well.
Not that I don't LIKE the legendary addition to the game, mind you… I just think more could have been done–from a strategic standpoint at least–had they gone with more attribute adjustment power-ups rather than slapping legendary ratings on people liberally.