Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the US, but translating it into a dynamic and exciting videogame is a bit of a gamble, given its rather static nature. 2K Sports brilliantly succeeds in capturing the very fragrance of baseball, without turning the entire gaming experience into a tedious one, delivering the perfect mix between arcade fun and realism. Those hoping for an 100% accurate simulator may be slightly disappointed, but otherwise The Bigs 2 is simply the best baseball game available.

Without a doubt Major League Baseball would have been far less exciting without the strong influence made by Japanese, Cuban or Dominican players, adding extra value and flavor to the best championship in the world. Granted their important contribution, playing in the MLB is every athlete's dream so it was only natural that The Bigs 2 would focus on this US/Canadian joint venture. Outside North America though, baseball is less popular so 2K Sports was bound to come up with an explicit, easy to pick up tutorial to help the newcomers getting familiar with this sport.

Fortunate enough I've been dealing with baseball for a long time now, so reviewing The Bigs 2 was a reason to rejoice, but I've got mixed feeling about the tutorial. 2K Sports did a great job in explaining the basic elements of the game, focusing on both pitching and batting mechanics as well as presenting the scoring system. On the other hand more subtle terms and notions are barely explained or even skipped entirely, making a novice's job incredibly difficult in the early stages.

You don't have to be a baseball guru to know about homeruns, strikeouts, pitchers, batters or catchers, but terms such as flyout, bunt, RBI (runs batted in) etc will puzzle many newcomers. It's only fair to say that you can progress with the campaign and win games without having any idea about many rules and notions, but occasionally you are required to complete certain challenges demanding in-depth knowledge. On the other hand it's easy to assume what double play, stealing bases or relief pitchers mean, so despite the shallow tutorial it's fairly easy to learn the game step by step.

While it is possible to play a single match against any team in MLB, most players will decide to take on their favorite club and surge through the standings during a full season, hoping to clinch a play off spot. To see the team progressing all the way to the World Series, should be particularly rewarding for those supporting the lowly Royals or Nationals, but all baseball fans will be equally delighted to lift the trophy. Besides the inherent fun, this mode provides you with countless hours of quality entertaining and breathtaking matches, given this sport's unpredictable nature.