Some people might think that card-collecting modes typically cater more to the online crowd, but Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 22 has a handful of single-player modes for anyone who would prefer to avoid the online realm. These all take slightly different approaches to how you pit your skills against the CPU, and you’ll be able to collect plenty of rewards for devoting time to most of them. It’s safe to say though that there hasn’t been a whole lot of innovating in MLB The Show 22 when it comes to these single-player modes, and some of them could use a little more work than others to increase their value and have you enjoying them for even longer.
Let’s put these single-player modes within Diamond Dynasty under the microscope for closer scrutiny and see if we can figure out what’s working well and how they might be tweaked and expanded upon so that we may squeeze even more pleasure from them.
Diamond Dynasty Single-Player Breakdown
Conquest
What is it? A whole host of different maps that you have to conquer just like in the board game Risk by completing established goals and tasks throughout the maps.
What’s good about it? The rewards are the best part about Conquest and these become better as the size of the map increases. You can add some nice cards to your collection by tackling the most challenging ones that will have many strongholds, like the map of the US (and let’s not forget, one Canadian stop) that will require you to beat teams representing all 32 cities in the MLB. A great thing about Conquest though is all of the hidden pack rewards that you can find throughout the maps as you dominate territories, giving you the chance to stumble into some coveted cards that can help in building collections or be sold for a nice profit. Conquest also serves as a nice casual mode where you can use your assembled squad in 3-inning games that are usually played on lower difficulties to better allow you to win games and pad stats.
What could be better? A substantial portion of your time within Conquest is going to be spent moving around spaces on a map while simulating games (if you want to get anything done quickly) rather than actually playing any baseball, and that can definitely become a tedious slog on the larger maps. Though the rewards that you stumble upon along the way do help to offset some of that boredom (and watching Netflix or something on a second screen can help too), it does seem counterintuitive to have a mode in a baseball game make you spend so much time off of the field.
Challenges/Moments
What Is It? Various in-game scenarios that require you to complete objectives while either player locked at the plate or on the mound, or by winning a shortened game against a CPU opponent.
What’s good about it? Because most of these moments are pretty short, they can be completed rather quickly when you don’t have time to play a full game. Depending on which moments you play, there are some nice rewards that can be obtained for completing them too. Some, like the Nike Connect, Monthly Awards, or player program moments will provide you with points in that particular program so you can inch closer to the larger rewards that await if you continue to accumulate points in other ways. Others, like the daily moments that are added at noon eastern time every day, will get you a small chunk of XP that all goes towards whatever featured program is running at any given time.
What could be better? There’s not a lot of downside to these moments, and perhaps the biggest complaint that could be lobbed in their direction is that there’s never quite enough of them. On the nitpick side of things, it’s always preferable to play the shorter moments that can be completed in a flash — provided you’re on your game — but the longer ones that require you to log a certain number of strikeouts without conceding a hit can be frustrating, especially when the CPU makes weak contact and manages a bloop single.
Showdown
What is it? Essentially merging together moments with the online Battle Royale mode (with maybe a dash of Road to the Show thrown in for good measure), Showdown sees you trying to complete a series of scenarios that will reward you with the opportunity to draft new players and perks for your team. In the Final Showdown, you’ll have a set number of outs against a formidable pitcher to score a number of runs based on how well you performed in the previous challenges (or if you played them at all, for that matter).
What’s good about it? Because everything about Showdown leads to that inevitable titular head-to head battle with the pitcher, there’s an undeniable thrill in coming through with the victory when the pressure is finally on at the end. Leading up to that, there’s some intrigue in the strategy involved in assembling your squad and adding the ideal perks that will give you the best chance to beat each challenge that’s put in front of you. With several Showdown options available to play, and the ability to repeat some if you’re game, there’s really no end to how much time you can put into the mode should it be a favorite of yours.
What could be better? Since it came into the game, Showdown has always been a mode that focused more on being at the plate than on the mound since it will always be your lineup versus a pitcher in the Final Showdown. This is bound to be a drawback for anyone who perhaps prefers or is just better at pitching than they are at hitting. Additionally, the fact that so many of the challenges prior to the Final Showdown require some kind of offensive output keeps the idea of building your team confined to stacking your lineup full of hitters while ignoring the pitching side of the game almost entirely. As it is, too many of the challenges end up feeling repetitive, and the moments where you’re in the field can seem like more of a chore you have to do just to get back to the plate. The perks system could use some tuning as well, with many of them offering little value, especially the pitching ones that we’ve already established aren’t ever going to be required as much because of how little pitching matters in general in Showdown.
Mini Seasons
What is it? New to the game this year, Mini Seasons pits you against the CPU in 3-inning games that play out over the course of a short season, and your rewards will ultimately be based on how you fare in the standings when all is said and done.
What’s good about it? Diamond Dynasty was in need of another way to play with your assembled squad other than Conquest, and Mini Seasons fits the bill perfectly by having each game matter. With your opponents consisting of teams that others in the community have built, the mode can offer a nice level of challenge at times by forcing you to face some formidable squads full of superstars.
What could be better? Unfortunately, Mini Seasons has kind of been a disaster since the game has been released and that’s almost entirely because of technical difficulties. It’s hard not be rubbed the wrong way when many like myself have played and won games only to then have them marked as a loss when you return to the menu at the game’s conclusion. This kind of game-breaking bug threatens to ruin the mode entirely since your rewards will be based on how you fare in these games, and having wins randomly turn into losses too many times can ensure you miss the playoffs and have no shot at winning the championship. Anyone who has already won the championship and collected the 89 OVR Evan Longoria card that comes with that accomplishment will be disappointed to learn that Longoria still remains the mode’s ultimate prize despite a new featured program being introduced in recent weeks.
Play Vs. CPU
What is it? Play 9-inning games versus the CPU.
What’s good about it? Some purists prefer to have their games last the full 9 innings that they see in the real MLB, and this mode that has been a staple in the game for a long time now gives you the chance to do just that. If your goal is to rack up some XP with your players or pad their stats against an easy opponent, look no further than Play Vs CPU.
What could be better? Once upon a time, there were certain challenges in Diamond Dynasty involved in collecting particular cards that required you to beat a team in Play vs. CPU on a specific difficulty, and it might be nice to have something like that again to make this mode a little more relevant. Even though it could be an incredible grind, the mode also used to be integral to anyone who who was trying to accumulate stats with certain players to achieve necessary targets. While that was typically incredibly overwhelming to casual players, it would at least give hardcore players something to shoot for as they devote hours to the game. It’s likely that introducing at least a card or two that can be obtained through these means again would please this niche grinding crowd.
