The introduction of Moments to Diamond Dynasty mode in MLB The Show 19 provides a new and unique way to play against the CPU and earn rewards for completing specific goals, but that doesn’t mean they don’t come without some frustrations. As is often the case when implementing something new, there are the usual flaws that need to be ironed out in order to make these Moments as enjoyable as possible. So let’s have a closer look at what aspects of Moments can be really fun and which can be tedious by getting into the mode and separating the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good
Variety
One of my initial thoughts with Moments was that they might feel like a chore to complete, much like most of the challenges in Madden 19 that see you accomplishing the same couple of things over and over again. But thankfully, there are a lot of different types of Moments to play, allowing you to experience an array of situations that typically arise during a baseball game. This means you’ll be tasked with anything from getting out of jams on the mound, driving in runs at the plate and even trying to accomplish loftier goals over the course of multiple games.
Synergy
One of the best things about Moments is how they’re able to integrate many of the game’s different modes within them, giving you just enough of a taste to perhaps entice you to jump into the full experience of that mode later. Whether that has you experiencing a little piece of March to October by trying to re-create the Cubs’ magical World Series run a few years ago or getting locked in as one specific player and trying to achieve certain stats in games that nod to the Road to the Show experience, Moments do a stellar job of getting you hooked on all of the different ways to play.
Innings Programs
Playing the various Moments can be especially fulfilling because completing them will always reward you with a certain number of “program stars” that will provide you with increasingly better rewards as you accumulate them. These rewards will include regular packs, fantasy packs where you choose from different card options, and the inning programs ultimately culminate in selecting one of a few different boss players that will allow you to obtain a diamond player that fills a particular need on your squad.
The Bad
Too Challenging?
Another thing that sets Moments apart from Madden challenges is that the Madden challenges are often fairly straightforward and relatively simple, requiring more effort to simply endure them rather than overcome their obstacles. But the MLB The Show 19 Moments provide you instead with challenges that run the gamut across an array of different game lengths and difficulties, ranging from those you will likely complete in your first attempt to ones that might drive you to the brink of madness while playing them over and over again. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as trying to complete a Moment that requires you to play a full 9-inning game only to have you blow a lead in the ninth and have to start all over again with nothing to show for your efforts.
The New Grind
While completing certain Moments may get you some program stars that can be used towards better and better rewards, there are plenty of other Moments that might take a lot of time to complete without offering you all that much in return. These ones will often give you only a small amount of XP and stubs for all of your valuable time while dangling better rewards if you’re willing to complete an entire series of Moments. But even some of the larger rewards for doing that don’t really amount to anything more than some low gold cards that probably won’t even find a place in your lineup or fetch much on the market because of how common the cards have become.
Road To The Show Woes
It’s not necessarily a bad thing that many of the Moments lock you in as a certain player like in Road to the Show and expect you to accomplish different tasks in a single game or over the course of a series of games, but the decision naturally comes with some accompanying headaches. If you’re expected to score runs or drive in runs within a challenge, for example, you’ll always be at least somewhat at the mercy of what your teammates do around you. That means there’s an element to these Moments that is completely out of your control and, because of this, your success or failure can often be based more on random luck rather than your own skill.
The Ugly
Throw Some Strikes
It sure is awfully hard to achieve goals at the plate required by certain Moments when the opposing CPU pitcher <extreme Adam Sandler yelling voice> NEVER EVEN THROWS THE BALL OVER THE DAMN PLATE! What are you supposed to do when you need hit a home run in order to complete the challenge, start flailing at bad pitches just to avoid a walk? It seems like something could and should be done to get pitchers to throw better pitches to hit, or maybe at least provide some sort of secondary reward for showing a good eye at the plate and working the walk.
Created Player Moments
Not having a fair opportunity to succeed at Moments is unfortunately a regular occurrence that extends beyond just the hitting missions. There are some Moments within the created player section that will require you to obtain an assist while in the field but then the game will present you with a play that doesn’t even involve you. Needless to say, it’s a whole different level of frustration when you have to replay a Moment again and again not because you’re unable to perform the necessary requirements but simply because you aren’t even given a chance to perform the necessary requirements.
Tricky Difficulty
Many members of the MLB The Show community have been quick to point out that, while a Moment may have a stated difficulty of something familiar like Veteran or All-Star, there are some other variables in play that can cause the Moment to actually feel a little bit harder than advertised. For instance, in ones where you’re looking to hit a home run in order earn your reward, the player you’re required to use may not have all that much power at his disposal and, to make matters even worse, you may be forced to face a pitcher who has really high HR/9 and H/9 attributes. These factors can cause an All-Star difficulty Moment to play a little more like Hall of Fame or even Legend.
