Chicago Cubs: Out of the Park Baseball 21 gives fans in depth control

Thanks to the power of gaming, Chicago Cubs and fellow baseball fans have the ability to play and or watch the currently suspended season.

Although real-life games are not taking place, select players from each Major League Baseball teams have been competing head-to-head in MLB The Show. For the Chicago Cubs, outfielder Ian Happ has represented the 2016 World Series champions.

Through Tuesday, August 21, Happ sits behind Amir Garrett and the first-place Cincinnati Reds with a record of 8-8. Chicago’s virtual record via Happ is tied with Matt Carpenter and the Cardinals and Josh Hader and the Milwaukee Brewers.

For those of you who have yet to tune into live streams, these guys are very entertaining to watch. About as enjoyable as the real thing. From trash talk to pimping home runs, the banter is never-ending.

Right now, it is a distraction for not only the fans but those who represent the league itself. While MLB The Show 20 (exclusively for the PlayStation 4) allows fans to control more than just the players, there is one game that is all about the numbers.

Out of the Park Baseball 21 is a (strictly PC) simulation game that allows players to take control of any team in the league. Not just within Major League Baseball but around the world.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work as only the skipper and or general manager? To understand how the game itself is pieced together and maintained like a well-oiled machine.

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Making up the title is a handful of playable options. Standard (MLB 2020 or International), Historical (1871-2019), Custom, Quickstart, Imported from 20, Historical Exhibition, and Perfect Team (w/ tournaments). For now, we’ll focus on just two.

Perfect Team mode is similar to modes such as Diamond Dynasty with full control over your team’s logo (over 350 to be exact), uniform, name, location, etc. One cool thing they allow you to do is to construct a baseball stadium using a 3D modeling kit.

By entering this mode, you’ll be placed in a random league with 30 other real-life players attempting to win a World Series title. Win and continue to make your way through each ranked season until you’re one of the very best.

You earn historic players by completing card sets or purchase them via the auction house or micro-transactions. It is just the way these games are built these days. Meanwhile, in the regular-season mode, there’s so much more to learn.

Players are responsible for keeping track of expenses (including contracts) with multiple panels filled with valuable information. From Accounting, Salaries, Upcoming FA, Scouting, Player Development, and Personnel all require daily attention following a simulated game. There is so much behind the scenes action to maintain; I am still learning at this very moment.

Either way, it has been an exciting experience despite our Chicago Cubs holding an 11-11 record entering April 21, 2020. Despite being Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Macintosh operating systems, the game itself does not require a high-end system to run it.

There are no fancy over-the-top graphics, only tiny models running around a diamond while fans cheer from the stands. If MLB The Show 20 is not your thing (hurts to type), then I encourage you to purchase this title, which is set for $39.99 via STEAM.

I must confess this is my first Out of the Park Baseball title, and it has been such a fascinating gaming experience.