You can't judge a game by its cover, either.

The cover man for 2k Sports' MLB 2k8 is Jose Reyes. For those in the cheap seats, Reyes is one of the best shortstops in the game and is known for a great glove and lightning speed. It's ironic, then, that the game he posed for is such a stutterfest. While some problems from 2k7 have been fixed, which is a relief, and some new things have been added that are a lot of fun and will probably change console baseball games for a long time, there are huge drawbacks to 2k8 that are so bad it's hard to believe.

The realistic stadiums are still around, and the flashy transitions that welcome a new game all look great. But the minute the game starts you'll wonder if something has gone horribly wrong. The game stutters as the batter comes to the plate. It stutters when the ball enters the field, and it stutters like mad when you throw the ball around. Fielders skip and stammer their way to the ball (occasionally ignoring it completely while it rolls right under them) and sometimes you can actually see the ball skip in mid-air. It even happens during the throwaround after a routine ground out. This is the single biggest flaw of the game, and it's a doozy.

It doesn't help that animations seem pretty much the same as they've been in the past. Fielders will still sometimes face the wrong way when throwing, even though the ball goes where you want it. Runners and fielders still run right through each other. And while the announcer banter was a nice diversion last year, with lots of tangents and stories, it's exactly the same this year.

The second biggest impression left by the game is the pitching mechanic, and it lies at the opposite end of the spectrum because it's a huge step forward for baseball games. Instead of pressing a button to choose a pitch, you'll have to use the right stick in different ways to throw different pitches. It's quite difficult at first, but after some practice it's just hard enough to make the game much more interesting. To throw a simple fastball, for example, you'll pull back on the stick, which makes a circle grow around the location you chose. When it reaches its largest size (indicated by another circle), you'll push forward and hold it there until the circle collapses again to another point. The more accurately you pull this off, the better your pitch. If it sounds difficult, that's because it is. But practice does pay off in this case because after a little while it feels natural. Most importantly it makes pitching interesting, because it's always possible to make a mistake and serve up a nice big fatball on a tee to an eager hitter. Ratings and fatigue also play a factor in making the timing harder or easier.

The Swing Stick has also been modified to remove the defensive and contact swings. Now you just pull back on the right stick to get ready for the delivery then push forward (while aiming if you choose) to hit the ball. Timing is everything with both the pitching and hitting, and if you just can't get the hang of it you're welcome to go into the options and change it all back to simple button presses.

Throwing in the field is also right stick-oriented. By pressing toward the base you want to throw to, relative to your position on the field, and holding it before letting go you can determine how hard the fielder throws the ball. If you play it safe and let go early, the ball has an excellent chance of being on line. If you try to fire it, you might give up accuracy and put the ball in the dirt or off line. At first, all of these mechanics seemed a bit much and it created a lot of errors, bad pitches and strikeouts. But over time, it becomes comfortable and just difficult enough to be fun.

Hit variety is also much improved, with balls ranging from popups to frozen ropes which find new spots on the field seemingly every time. But the scale of the game is still a bit off. It's easier to score from second on a double than it was in 2k7, for example, but not as easy as it should be. And you'll only get stand-up doubles if you really hit a solid gapper, while home runs are plentiful.

Franchise mode has improved immensely. Star players no longer linger in the minors or find themselves batting horribly out of position (no more Ichiro at cleanup!). It's not perfect because you'll still see older players getting huge contracts and the CPU doesn't always deal with team needs very well, but the season-breaking bugs have been fixed.

Online, MLB 2k8 is hit or miss. Lag and stuttering often make the new, delicate pitcher/batter interaction break down. With all the improvements the game includes, it's a shame that the most important thing about a baseball game seems completely unfinished. The stuttering on the field obscures what can be a very fun, tense and rewarding game of baseball. Hopefully we'll be able to update this review soon with news of a solution.