International Cricket 2010

Review from Cav - Wednesday, 10 November 2010 @ 1:02am

Cricket – As Australians we are almost expected to love the sport from the day we are born, but it’s not for everyone. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the sport. I once scored 350 runs and retired in a match. I don’t feel that the fact the match happened in the back yard of my family home one Sunday afternoon in 1984, against my younger sister. A nice drive off the front foot sent the ball directly into where the dog used to crap and… well lets say the fielding team walked of the ground and I continued to run and rack up the runs. Pretty damn sure I stopped for lunch too

All that aside, International Cricket 2010 from Codemasters needs the player to have at least a basic understanding of the game… maybe even a little more than basic. Like every good game should, there is the standard tutorial. This is where I believe you should know a little more than just bat, ball, the words to C’mon Aussie and what kind of awesome mobile phone plan Warnie had to get such a great deal on all those Text Messages. You do need to know the names of strokes or shots and the names of fielding positions. The fielding tutorial is pretty easy and will secure you a cheap ‘chievo’. I do find catching to be painful. I know I am getting old and my reaction time may not be what it used to be, but there is no way in hell that I could miss five catches in a row. Catching sees the ball, surrounded by a circle, coming towards the fielders or keeper The circle flashes red, yellow and green with green being a catch, yellow being 50/50 and …well you’re a smart person (of course you are! You’re reading one of my reviews!) you can work it out. I found the real trick to be pre-empting the change and not waiting for it. As a fielder you also have the choice of which end tho throw the ball to in attempt to run the batsman out.

Batting isn’t exactly an acquired science, but it’s not far off. Things aren’t as simple as they were back in the day where you just chose a shot when the ball came at you. Players will now find themselves firstly looking at the surrounding field placement, then assessing the bounce of the ball, choosing wether to play off the front or back foot, wether to advance down the pitch to address the ball and finally choose your shot type. But wait! There’s more! (Sorry… no free steak knives) Once you have made a connection with bat to ball, it’s time to run. You can look at the ball and the fielder chasing it, or the crease to which you are running. You have the option of queuing up a run if you are confident that you have made a decent enough stroke, but can always cancel that if the heat is on. To me that’s a little too much to have to do, just to hit a ball. That and the fact that I could not complete the Batting tutorial, no matter how hard I tried.

Bowling is another test of one’s memory, with multiple tasks to complete before casting the ball at the man with the willow. Positioning you field, choosing your delivery type (this varies between your bowlers and their style and abilities), finding your spot bounce the ball, adjusting your spin/swing, changing your bowl at the last moment to throw your opponent and to top it all off you have to hit the mark on an old school slide bar at the optimum point. I suppose I have to accept the fact that these ‘technological advancements’ are improving a ‘sports simulation’. But, as a consumer, do I really want a sports simulation or do I want a bit of fun?

The game itself doesn’t look too bad. As I stated I am not that much of a fan, but I am familiar with the faces of our Green and Gold clad home grown heroes. If Mitchell Johnson really looked like that, I don’t think the young lass that occupies the other side of his bedroom suite would be within 250 feet of him. The grounds do their best to represent their real life locations. The Lords Media Booth, space egg, or whatever it’s called looks pretty spot on as do the lights at the MCG. But really it's an advertisers dream. Logos and company Icons are extremely prominent on all of the grounds. The crowds need work. They really need to be showing support for those playing. No one seems to be wearing their team colours.

There are enough options in the game type to keep all comers happy. I preferred the Twenty20 matches or the 5 over ODI, but true fans will love the Test series. There are also tournaments to try. There are heaps of teams to choose from, with the Aussies having the highest rating. I would love to see if the English version has the same stats. I know where my money lies.

One of the real disappointments in this game is the commentary. I have this real gut feeling that there was no script whatsoever. I am guessing they threw these guys in a recording booth and said ‘Just make chit-chat like you would in between overs or change of batsman’. I am starting to guess this is part of the reason I can’t sit down and watch a full test match. The inane dribble is near crucifying. I think Warnie was more preoccupied with where his next Poker Tournament was or what colour shirt there were going to be in his new clothing line. There are not even any entertaining lines or banter. This is one element that MUST change for the next version of this game. Maybe Billy Burmingham and come and give it some 12th Man work?.... the rating would have to increase though. It would probably be cheaper too.

Playing online just reminded me of the fact that I need to work on my port forwarding. I struggled of find a game with an Aussie, but when I did, things were pretty smooth, but you really wouldn't want to play more than a One Day International or a Twenty20 match.

No Ball? Umpire, do you wanna see my McEnroe impression?

Pros

- For fans of the game, I believe this will be an unmatched Cricket Simulator

- Player editor is fun, who doesn't like to put themselves in the picture?

Cons

- Way too many controls

- Sleep inducing commentary

- Not new player friendly

- Crowds need work

- AI reaction can be jerky