Ashes Cricket 09

This game is disappointing and at some points becomes unplayable. I am a massive cricket fan and if the game was half way decent I would be raving about it, but it just isn't good enough.

The batting, although seemingly good on the surface, lacks the depth and realism required for a test match and has lost some of the enjoyment of a 20/20 slog. There are some good ideas, like able to specify a front foot or back shot, yet the implementation has been poor. You definetly get the feeling that none of the developers have ever picked up a cricket bat.

The bowling again has some good ideas, the contrast between good and bad bowlers is greater and there are more bowling options, yet playing against the computer you have to bowl a ridicolously full line or a high bouncer to avoid being smacked for 4 or 6. I found my first computer opponent 170/5 after 15 overs of the first day of a test match, not too realistic.

Then there are the graphics, these are just poor, players look like a twisted caricature of themselves, with heads that are oversized for some reason. Then there are the bowling and batting animations, which are laughable, the bowlers run like they have a coat hanger stuck in their jackets and their action suggests there is some kind of trampoline hidden the pitch.

While codemasters say it is a revamped engine since Brian Lara '07, I don't believe them as the same naff animations and annoying run-outs still exist.

The only redeeming feature of this game is when your mate picks up the joypad as at least you know that he will try and play the game properly rather than the AI's feeble attempt.

All in all, compared to the modern sport franchise games from EA (FIFA, Madden, Tiger Woods etc), this falls way short on playability, graphics and general enjoyment. The game is not realistic enought to play a test match and too annoying/unenjoyable to play a twenty20 match. At least on Brian Lara you could have a slog!

So next time Codemasters, go out and actually play and understand the game before trying to emulate it!

Where too start.

First off, I think most people would agree that cricket is not exactly the most universal of sports. Apart from the test playing nations, I wouldn't have thought a game like this would generate much interest in other parts of the world, not least the USA, which would normally provide huge market potential for a game.

As such, when I heard a new cricket game was coming out, I was ready too accept that in terms of presentation, it wasn't going to be on a par with other more popular sports such as football, golf etc. All i really wanted was a game that accurately reflected the basics of the sport, with an even balance of difficulty between bat and ball. This is where, like all previous cricket games, ASHES 2009 completely fails.

Having played the game for a few days now, i'm left wondering whether the developers have ever played the sport.
I'll start with bowling. As well as the ridiculous run ups and action animations (which i've said i can forgive) there are numerous problems. Firstly, despite there being all the usual delivery options, once the ball is bowled there is no discernable difference between any of them and the batting AI seemingly agrees as it plays pretty much whatever shot it likes, usually with success. The whole point of bowling in test cricket is to build pressure by bowling a consistent line and length to frustrate the batsmen into playing a difficult shot when their confidence is low. Essentially, you bowl to a plan and set the field accordingly. Turns out, this isn't the way to go. In fact, after playing a number of matches, I honestly have no idea what the AI recognises as good bowling. Dismissals just seem to occur for no particualr reason every so often, most commonly by run out as the AI sets off on crazy runs just when you're on the verge of hurling the controller out the window in frustration. This amounts to complete tedium because, although by the end of the innings the scoreboard looks sensible, there is no skill involved.

The batting, if possible, is probably even worse in terms of realism. Back foot late cuts for 6 off full deliveries, front foot slogs over mid-wicket to bouncers, back foot covers drives for 6 off 90mph bowling. It just makes no sense. Just like the AI does when it's batting, you can play whatever shot you like, regardless of the ball. Whilst hitting sixes ad nauseum may appeal to some, it's not realistic, it's not challenging, it's not fun.
What really grinds my gears is that the developers have claimed they started the game from scratch. Rubbish. The game feels identical to the last Brian Lara and is probably worse in many respects. I honestly thought EA's cricket '07 was ok and that a new generation game would solve all the previous problems. Instead of concentrating on the gameplay, all they've apparently been doing is adding a few more pixels to Monty Panesar's beard.

Joking aside though, I can't emphasise enough how disappointing this game is. If you're a true cricket fan, do not buy!

I think most of the criticisms made have been spot on.

On the plus side the batting is OK, as in the way you chose front foot/back foot, type of shot and and where the ball is going.

On the down side the AI batters playing test matches like a 20/20 so you get tonked all the time. Having said that you can bowl right handers behind their legs all too easily. Silly run outs by the AI. When the AI is bowling to you, at one stage it just serves up 5 long hops in a row that I dispatched for 4 or 6 each time, and it never seems to learn. It waited until I was 2 runs short of winning a test match before it rearranged the field into a defensive field which is just not plausible. You can sweep most balls by the spinners for 4 every time. The AI batter plays some impossible shots (once it played a late cut that went 20 rows into the stands). The speeds are all wrong for the England bowlers even if you time it perfectly.

All of this means that when you win you feel no sense of achievement and it just detracts from the realism. You end up with some watered down arcadey version of cricket that I suspect pleases no one.