EA Sports Cricket 07

30 punds sterling I think on XBOX and PS2

 

2005 was better in terms of graphics, but the gameplay was shocking... here is what are the positives and negatives of the new game ( I didn't write this)

 

 

- My mouse moved very slowly in some menus.
+ You can now change the team name and abreviation, not to mention player names, without having to download editors from fansites
+ There are special screen transitions from and to 'Ashes mode'. They're very nice to watch.
+ As you may have heard, there are 40 special Ashes challenges (putting you in the place of various players during various times of the 2005 Ashes, and forcing you to do as they did or better). They come with videos, special commentary, and really create a sense of (historical) immersion. Well done.
- Some of these Ashes challenges aren't in order. They do go test by test (you have to finish all challenges related to the 1st test, before going to the 2nd test), but sometimes it's a mess. Ex: 1st challenge with England: as the team collapsed 21/5, do what Pietersen did - a half century. Challenge 2: get a century from the starting partnership of Strauss and Trescothick. I thought they had gone down quickly in the 1st challenge
+ you have all sorts of special modes, like playing the whole Ashes Tour or just the Ashes, 4 English county competitions, etc.
- Some of the menus have an unsatisfying nuance of brown. We need brighter colors, people!
- You know that selection menu, if you didn't want to pick a touring team automatically? You know, the one where you could scroll down a list of players, each with two horizontal lines, batting skill and bowling skill? Well now those lines are smaller. So it's harder to know who's good at what..
+ ... but in the same selection menu, players are listed by specialty, not by first letter of first name like in Cricket 2005. So, all opening batsmen, then all batsmen, then all-rounders, then fast bowlers, etc. This is far more helpful.
+ The batting is intuitive and a god-send.
- The pitching isn't. There's less control over where the cursor goes (from what I've read, it's tied in with player talent). Ok, but here's a serious problem for all who, like me, played Cricket 2005 for a very very long time: you use one key to select the delivery type, like say W on the keyboard, but no matter what you still have to use S to actually set the cursor in place. Very different from Cricket 2005, and very annoying.
+ unlike Cricket 2005, you cannot deliver bodyline-like balls, because you now get warned
+ The ball bounces more, both when you are bowling and when you are batting. It's also faster (runs away from Flintoff)
+ just an impression, but the comp fielding seems to be smarter in adjusting to your shots...
- the leg glance still rules...
+ but other shots are much easier to play successfully
+ behind-batsman camera: has to be seen to be believed. It's even better than a first-person camera when it comes to putting you in the socks of the batsman. Trust me on this one.
+ remember how to go from one over to the other you went to a menu and had to use your mouse to select the 'next over'? It was a pain in the butt. Now the 'next over' button is keyed to your controller.
+ lots of information on screen, between deliveries, etc.
+ special commentary for some players when they reach milestones. Even Clarke the Australian
+ the field looks... larger. It's more like real-life cricket, in Cricket 2005 it felt like a schoolyard. Now, there's room and space for all those shots
+ overall the graphics looks better.
+ the bowling camera (called 'broadcast') is superb.
+ the comp may miss shots! or misplay them. Granted, I was playing as Windies against Pakistan in Barbados, on a very grassy pitch and I was struggling with my controller. But the computer looked really nice when trying to play the ball and doing not so well.
- Stadiums: if you're not English or Australian, your country got shafted. There's only *one* stadium for the Windies.. with the World Cup and all there should be at least 5. As for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka... just like in Cricket 2005.
- Benaud still says the same things...
+ But Nicholas is new and it's nice to hear new stuff. He also delivers it pretty well.
- fake names. Many of them. Soon some people will put the real ones on the Internet. Watch this forum for updates
+ new umpires.
+ several new teams (won't spoil the surprises, but all World Cup teams are there, including Bermuda and Ireland).

 

When does that come out?