dajesmac
Club Captain
I would start off this review like every other review that's been posted on here and say "Ashes Cricket 2009 was formally known as Brian Lara..." etc etc, but I'm sure you just want me to get straight to the point.
My estimations of this game while playing when from:
"A good effort."
to
"Kinda lame."
to
"An okay Twenty20 experience like Brian Lara, but still bad."
to
"A disaster."
First of all, the pre-canned events Heath mentioned they had gotten rid off, they're still there. If you try a flashing drive over the covers, it defaults to you pushing a forward defense shot through point but instead, the b all flies through the air for about 10 seconds before dropping into a fielder's (whose diving, yet is facing the ground) hands. The AI drops 40% of al catches, and 90% of edges fall short. Also, if you belt a full toss straight at the face of short midwicket, theres a 0% of him dropping it.
The same crappy animations are an eye sore. It totally butchers batting/fielding/bowling techniques. For me, this has to go.
Perfectly timed drives struggle to past the 30 yard circle, and you only ever get 1-2 runs for it. Also, that reminds me, why is ever throw made by the AI when the keeper/bowler isnt there a direct hit?
I won't go into the AI running itself out all the time, because EVERYONE has mentioned that. Though, it seems to have only happened a couple times to me.
Also, it's damn hard to time Paul Collingwood! He bowls 50mph (which is slower than any spinner in the game) and always gets me to inside edge into my pad. This brings down my confidence, raises his, and suddenly he's getting wicket after wicket. Also, in an ODI, James Hopes faced his first three delvieries from Collingwood and suddenly went from "rested" to "tired". Also, his confidence started as timid despite making 42 in the game before.
Now the speeds, are almost the worst thing. Not the worst thing, I'll get to that shortly. Clark, Hilfenhaus, Anderson and Harmison bowl at 70mph. I know this has been mentioned endlessly but this pisses me off to no end. Hauritz and Swann also out-pace Collingwood. A joke.
Now the worst bit. You know how you're supposed to be able to choose front foot and back foot shots, or you can let the AI decide? Yeah, about 60% of the time the AI overrides your decision, leaving you clean bowled having tried to hook a yorker for six. This is definitely a game killer, and I marched over to my computer to write this pissed off review after it had happened to me for the fifth time that innings.
Also, as a leg spinner, the only way to not get belted for six (ie the only place on the pitch the ring goes yellow), is on yorker length on leg stump. This totally kills the fun of spin bowling. Also if you're an offspinner to a left hander, or a left handed offie equivalent to a right hander, the only place on the pitch it goes yellow is almost off the pitch outside off stump - with the ball supposed to be spinning even further away.
While bowling, if you get hit for a boundary, or even two boundaries in a row, you're screwed. Your confidence goes down to "timid" while the batsman becomes "fearless" and suddenly you're being smacked for 15+ an over by Andrew Strauss on the first morning at Cardiff.
I'd say this game is optimised for multiplayer, so if you have a keen brother, you're in luck. But if you don't the only way to a sensible game of AC09 is a Twenty20.
One last point, why the hell can't we put Australian or English players into our custom squads?
My estimations of this game while playing when from:
"A good effort."
to
"Kinda lame."
to
"An okay Twenty20 experience like Brian Lara, but still bad."
to
"A disaster."
First of all, the pre-canned events Heath mentioned they had gotten rid off, they're still there. If you try a flashing drive over the covers, it defaults to you pushing a forward defense shot through point but instead, the b all flies through the air for about 10 seconds before dropping into a fielder's (whose diving, yet is facing the ground) hands. The AI drops 40% of al catches, and 90% of edges fall short. Also, if you belt a full toss straight at the face of short midwicket, theres a 0% of him dropping it.
The same crappy animations are an eye sore. It totally butchers batting/fielding/bowling techniques. For me, this has to go.
Perfectly timed drives struggle to past the 30 yard circle, and you only ever get 1-2 runs for it. Also, that reminds me, why is ever throw made by the AI when the keeper/bowler isnt there a direct hit?
I won't go into the AI running itself out all the time, because EVERYONE has mentioned that. Though, it seems to have only happened a couple times to me.
Also, it's damn hard to time Paul Collingwood! He bowls 50mph (which is slower than any spinner in the game) and always gets me to inside edge into my pad. This brings down my confidence, raises his, and suddenly he's getting wicket after wicket. Also, in an ODI, James Hopes faced his first three delvieries from Collingwood and suddenly went from "rested" to "tired". Also, his confidence started as timid despite making 42 in the game before.
Now the speeds, are almost the worst thing. Not the worst thing, I'll get to that shortly. Clark, Hilfenhaus, Anderson and Harmison bowl at 70mph. I know this has been mentioned endlessly but this pisses me off to no end. Hauritz and Swann also out-pace Collingwood. A joke.
Now the worst bit. You know how you're supposed to be able to choose front foot and back foot shots, or you can let the AI decide? Yeah, about 60% of the time the AI overrides your decision, leaving you clean bowled having tried to hook a yorker for six. This is definitely a game killer, and I marched over to my computer to write this pissed off review after it had happened to me for the fifth time that innings.
Also, as a leg spinner, the only way to not get belted for six (ie the only place on the pitch the ring goes yellow), is on yorker length on leg stump. This totally kills the fun of spin bowling. Also if you're an offspinner to a left hander, or a left handed offie equivalent to a right hander, the only place on the pitch it goes yellow is almost off the pitch outside off stump - with the ball supposed to be spinning even further away.
While bowling, if you get hit for a boundary, or even two boundaries in a row, you're screwed. Your confidence goes down to "timid" while the batsman becomes "fearless" and suddenly you're being smacked for 15+ an over by Andrew Strauss on the first morning at Cardiff.
I'd say this game is optimised for multiplayer, so if you have a keen brother, you're in luck. But if you don't the only way to a sensible game of AC09 is a Twenty20.
One last point, why the hell can't we put Australian or English players into our custom squads?
