Review Ashes Cricket 2009 Press Reviews

[Dutch]

y

What is this guy on about?

Boomtown - xbox - Xbox 360

If the player batting could see the delivery from behind his own stumps or via a first person view then we'd really have something. As it stands Ashes Cricket 2009 is rather crippled as a simulation of the sport and instead only offers an abstract knockabout instead. The problem is that you're removed from the fundamental element of striking the ball, telling the player where to hit the ball rather than being involved in the skills required to hit it at all. You are remotely controlling the batsman rather than being the batsman yourself....

A cricket game where the player can't fully control the batsman is like a rally driving game where the cars don't slide - it's missing a fundamental aspect of the sport.

Even the universally acclaimed 'best cricket game ever', BLIC '99 had this sort of camera angle. This is how cricket games have always been - you control the players, rather than be them. Indeed, that's how it is in football games as well!
I agree that a 'batsman's view' of the whole proceedings would be a cool option, but to level that criticism at Ashes 2009 alone is harsh - all cricket games have the 'TV cam' as default and even the ones that had a 'batsman's view' option didn't seem to make all that difference.

Also:

I'm a believer that a sports game should allow the player the opportunity to go through the same thought processes as a real player, even if the physical motions aren't there. So in a football game you'll want to be able to choose an open player to pass too, then gauge the direction and power of the pass. In a cricket game I'd expect the batsman to have to read the ball as it was hurtling at him and then decided what on earth to do about it.

It's a game for God's sake! There are certain things in cricket that will never be really well simulated and one of those is reading a bowler's delivery! What, do you reckon if you were batting in first person view, you'd be able to see what the damn seam is doing as it comes out of the bowler's hand? Seriously, this guy wants the impossible.

No mention of bugs, either; his problem is it doesn't place a bat in his hand and place him at the popping crease at Lords, facing Brett Lee!

Although in football games you do have the Be A Legend mode which allows you to see the perspective from your designated player which I enjoy playing as a variation of controlling the whole game. I am not quite sure as to how that would be implemented in a game such as cricket. I can't imagine anybody wanting to actually play the game say from the perspective of fine leg but it might open possibilities and it would be great to experience the game from say the slips or mid-off, that you could choose the perspective even if it were just for replays as they have done so successfully in football games.

 

[iridescentt]

Which is what you do. Unless he expects no visible bowling marker as a batsman. I don't think we could replicate reactions quick enough to implement this with a controller. Outside of motion controlled gaming, of course.

The first bolded bit is some impressive inane rambling. Did they leave the gas on?

I've always pondered in my mind that idea, it'd be great and make it that much more difficult. Especially against spinners. It should be implemented. Just imagine what it could do in a multiplayer match up.

 

[Supershtuffthat]

It is true that AI right handers cant play offspinners in this game?

 

[sami ullah khan]

It is true that AI right handers cant play offspinners in this game?

Well sureshot is sure they can't. If you read the impression thread, you will notice that most of wickets are taken by an off-spinners. You can pretty much make up your mind.

 

[FaWaD]

Does that mean that the left-handers can't play legbreak?
In either case, I don't use off spinners.. I hope we just don't end up generation bowling as the bugs keep increasing..

 

[sami ullah khan]

Does that mean that the left-handers can't play legbreak?
In either case, I don't use off spinners.. I hope we just don't end up generation bowling as the bugs keep increasing..

Generating the inning will be last resort. It seems like another cricket game where batting is all we have to do

 

[FaWaD]

Generating the inning will be last resort. It seems like another cricket game where batting is all we have to do

At least we should be happy that the game is good enough and have plenty of options for us to make it play better.. Thank God we have generating the innings like options unlike BLC2005 where you were stuck with the bugs and didn't get a decent total to chase..

So when people are so picky over smaller things, they tend to forget how much the game has evolved and covered so many other aspects.. Even with some negative points highlighted, I am really looking forward to this game..
For me, batting with realism is more than enough to purchase the game..

The only deal breaker for me so far is the runout bug in the co-op mode where your partner can run you out even if you don't leave your crease.. So far nobody has confirmed this being fixed in the final build.. It's quite easy to replicate.. You just need to start a game in co-op mode and take a single with only one of the players running (most probably the striker) and the player who stood his ground is given out..

 

[sami ullah khan]

At least we should be happy that the game is good enough and have plenty of options for us to make it play better.. Thank God we have generating the innings like options unlike BLC2005 where you were stuck with the bugs and didn't get a decent total to chase..

So when people are so picky over smaller things, they tend to forget how much the game has evolved and covered so many other aspects.. Even with some negative points highlighted, I am really looking forward to this game..
For me, batting with realism is more than enough to purchase the game..

The only deal breaker for me so far is the runout bug in the co-op mode where your partner can run you out even if you don't leave your crease.. So far nobody has confirmed this being fixed in the final build.. It's quite easy to replicate.. You just need to start a game in co-op mode and take a single with only one of the players running (most probably the striker) and the player who stood his ground is given out..

You are right the game is a lot better in many departments. Batting is fun. But many people want to enjoy bowling as well. No cricket game has made bowling enjoyable due to bugs. Its sad that most bugs in Ashes cricket hamper bowling. We will still generate inning and enjoy but I would love to see a cricket game that makes bowling fun.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

y

Although in football games you do have the Be A Legend mode which allows you to see the perspective from your designated player which I enjoy playing as a variation of controlling the whole game. I am not quite sure as to how that would be implemented in a game such as cricket. I can't imagine anybody wanting to actually play the game say from the perspective of fine leg but it might open possibilities and it would be great to experience the game from say the slips or mid-off, that you could choose the perspective even if it were just for replays as they have done so successfully in football games.

Yes, it would be an interesting option, but to suggest it should be the default camera is madness. I think BaL could be implemented in cricket and it'd be great, but it shouldn't be the default.

I've always pondered in my mind that idea, it'd be great and make it that much more difficult. Especially against spinners. It should be implemented. Just imagine what it could do in a multiplayer match up.

Yes, it would make it more difficult; it would make it impossible. :doh

 

[SciD]

Ashes Cricket 2009 Review - TotalVideoGames.com

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Ashes Cricket 2009 Review - TotalVideoGames.com

Having said all of this, Ashes Cricket does start to fall down where content's concerned. All in all, there's the well rounded Ashes mode and the option of playing one-day games, Twenty20 matches, or test series between any of the 11 international sides. Codemasters and Transmission Games have also put their own development teams in to bolster the line-up, as well as Asia XI and Rest of the World XI dream teams, but avid cricket fans will certainly be left yearning for more. One-day and Twenty20 matches can be played as either Exhibitions or basic Tournaments of up to eight teams, but that's about as far as the options go.

So you can definitely play Test series against other teams. Good; that removes another doubt about the game that I had. Having played the demo (but not the full game yet), I agree with that review.

 

[Gilly Fan]

BigPond GameArena - Ashes Cricket 2009 Reviews

Pretty good review here. 8.5 rating.

 

[Sureshot]

Thankfully the AI is intelligent enough to adapt to your bowling - every time I thought I'd found the perfect placement it would adapt and smack me for six.

In a test match, off of every single different attempt.

8.5? Go home and try again pal.

 

[stevo1]

Really down on this game aren't you Sureshot? Probably didn't have to pay for your copy either!

 

[pcfan123]

Really down on this game aren't you Sureshot? Probably didn't have to pay for your copy either!

yea he really is, and then there are many fanboys chirping away in the Review forums. So far its a nice balance between hates and fanboys, which bodes well for me who likes the middle ground