I have only played career mode so far and although I think they've added some nice touches to this, it feels a little unfinished. For instance, if I ask the coach to recommend training...he has only ever sent me to the nets...even as a bowling all-rounder, I've only been sent for batting practice in the nets. Maybe after a few more hours and games this will change...but has anyone seen the coach do anything else yet? The design concept of career mode is also flawed. Why would Atherton and Gower be commentating on a club match in the North of England? How is club cricket providing ball tracking and replays? Theses elements should be added as your career progresses and be appropriate to the context of the game. And whilst I'm OK with seeing the Big Ant staff umpiring at club level...if they still turn up at County level and beyond (and all over the world)...I will be very disappointed.
In game play has the same issues that previous iterations have had, which is disappointing. I suspect 99% of the code is unchanged. So we still have the bowler being paralysed after delivering the ball, allowing the batter to take a leisurely single as the ball rolls past you. When you are batting, however, the bowler is diving to stop the ball. Fielders and wicket keeper are still happy to let the ball bounce in front of them rather than taking a catch...and, as a spinner, I know there is no chance of a stumping because the batter never leaves the crease and the wicket keeper is far too slow to react anyway. Also why is red ball cricket played at night? Where have the scoreboards gone that told you information like time of day, RRR etc.?
Graphics seem to have errors that were previously in the game engine. For instance, the sun renders in front of clouds (I've seen it render infront of stands in previous iterations, like it has tickets for a seat in the top tier stand...but haven't progressed career mode yet to see if this is still the case) and it also doesn't look like the sun with its weird starburst effect:
Also the lighting always seems too bright. The player models are also very strange. The physique is odd to start with and the defaults seem to have strange, flat elongated heads that are seem like they should be turning out for Easter Island.
I will continue with the game and hope that BA can patch some things but fear that, again, there will be so many design and implementation flaws that it won't hold my attention for long. I hope I'm wrong on this.