Ahh, Finally got some time to give my impressions. So there you go.
Right after installation, i dived into Hard mode without playing a match in easy or normal. Result? A spanking by AI. Played some matches in easy then normal and then a lot in Hard.
Graphics: 7.5/10
Although graphics are not the strongest point of this game but they do their job. Infact there are some mocaps(read: motion capture) which look absolutely terrific. For example keeper diving forward to take low catch,running backwards to take skier, ponitg diving in point to take spectacular catches of cover drives. Although i was expecting a polished BLIC 07 with good gameplay but same animations but believe me the demo has shattered my that believe. Baring some shots, none of them look anything like BLIC 07. I'll talk bout this in a separate section below. Apart from bowling actions other mocaps looks good. Although it might be he case that to reduce the size they have used just one generic action in demo. Shadows are really good, infact i would dare to say that this game has graphics on the level on PES 09.
Audio/Ambient/Commentary: 6/10.
Nothing to write home bout, even big sports game like fifa had this problem. No matter how much commentary lines developers put in the game, we would have heard all of them by the months end. Moreover, commentary of a game cannot be judged by its demo. Demo commentary was just to give a taste otherwise how could Commentator miss to mention anything when Freddie was busy taking 4 wicket on 4 balls against me.
Crowd chants are nice and so are the ambient sounds.
Presentation: 10/10
It is better than FIFA. Yeah you heard me right. I dare say that the presentation of AC 09 is better than that LAME FIFA 09. Infact it is far far better than any other sports game in the market. Great translucent menu over slow mo video with a song which gives a feeling that something great is bout to happen. Perfect setting for a game like AC09. Scorecard is over the screen line which shows players score and then bowlers speed after the ball is delivered. First time we can select between wicket/score and score/wicket type scorecard. Great addition. The hawkeye and ball tracker are awesome and feel really like live broadcast.
Shots Available:
This time around there are far more shots then any other cricket game ever had. You would argue why is that as AC09's batting control scheme is almost same as EA Cricket 07? Well you would see the change when you play a batman with higher level of confidence and skill. What happens when you try to play a lofted hook of a fullish ball in EA?? You either miss the ball or get bowled. But in AC09 batsman walks across his crees and whip it on the leg side in a calypso style.(Similar shot which bloke named Rohit Sharma used to play in IPL). Same thing happens with sweep shot, if the ball is full enough you play sweep, but if the ball is slightly shorter then you play paddle sweep. There would be a lot of shots like this in the game ,its up to you to discover. I guess we all would be spending a lot of time in the nets.
Gameplay: 9/10
.I wont bore you now with the explanation of batting controls as it has already been discussed to death. In simple words batting is hard and very very realistic. Only perfectly timed shots or top edges would have any chance to reach the boundary. Sometimes even perfectly timed shot wont reach the boundary. Due to this, even a 4 feels as if we have earned it and hitting 6 is like bulls eye(is have played 20 Hard level matches but just 3 sixes). This introduce running quick singles and stealing runs using dive. I was disappointed to see that we cannot take more that 4 runs on foot as in real life it is possible in big grounds like MCG. Hate it or love it but the skills of players in the game are dynamic. They change based on performance. I Saw Pietersen had skill reduced to 77 after 4 matches in which i played him badly. In next few matches i played good and his skill was back up to 80. I checked this again and again with him and Bopara. Here are my findings: In the match if you perform well then your skill improve very quickly. Pieterson reached a level like 92 while batting once. But this 92 skill isnt carried. Computer calculates something and add a very small part to his standard skill level. Thus if he was 80 before match,92 while batting then in next match he would be 81 or 82. Same thing works with bowler. Swann had a rating of 69. Thus he cannot bowl a doosra which require 70. Bowl a double wicket maiden(thats what worked for me) to increase his stats and in next over you could bowl doosra. This function would work like charm in real game. Like if you wanna prevent Harbhajan from bowling doosra then attack him when he start his spell and decrease his skill. Even in real life he wouldnt think bout bowling doosra while he is being smacked all over the park.
AI:
AI is really strong while batting. I won some matches but i was never able to take more than 1 or 2 wickets. This should make those test match purist who wanna play the match all day while spilling beer all over the keyboard. If you have a problem with certain bowl then AI would continuously bowl you there. Grrrr! Freddie bowled me when i was late on his yorker, thus he kept bowling that and got a hattrick against me.
Physics: I dont know if they are using Physx or Havok but whatever they had used for ball physics and collision etc is a bloody gem. No more ball going right through the pads. Thus we get a lot of inside edges. Bal physics is awesome. Edges fly a little faster now.
Some Physics Magic Moments:
*Strauss was batting, Siddle bowled a good length shortish ball wide of off stump. I tried to pull it on the leg side but got a inside edge on to the left foot of Strauss. In a second strasuss was hopping in pain. Ridiculously realistic.
*Defending a short ball on the backfoot, ball came higher than expected and thus hit the top of the gloves and then helmet. Un-flippingly-believable.
*Needed 3 runs of last ball. Swann was on strike against lee. Lee bowled a fullish ball. I stepped out to whack it but got a thick inside edge just left to the keeper. Keeper dived full length to his left but couldnt reach and i got valuable 4 runs. I was like WTF just happened. WAs i playing a game or was it a real match. I saw the replay and it was really classic.Not only this as a inside edge but it has gone between batsman and leg stump.
*Everyones fav, Hit a perfect straight drive straight to cook who got hit on arm, Rubs it in pain.
*This isnt a Physics moment but is great one thus i would write. AI needed 4 runs of last 3 balls. Ponting came to bat. He defended first ball, then second ball. I thought i got the match in my hand. Then bang 6 on the last ball.
Cons:
Evil Camera angles just after hitting the shot.:doh
No Antialiasing
No streakers
No Cheerleader:banana2
As you can see i am struggling to find any con besides some cosmetic one which would surely be fixed in final build. Thus this is a must buy game of the summer
Overall Verdict: 9/10
I have a lot more to write bout but havta stop now. Would write more later.
Cheers
The game's really fun; great graphics and gameplay. The ground was well made and the crowd was awesome. In batting, you have to get perfect timing to hit a four. Short deliveries are...rather easy. On fuller deliveries I usually get an outside edge. As usual I found bugs.
