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While you'd expect any game to be copying every other one in nearly every capacity, but try to do it slightly better, HowZat does the opposite, it copies a bunch of genres and mashes them together without a lot of focus on anything in particular, yet almost pulls it off.
For a browser based Cricket game, it is the best I've played. However that doesn't say all that much, as it really hasn't been attempted before. Games like Stick Cricket are about the only thing similar, and as the name of that suggests, it doesn't try to be proper Cricket. HowZat has bit off a lot in this regard and has some good ideas, the bowling is very well thought out, though with timing missing from the equation, you just pick a spot and pick a speed, which isn't exactly a comprehensive bowling experience, but it is pretty good for what it is, especially considering how wrong some recent full 3D Cricket games that do that badly.
Batting is another story though, there's a lot of missing feedback here. I've found while I'm playing that I could just easily play down the ground, with the only variance being whether it is a single or a four (with the occasional two), but if you try and play different shots, you almost certainly end up mistiming. With the lack of a nets/training mode to practice shots, the only time you get to practice shots is in the middle of a five over match and with the timing/shot selection feedback not there half the time, or not in the game at all, it just leaves you with going for the safe shots, which doesn't make for interesting cricket. On the other hand my first Six was square of the wicket, but I only got 16 in that whole innings because of the amount of time I spent trying and missing.
Fielding is non-existent, you have a choice of three non-ideal fields and no time to make decisions on it (three seconds I think). I'd get reasons for not including a field editor (as it would introduce too many variables), I'd just like some more field settings. It also often seems like the ball goes right through a fielder when you'd expect a catch and sometimes they catch it when you think it has gone through. I doubt Flash has the best physics engine though.
The experience overall is good, my first match was my best match so far, when it is close and you know every ball matters it is thrilling. For me, it is the only online game I've managed to play without lag absolutely ruining it, though there are still lag issues, but when you're on a 256k connection, even the PlanetCricket Database Errors lag a bit.
But what happens when every ball doesn't matter? It becomes a game that lacks the depth it needs to be successful long term. The match engine is good, but it is a gimmick for most online cricket managers, who will quickly move on if there isn't something to hold them there.
Besides getting points for winning (or spamming the game on Facebook) and using these to increase player skills and a level system that hasn't been explained anywhere (as far as I've seen), there isn't all that much on themanagement side.
