Don Bradman Cricket 14 - first impressions thread

[fanirama]

got the game yesterday and playing the games various formats with bowling, batting and fielding I am very impressed with the game but also simultaneously frustrated with the issues....

overall I am really enjoying the game. I would rate it an 8.4/10

probably the only second cricket game after ic10 where I enjoyed bowling a lot. Tough initially but once I got into a rhythm it was fun. I liked how I tricked the batsman bowling 3 in swinging Yorkers followed by a a slow short ball and got him out.

several great moments bowling and fielding.

batting is tough on pro mode and the most frustrating is the unable to see fielders and needlessly getting run out. We are all not inzamam..

The game is quite fantastic, albeit buggy in many places (such as bowler inexplicably changing bowling side mid over etc.) and I will surely buy it again on steam and also hope they make yearly updates... I will surely support the dev team making this game which should spur other cos to make cricket as well.

 

[bigguy400]

I have played this for a couple of days now, and slowly my batting is improving. Could only make about 30 all out in first dabs of the game, but now am closing in on 100.

Love the fact you have to concentrate for each ball, not like previous cricket games where you could simply sit there and just press a button.

This is proper intense stuff trying to score runs, really enjoying the challenge.

 

[superfreddie]

Got the game yesterday and played it for four hours. First impressions are its freeking amazing. Was a bit worried when I saw all the post in the bugs/problems thread, but the two big gripes for me: Superhuman fielding and finding it hard to spot fielders will be fixed soon.

First game on Amateur difficulty I was England in the 2005 ashes and Pietersen scored a 50 with McGrath getting a hatrick, absolutely loved it.

I hope Bigant keep up the support for this game as they have promised because it is just so good.

A couple of suggestions I have for the future in the short time I have played are.

1) Whilst playing a shot I pressed in the R3 button by accident about 4 times in my first game resulting in 1 wicket which annoyed me a touch. Maybe an option to remap the leave button could prevent this.

2) I was rubbish at batting on Professional and as others have said maybe being able to have different difficulty for batting and bowling would result in a more balanced game. I know I've not played the game for long but I can see amateur being too easy for me and pro too hard, possibly a level in between would be good.

3) Already been mentioned but I had no slip catches in those first few games either.

All in all though a great start and the future looks bright for this game, I hope the good sales continue so Bigant can improve it even more.

 

[zombieian]

1) Whilst playing a shot I pressed in the R3 button by accident about 4 times in my first game resulting in 1 wicket which annoyed me a touch. Maybe an option to remap the leave button could prevent this.[1)/quote]

I used to do this a lot in the nets beta. It won't be a problem after you have played the game a little more.

 

[fanirama]

I've had a few slip catches and I scored 90 at first go on pro.

one issue is the batsmen tend to sky the ball a lot which is annoying...

Timing is tricky as is placing the ball. What's, missing is soft shots because the batter puts everything into each shot. I've hit back foot sixes Just trying to defend balls which is odd.

overall I am getting better at the game but I'd like batsmen to stop skying the ball as much And not have these superhuman fielders. I've gotten out to mid off fielder running to edge of long on or mid wicket boundary to take impossible catches

 

[zombieian]

I've had a few slip catches and I scored 90 at first go on pro.

one issue is the batsmen tend to sky the ball a lot which is annoying...

Timing is tricky as is placing the ball. What's, missing is soft shots because the batter puts everything into each shot. I've hit back foot sixes Just trying to defend balls which is odd.

overall I am getting better at the game but I'd like batsmen to stop skying the ball as much And not have these superhuman fielders. I've gotten out to mid off fielder running to edge of long on or mid wicket boundary to take impossible catches

Holding both trigger allows you to play shots along the ground (in theory).

 

[rajspice]

Got my game. Played it and i can say this is the best cricket game ever. only thing that feels a little hard is the controls. i straight away started playing in Veteran Mode and am getting used to it. Finding playing on front foot helps a lot as there is little time to move stick to get on backfoot. Also a lot of shots can be played in leg and Computer bowls a lot on middle and leg stumps. i hardly hit too mnay shots in the off side. Also sometimes when i hit a regular shot it flies like a aggresive shot. Maybe a timing issue there. overall good but i think gameplay can be better. Definatly need computer to bowl more off stump balls

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BTw i am playing on my PS3 . North america.

 

[fanirama]

... Also sometimes when i hit a regular shot it flies like a aggresive shot. Maybe a timing issue there. overall good but i think gameplay can be better. Definatly need computer to bowl more off stump balls

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BTw i am playing on my PS3 . North america.

I don't think that is a timing issue. I find that every shot hit no matter how much you push the Right Analog Stick really flies off the bat. You cannot really nudge for a single or dab the bat. I think it needs more balance here like how it was in IC 2010. You should be able to push balls around for quick singles.

Because of this and super Usain Bolt fielders, I don't think taking 3's are possible at all!

 

[Alberts]

I don't think that is a timing issue. I find that every shot hit no matter how much you push the Right Analog Stick really flies off the bat. You cannot really nudge for a single or dab the bat. I think it needs more balance here like how it was in IC 2010. You should be able to push balls around for quick singles.

Because of this and super Usain Bolt fielders, I don't think taking 3's are possible at all!

Slightly depress the right trigger. You will play a defensive shot, but not kill the ball. Play that into the gap when possible for a single.

The timing of shots can also keep them on the ground, particularly with spin (play it late).

I get plenty of threes as well playing into gaps.

The issue with the fielders is mostly their accuracy at the stumps, but their raw pace along the ground isn't as much of an issue.

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Holding both trigger allows you to play shots along the ground (in theory).

That's a very aggressive ground shot though. You're basically asking for a leading edge or an edge to slip telling them to play like that. If they can't keep regular shots down yet that won't help. The key is to get the foot placing right and play the shot a bit later.

 

[Biggs]

...I would actually say a lot of the time the pace through the air is sluggish compared with ground shots, more often than not.

 

[Alberts]

What's, missing is soft shots because the batter puts everything into each shot. I've hit back foot sixes Just trying to defend balls which is odd.

Are you using the defensive shot trigger at all. The more it is depressed, the more defensive the shot. Holding it down all the way will basically kill the ball. Slightly depressed you can play a soft shot around the ground.

 

[TheJF]

Loving career mode so far, not great at batting but had a few decent scores from no. 6. My only issue with career so far is the lack of an option to change the player in anyway, I.e. bats, pads, helmets etc. but that's just me.

Had some fantastic moments so far, best of which has been a dropped caught and bowled chance knocking down the stump resulting in a runout. Got to say never thought that would happen.

Also absolutely love the fact that when I'm batting with the tail, the opposition captain will keep a tight field for the whole over and then loosen the field on the final ball to try and get a single, and keep my tai lender on strike. Wonderful little touch and looking forward to seeing some more of these true to life occurrences.

Overall the game is above and beyond what I was expecting

 

[Jadel]

I would rate it an 8.4/10

I totally disagree!!

There is no way in hell its worth more than 8.3/10

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

just had my first proper play of it, been impressed with the career mode, it's definitely the special element of the game and even though it's reasonably stripped back and frustrating it's still got an addictive quality to it.

echo most of the people that say batting is too hard compared to bowling being too easy. I started a pure batsman career and think I've made it into double figures three times over about 20 matches, and never beyond 20. in theory, I don't mind this, the career guy is 16 and shouldn't be doing too well yet but it's more because I just don't know if I'm quite on board with the controls. they just don't feel intuitive enough, i need to pre-meditate most shots because the mental arthimetic of pulling back with your right hand, finding an appropriate gap with your left hand whilst also keeping in mind you could blast it into the air or bail out by blocking and do this all with good timing is too much to compute in the second you get to see the ball. more often than not I get out because I pull both analogue sticks the same way when I should have gone on the back foot or leg side or something like that. maybe it is actually all learnable, and there is certainly something nice about having to invest so much concentration in every ball, I just wish my batsman felt like he was doing what I wanted him to do.

bowling by comparison is fine, maybe even too easy, beyond no balling a bit too much the quick career player I made is tearing up the county division.

that said I think the game does a very good job of emulating the cricket experience, once you have a match underway it feels like an undertaking you have to invest in. the career mode making you block out entire overs when you need survive until lunch is great, never in another cricket game did I pace myself through an innings properly, here I'm often at 7 runs off 28 balls or something.

 

[RIZZYX]

To be truthful, I can see the potential, but at the moment I am not too impressed, too many bugs. Really hope the patches sort them out.

Frustrating when you are playing a online game and in a vital moment, you get out to a shot you hit all along the ground and is caught on the boundary, pr you are run out when you did not even go for a run, moments like those can just change the game.

Most annoying is the black screen that pops up almost every other online match.