I started liking the game, particularly the longer version. The T20 against AI is a joke, we should have just 5 or 6 players per team to make it interesting and less of a slog fest.
Jokes apart, the ODI (50 overs) is really challenging. I was able to score freely, but kept loosing wickets, with AC09 I was hitting boundaries at will, all with ground shots, i seldom try lofted shots, unless a tail-ender is in the middle.
With IC10, finding the rope is hard using ground shots, so I tend to use lofted shots, thus loosing the wickets early. AI chasing is really good, I do not use close in fielders as it will result in a easy victory, so lost all the matches till date. But had good fun, I defended the target on all the matches.
Played a test match, took my own sweet time and scored 145/1 in 25 overs, I called it a day after that.
Glad they retained the broadcast view, I am sure it did not sit well for everyone, it did not for me when bowling (I am yet to switch to broadcast view while bowling), I can live with it while batting. they should have better graphics for "Action cam" to be more enjoyable (Not that it is bad now, we need more
)
Pros
1) AI tactics while bowing, they are superb, it was almost like playing a human, they mix the deliveries well.
2) Yorkers produce decent results (for AI)
3) No more cross batted shots square of the wicket (On side), at-least this was my case. In Ac09, you can pretty much whack any ball towards square-leg for easy runs,
4) Getting beaten outside off
5) The tournaments are nice and makes a lot of sense with the stat tracking 6) Bugs of Ac09 are gone (new ones surfaced, but they are not game breakers anyway)
PS : AI Fielding is a bit better, In ac09 you can run a single when the fielder in midoff/midon gets a one bounce ball, he will fumble the ball to the ground, we can run across the pitch without any 2nd thoughts. This was annoying as the animation of the fielder dabbing the ball and then running back to collect it, i did not see this one either in IC10. Thanks
Con's a.k.a things to be patched
1) AI field placements, they are terrible. It is high time AI starts using custom field and place the guys at strategic positions. I do not like the idea of close by fielders grabbing everything on their path, but at-least help the bowler with the right field settings.
This would improve the game play drastically and will compliment the new improved AI
2) Bowing with ActionCam
3) Edges, It is cool to be caught behind when you miscue a shot, but I got a bunch of boundaries and 6's off the edge. I think this was expected and was discussed during the patch development process.
4) Spinners are a bit better, but we can still fire every ball over/towards the ropes, without even climbing down the track.
5) When a bowler is being taken apart, the AI should bring in a new bowler, not until he finishes his spell of 4/5 overs. (50 over ODI)
6) I would not term it as a con, the timing window needs to be tweaked (action cam), It is almost like wait for the ball to come out of the hand and press the button to hit it, lots of room for improvement.
Lighter moments during the game
1) Try a backfoot cover drive (stupid to even think of) on a yorker, you will see the ball chasing the bat (The ball becomes a beamer), it happens one in 5 times.
2) At times the ball starts floating between stumps and the keeper, mostly when we get beaten on the leg side.
3) When the batsman gets hit he walks right through the stumps, glad they did not give a hit-wicket.
It is a nice and a better iteration to AC09, I started with a T20 and was caught on the wrong foot, I feel that this game is for folks who wants to give a shot at Test and 50 over ODI's. I have not tried online, but hope they resolve the server issues.
