Howzat Beta Impressions

[pcfan123]

Last night I had the oppertunity to beta Howzat, the free online cricket game.
The game I tested was 75% of the completed project.

The overall layout of Howzat is very user friendly and easy to understand. The lobby shows all active games and users, and one can accept or send challenges.

The loading time for the game is minimal on a decent computer and lag is not an issue. I only had the oppertunity to play 2 over matches but got to play a decent amount.

Batting:
There are many different shots (all arrow combinations) you can choose from, either normal or attacking. Simply press the arrow direction at the proper timing for a normal shot, or hold down shift and an arrow for an aggressive shot. The animations are very fluid and look natural. The batsmen seemed a bit slow to react, however this was probably due to my poor timing.

Bowling:
First you choose where you want to place the ball, then a meter pops up for that determines your wrist position on the ball. The bowling action is excellent, (better than some of the AC09 actions) and bowling is actually fun in this game. The only thing I did not like is that there is a slight delay after you choose the setting on the bowling meter, the bowlers run up is too long and I found my self just sitting and waiting for him to arrive at the crease.

Fielding is automatic however you have the choice of setting a normal,legside or offside field.

The game is highly editable, you can name your online team whatever you want, rename all the players, change the helmets/kits etc. As you play you earn skill points which can be used to better your players stats. So those who play more will be rewarded with stronger teams. Online stats tracking will include wins/losses/streaks etc.

Overall I was very impressed and am excited about Howzat. The game being browser based will make is accesable to everyone and is way more indepth and involed than any other browser based game I have played. It will be a lot of fun to challenge fellow PC members to a real cricket game instead of those crap flash ones in the arcade.

Future editions are in the works and I can only see this game getting better from here

Graphics :7/10 (browser based, cant ask for much)
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Replay value: 10/10

The game releases on Saturday

 

[TheGreemSim]

Sounds gun. Shame I'm away on saturday.

 

[FAZ007]

The game sounds good
I might have to be up till 3AM to test out before the Saturday release date. I hope it grows on people
Any chance this game has any leveling and match making system.

 

[iridescentt]

Bah! I've been asking Radius_Vector for a beta for numerous days and when the time comes for me to be online to try it I'm never on I've been sucked into the vacuum that is cable TV.

 

[CaptainOZ]

Last night I had the oppertunity to beta Howzat, the free online cricket game.
The game I tested was 75% of the completed project.

The overall layout of Howzat is very user friendly and easy to understand. The lobby shows all active games and users, and one can accept or send challenges.

The loading time for the game is minimal on a decent computer and lag is not an issue. I only had the oppertunity to play 2 over matches but got to play a decent amount.

Batting:
There are many different shots (all arrow combinations) you can choose from, either normal or attacking. Simply press the arrow direction at the proper timing for a normal shot, or hold down shift and an arrow for an aggressive shot. The animations are very fluid and look natural. The batsmen seemed a bit slow to react, however this was probably due to my poor timing.

Bowling:
First you choose where you want to place the ball, then a meter pops up for that determines your wrist position on the ball. The bowling action is excellent, (better than some of the AC09 actions) and bowling is actually fun in this game. The only thing I did not like is that there is a slight delay after you choose the setting on the bowling meter, the bowlers run up is too long and I found my self just sitting and waiting for him to arrive at the crease.

Fielding is automatic however you have the choice of setting a normal,legside or offside field.

The game is highly editable, you can name your online team whatever you want, rename all the players, change the helmets/kits etc. As you play you earn skill points which can be used to better your players stats. So those who play more will be rewarded with stronger teams. Online stats tracking will include wins/losses/streaks etc.

Overall I was very impressed and am excited about Howzat. The game being browser based will make is accesable to everyone and is way more indepth and involed than any other browser based game I have played. It will be a lot of fun to challenge fellow PC members to a real cricket game instead of those crap flash ones in the arcade.

Future editions are in the works and I can only see this game getting better from here

Graphics :7/10 (browser based, cant ask for much)
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Replay value: 10/10

The game releases on Saturday

Sounds cool! I look forward to giving it a try. Screenshots and maybe a video of gameplay would be awesome - I'll be patient though.

 

[Insomniac]

How many shots are there / how is the placement?

Do all your cover drives go to the same place, or is there a way that you can get the ball past the fielder?

 

[hedger_14]

He asked me to email him for what time I would be able to test him and I did email him but he didn't reply.

 

[pcfan123]

How many shots are there / how is the placement?

Do all your cover drives go to the same place, or is there a way that you can get the ball past the fielder?

I think there are about 19 odd different shots. A few times I played a pull shot, twice it went for six and once for a catch.

 

[FAZ007]

Just did beta testing for Howzat

Like any cricket game, I went with no expectations

Radius was very friendly in walking me through the game and controls

As mentioned above, you use direction buttons and combination to play shots. Shift plus combination gives you aggressive lofted shots

There are 19 shots to play with all the combination

The timing is crucial as mistimed shots or wrong shot results in ball beating bat or getting caught or bowled

Bowling is very simple as you place the cursor where to bowl with direction buttons and select field before the over is bowled

Fielding is automated and I didn't see any drop cathes or misfield during my play

Overall its fun to play and would be very addictive as it has one levels up after wins and gets experience points after the match is completed

Overall its a 7.5/10 for me as there are still room for improvements. But the fun factor will keep you coming back. Can't wait for the Saturday launch

 

[Radius_Vector]

He asked me to email him for what time I would be able to test him and I did email him but he didn't reply.

Hi hedger_14,

I had emailed you yesterday, wonder if you got it? I'll PM you the e-mail again, just in case

 

[iridescentt]

This is my review on the game in comparison to other online flash games in general, but in specific Stick Cricket. It was based on two rounds consisting of two overs of batting/bowling apiece between me and RV. I won both rounds mind you

9.5 - Presentation

Their presentation isn't too over the top nor is lacking anything. It's not perfect at the moment since the site is still under construction buts its got just enough eye candy to appeal to all internet users.​

9.0 - Graphics

Although graphics aren't a real factor within the HowZat game, their website setup and general game setup is just what the doctor ordered. With being a browser-based game, your obviously not expecting 4x AA settings yet HowZat does exceptionally well. One area where I was pretty cheesed off with was the boundary line, its so epicly huge that I was given out caught when attempting to hit a six even when the fielder was standing on top of it, RV assured me that this will be fixed ... after he got my prized wicket ​

8.0 - Sound

Could do with something but I don't know what that something is

But what can you expect, its a browser-based game and they got the main component of the game right, the gameplay; so who cares about the sound, it doesn't need to have epic opera music.​

9.0 - Gameplay

One thing that separates this game from Stick Cricket is the depth in the gameplay. You'll be enjoying batting and bowling to your opponent.

For batting, your shots are simply controlled by the arrow keys which can then be used in combinations along with the Shift (Lofted Shot) to result in as much as 19 different cricket shots. Although I didn't get to try all of them, I was pretty amazed by the variety of shots that I did get to play. Something Stick Cricket can't do. To run you press the SPACE bar as well. You also have the ability to shift your batsman's position within his crease to your desire, it doesn't stop at moving your batsman a few paces either since you have been given the choice to move your batsman anywhere (Well in reason of course). Of course if your timing is off key you might get caught.

For bowling, you aim the moving marker (For those who have tried the CR beta, its similar but not as 'fast') and place the marker in the space desired by pressing the SPACE key. From their depending on your bowler (Whether he is a pace or spin bowler) you can vary the swing/spin and control the pace at the same time. For the beta, the ability to switch over/round the wicket has not been implemented but it will be due launch day.

I just can't explain in words how smart the swing/spin/pace mechanism is!

The animations aid the gameplay in many ways, its not some generic looking animation which looks as if some 12yo has made them in some commercial program, but you can see the time and effort put into them to make the animations look realistic as possible.

Obviously with any cricket game, their will be the bouncer/yorker spammers. But don't fret. Once you get a hang of the controls you'll be able to hit them over the fence for a six. Oh and there is a training/nets mode as well to help aid you crappy performances in the areas you need help in most ​

9.0 - Lasting Appeal

HowZat is going to be one of those games that will come into your mind whenever you pop on the net, well for me of course. As long as their is a solid community foundation then you can expect HowZat to be thriving on it; so I don't see it really falling in popularity.

One thing that you might experience with games like Ashes Cricket 09, is the excessive amount of quitting. Although 'quitting' can't necessarily be stopped HowZat, they have put a system in place of whenever someone has quit/left the game they will lose a set amount of experience points. Plus, if someone quits on you it counts as a win on your record. As you might've picked up with what I was saying before about losing experience points before, you obviously get experience points for completing your matches. With your experience points you get to, in a way, 'level up' your starting XI in many ways (Eg. Batting, bowling, fielding, etc).​

I found the game to be really enjoyable to be honest. Poops all over Stick Cricket! My calculator says I gotta' give my beta preview of HowZat an 8.9 due to the average of all the combined marks, but I'll give it a 9/10 because I can really see the effort put into making this game just that much better

RV if you have any queries about my review don't be afraid to post

 

[Radius_Vector]

This is my review on the game in comparison to other online flash games in general, but in specific Stick Cricket. It was based on two rounds consisting of two overs of batting/bowling apiece between me and RV. I won both rounds mind you

9.5 - Presentation

Their presentation isn't too over the top nor is lacking anything. It's not perfect at the moment since the site is still under construction buts its got just enough eye candy to appeal to all internet users.​

9.0 - Graphics

Although graphics aren't a real factor within the HowZat game, their website setup and general game setup is just what the doctor ordered. With being a browser-based game, your obviously not expecting 4x AA settings yet HowZat does exceptionally well. One area where I was pretty cheesed off with was the boundary line, its so epicly huge that I was given out caught when attempting to hit a six even when the fielder was standing on top of it, RV assured me that this will be fixed ... after he got my prized wicket ​

8.0 - Sound

Could do with something but I don't know what that something is

But what can you expect, its a browser-based game an they got the main component of the game right, the gameplay; so who cares about the sound, it doesn't need to be some epic opera music.​

9.0 - Gameplay

One thing that separates this game from Stick Cricket is the depth in the gameplay. You'll be enjoying batting and bowling to your opponent.

For batting, your shots are simply controlled by the arrow keys which can then be used in combinations along with the Shift (Lofted Shot) to result in as much as 19 different cricket shots. Although I didn't get to try all of them, I was pretty amazed by the variety of shots that I did get to play. Something Stick Cricket can't do. To run you press the SPACE bar as well. You also have the ability to shift your batsman's position within his crease to your desire, it doesn't stop at moving your batsman a few paces either since you have been given the choice to move your batsman anywhere (Well in reason of course). Of course if your timing is off key you might get caught.

For bowling, you aim the moving marker (For those who have tried the CR beta, its similar but not as 'fast') and place the marker in the space desired by pressing the SPACE key. From their depending on your bowler (Whether he is a pace or spin bowler) you can vary the swing/spin and control the pace at the same time. For the beta, the ability to switch over/round the wicket has not been implemented but it will be due launch day.

I just can't explain in words how smart the swing/spin/pace mechanism is!

The animations aid the gameplay in many ways, its not some generic looking animation which looks as if some 12yo has made them in some commercial program, but you can see the time and effort put into them to make the animations look realistic as possible.

Obviously with any cricket game, their will be the bouncer/yorker spammers. But don't fret. Once you get a hang of the controls you'll be able to hit them over the fence for a six. Oh and there is a training/nets mode as well to help aid you crappy performances in the areas you need help in most ​

9.0 - Lasting Appeal

HowZat is going to be one of those games that will come into your mind whenever you pop on the net, well for me of course. As long as their is a solid community foundation then you can expect HowZat to be thriving on it; so I don't see it really falling in popularity.

One thing that you might experience with games like Ashes Cricket 09, is the excessive amount of quitting. Although 'quitting' can't necessarily be stopped HowZat, they have put a system in place of whenever someone has quit/left the game they will lose a set amount of experience points. Plus, if someone quits on you it counts as a win on your record. As you might've picked up with what I was saying before about losing experience points before, you obviously get experience points for completing your matches. With your experience points you get to, in a way, 'level up' your starting XI in many ways (Eg. Batting, bowling, fielding, etc).​

I found the game to be really enjoyable to be honest. Poops all over Stick Cricket! My calculator says I gotta' give my beta preview of HowZat an 8.9 due to the average of all the combined marks, but I'll give it a 9/10 because I can really see the effort put into making this game just that much better

RV if you have any queries about my review don't be afraid to post

Guys, Thank you for your reviews. A special thanks to skrillex_x and Hmarka for the detailed reviews. We've noted some of the key points you've brought up, and we're working on squeezing the best out of the feature list.

And about beating me in both the games, don't blame me You're just a natural at this ! Guys, beware of skrillex - he's probably going to hit level 100 in HowZat in a couple of weeks!

 

[blake]

These reviews are quite exciting actually. I'm looking forward to the release of this game - will definitely be a main competitor.

 

[iridescentt]

nd about beating me in both the games, don't blame me You're just a natural at this ! Guys, beware of skrillex - he's probably going to hit level 100 in HowZat in a couple of weeks!

You mean days

 

[Radius_Vector]

How many shots are there / how is the placement?

19 shots totally, including the lofted ones.

Do all your cover drives go to the same place, or is there a way that you can get the ball past the fielder?

That's a very good question!

Placement is not something that is 'sterile' or preset, it is dynamic based on your timing. A loosely timed shot has a higher probability of looping up in the air and getting you caught. But that's just one of the factors that determines where the ball goes.

Placement is something that would also depend on your batting level. A batsman of say, level 5, will find the gaps between fielders much easier than a batsman of level 1.