Can't say I noticed that with the HUD turned off...Maybe that is because I'm naturally looking at the bowlers hand rather than the pitch?
Play-test review:
Started off with a beer in their pub and a massive burger from their BBQ (not common place, I should add.
)On to the game...
We've all heard about the action cam and many of the critics are "It's only a camera." I tell you what, this action cam transforms the game. Not only is batting very immersive but it adds a new dimension to bowling in a cricket game, it makes it very difficult to land the ball in the same spot, more on this with the HUD later.
When you are running the action cam stays with the batsman, so you are watching the batsman run down the pitch with the camera focused on the ball, you can switch your view with the shoulder buttons so that you look down to the crease you are running to, or to your batting partner.
Bowling has a new twist, you have to hold the analog sticks in place to keep the ball pitching at x point, which makes yorkers quite difficult. Though they were quite easy in our 2-player cam as it only works with broadcast cam, for obvious reasons. I played New Zealand in a T20 on Normal and got hit for 170, it's not easy.
HUD - You have an option to turn this off, which means you see no bowling reticule, swing or timing meter. When I turned this off, I hated it, it was so difficult. Then I worked with it a bit, I cannot give this option enough credit. The hardcore players will love it, by love it, I mean love it. It's you against the bowler and it feels fantastic in action cam, this will be the way to play it.
Customisation - Much more in depth than AC'09, I remember a figure of 300 items, might have been 400. I didn't look in to it in much depth as it doesn't really interest me, but it looks better and it is certainly bigger.
Tournaments - They showed us the options for these and it looks like there is a lot of depth of gameplay in these. Fully customisable or set tournaments, your choice.
The AI seemed good, I didn't have them chasing a total at any point but they seemed good when setting a total, and that was on normal.
The edges were good, thick edges tended to go down or squirt out to gully area, thin edges carrying through nicely. I didn't find any exploits like the off-spinner one in AC'09, the game felt quite solid. The fielders felt a bit slow at times, but fast at other times. But with the action cam, running is very difficult and not as simple as you think.
Don't undervalue something that sounds as simple as an action cam, it turns a cricket game in to something we've not seen before. I thoroughly enjoyed playing IC'10 yesterday. I had a grin on most of the day.
Lastly, a big thanks to Andy, Ian and the whole of Codemasters for yesterday and their continuing support of us and the whole community. Nice bunch of guys and an impressive set of studios.
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To answer some questions I've seen.
I saw Morgan in the squad, can't comment on Lumb or Kieswetter, I didn't really look for them.
Spinners - I didn't notice the spinners getting more tonked than the seamers, but I think that was resolved in the patch for AC'09. It felt well balanced overall.
Eng & Aus players are not editable.
