Okay (PS2 version):
Cricket 2005 shows a marked improvement on 2004, in a similar way to what EA has done with Rugby 2005 as opposed to 2004.
An overhaul of the menus, along with the new create-a-player feature are the first changes evident from the first menu, along the nice touch of showcasing a few of the worlds best/average/worst* players in the background (*delete as too personal preference).
On entering the nets, the options are also a marked improvement on the previous version, allowing the user to work at certain areas of their batting. Previously had a problem with hooking the ball and , a la Mark Waugh, had to give away the hook shot? Go to the nets, select the type of delivery and work on hooking the quicks into the stand.
The opportunity to hone your skills in the nets in this way is a very welcome addition to practise facilities, but a further addition could be taken from the Tiger Woods series and the new Rugby and Madden games - an inclusion of mini games to introduce skills of the game to the user would be a nice touch.
The gameplay itself is also a vast improvement, but is lacking in a few areas. Looking through the game, from starting a new match (50 over one dayer) shows an improvement on the team selection by automatically taking you to this screen, preventing people like me from forgetting and wondering why Jimmy Naderson is opening the bowling!
You are then taken to the cut screens to introduce the game, followed by the first ball.
Batting Positives:
- No able to work a cover drive / push, rather than playing and missing at all half volleys.
- Far better animation on the shots and better shot selection, for example the cut shot that is eased toward backward point and gully region rather than a flat bat shot every time.
- Late cuts / run to third man is now a viable shot, rather than impossible to play on hard.
- Batting is slightly harder, forcing the player into building an innings more. No more using the 'skip-down-the-track-launch-it-over-mid-on-six-every-time-shot'.
- A better representation of batting in general.
Batting Negatives:
- Unable to show imagination, such as backing away as the bowler releases to give yourself more room.
- Unable to pull the ball through wide mid-on / midwicket from outside the off stump a la Vaughan signature shot.
All in all, a great improvement in the batting.
Bowling Positives:
- Swing and seam for quick bowlers. You can now bowl different types of delivery instead of stock (straight!!) and slow.
- Special deliveries. Nice touch, and encourages the user to bowl more.
- Bouncers / short deliveries don't (as far as I have played so far) fly over the keeper regularly, but are actually playable.
Bowling Negatives:
- All the same action. I understand the constraints of motion capturing all test and ODI bowlers, but a few more animations would not have gone amiss (cricket pun
)
- Perhaps this one is just me, but I just feel a sense of speed is lacking. The quick bowlers really should make you hurry, and have the batsmen hopping around a little (see Hogg's dismissal today for an example).
- Bowlers doing a lot of fielding. It is not very often within cricket that the bowler fields all shots heading to mid-off. A better sense of AI would be good here, no mid-off and the bowler attempts more, a mid-off in and the bowler lets it run to the fielder.
From my prespective, I feel that EA have moved the franchise on nicley, implementing nice features (pitch wearing, spin from footmarks, better lbw appeals) without a total overhaul. This is the EA trademark almost, a gradual improvement throughout a franchise, with better presentation each and every time.
I am happy with the overall product and will be content with this until the inevitable EA Cricket 2006 / 2007.
Overall rating 85% - good improvement but further improvement can be made. EA deserve credit for what has been done with the game rather than nit-picking what they haven't.
Remember, it is easy to criticise, it is much harder to create.
:happy
