Making the best better
International Cricket 2010 (Codemasters, £39.99)
When Ashes Cricket 2009 was released last year, we called it the best cricket game ever made – with the added caveat that that’s not necessarily saying very much. While the basics of the game were spot on and far superior to anything seen before in cricket gaming, the frustrating amount of glitches and lack of polish hurt the title’s longevity. Happily, in International Cricket 2010, all of those faults have been rectified and a bit of extra polish added.
There have been minor improvements to player likeness (and the addition of Australia’s Doug Bollinger, complete with rug – quite a sight in 1080p high definition) and some behind-the-scenes improvements too. The controls have been tweaked, with 360 degree batting control now possible courtesy of the ‘power stick’. Cut away the marketing speak and it simply means finding the gaps with all sorts of shots is far more realistic, though we didn’t quite manage to recreate the sort of innovation seen in your average Eoin Morgan innings.
Another addition is the ‘action cam’, where you get a taste of roughly what Craig Kieswetter sees when Shaun Tait is charging in with a license to wound. It seemed gimmicky at first, a feature added simply for the ease of marketing the game to owners of Ashes Cricket 2009. But, for batting at least, it’s a welcome addition – as well as the ability to scan around the field prior to a delivery, searching for gaps. It doesn’t translate as well to the bowling crease.
Still not convinced? Bermuda, Scotland, Canada and the Netherlands have all been added, though given the title only has official rights for the Australia and England squads, it does seem a tad pointless. We rushed to see just how impressive the model of Dwayne Leverock, Bermuda’s supersized slip superstar from the 2007 World Cup, would look in high definition – but sadly ‘Damien Laverick’ looked remarkably slim, indistinguishable from his colleagues.
It would be silly to criticise Trickstar and Codemasters for simply focussing on fixing and refining the existing engine, as it was much needed if a cricket title is ever going to match the addictiveness of FIFA titles that don’t lose their appeal until the next annual release.
They’ve done exactly what was required: ironed out the glaring bugs and made some slow and steady steps in the right direction. If you bypassed Ashes Cricket 2009 then this title is highly recommended. For those who stumped up the cash last year, the £39.99 RRP is a harder sell.
But, assuming the future of Trickstar Games is assured, this franchise has so much potential yet to explore. And in the meantime, they’ve served up a very addictive – and far less frustrating – game.
