If you’re outside Australia or the UK, this review
will probably not mean much, however for lovers of cricket, Namco
Bandai and Australian developers Transmission Games
(Ricky Ponting Cricket) have created a
rather worthy cricket title for 2009 and dare we say it, the best in
quite some time.
With the Ashes just finishing
in the UK and Australia coming home with their tail between their
legs, aussie gamers can now revisit this disastrous event in Ashes
Cricket 2009 on the PlayStation 3.
Like AFL games, Cricket games have been a hit and
miss affair and unfortunately most sit in the “miss” category. With
many companies attempting to create the definitive and perfect cricket game,
it’s always been an elusive affair, however thankfully Australia’s
very own Transmission Games were at the helm of this affair and
although it’s still lacking that perfect gameplay, they have come
rather close.
Even
though it's lacking some
licensing features, the game does
boast the classic cricket games that include 1 Day International,
Test Match and our favourite, the 20 Series which is ideal for those
gamers looking for a quick fix. Just check out some of the
screenshots and needless to say, cricket on the console world has
come a long way.
Recreating the real-world rules of cricket in the
virtual world, Transmission Games have managed to make the gameplay
a fun and interesting experience on the PS3. In terms of batting,
the game is similar to traditional golf games and best of all, it
has transferred quite well to the PS3 controls.
Bowling is another
aspect that works well and to an extent, fielding also works,
although a little random at times. Batting is easily the best part
of Ashes Cricket 2009 which gives the player some real control of
the ball when they hit and depending on the level of difficulty you
have chosen to play, you can really knock the ball for six. For
those who have never played cricket or are a little unfamiliar with
the rules, there is a training mode to assist in this process.
Yes we
have waited quite some time for a decent cricket game and after a
week's worth of almost non-stop playing, I commend the developers
for such a fun game. With that said, the game is more arcade than
sports simulation, however hitting balls for six or four, bowling
your competitors out or attempting to throw the ball at the wickets,
it's all here.
Graphically, the title is visually quite impressive
on the PS3 at times… for a cricket game anyway. Given that
Transmission Studios don’t have the large budget of a company such
as EA, they have managed to mimic the real-world physics of the
ball, including some familiar stadiums.
The players are well
animated and have some good looking texture details, however where
the title does fall over is through its mediocre crowd effects. Add
in a variety of realistic lighting, weather effects etc, and
although it may not be as polished as Fifa, Ashes Cricket 2009 still manages to get
over the line with acceptability.
After you have re-written the history matches or had
your fill of player versus AI, Ashes Cricket 2009 even features an
online mode which offers games of both ranked and unranked matches.
We did manage to test this feature and were quite impressed with the
speed and playability over the PlayStation Network.
In conclusion, Ashes Cricket 2009 is quite an
impressive attempt at a cricket game and goes beyond the previous
incarnations.
Although graphically, it may be lacking to some
extent, the developers have however managed to recreate this game and
successfully transfer it to the PlayStation 3. There may be some
gameplay glitches and the occasional accuracy issues, however at the
end of the day, Ashes Cricket 2009 will give most fans of this sport
what they want which is good old fashioned cricket with fun
gameplay.
