While you'd expect any game to be copying every other one in nearly every capacity, but try to do it slightly better, HowZat does the opposite, it copies a bunch of genres and mashes them together without a lot of focus on anything in particular, yet almost pulls it off.
For a browser based Cricket game, it is the best I've played. However that doesn't say all that much, as it really hasn't been attempted before. Games like Stick Cricket are about the only thing similar, and as the name of that suggests, it doesn't try to be proper Cricket. HowZat has bit off a lot in this regard and has some good ideas, the bowling is very well thought out, though with timing missing from the equation, you just pick a spot and pick a speed, which isn't exactly a comprehensive bowling experience, but it is pretty good for what it is, especially considering how wrong some recent full 3D Cricket games that do that badly.
Batting is another story though, there's a lot of missing feedback here. I've found while I'm playing that I could just easily play down the ground, with the only variance being whether it is a single or a four (with the occasional two), but if you try and play different shots, you almost certainly end up mistiming. With the lack of a nets/training mode to practice shots, the only time you get to practice shots is in the middle of a five over match and with the timing/shot selection feedback not there half the time, or not in the game at all, it just leaves you with going for the safe shots, which doesn't make for interesting cricket. On the other hand my first Six was square of the wicket, but I only got 16 in that whole innings because of the amount of time I spent trying and missing.
Fielding is non-existent, you have a choice of three non-ideal fields and no time to make decisions on it (three seconds I think). I'd get reasons for not including a field editor (as it would introduce too many variables), I'd just like some more field settings. It also often seems like the ball goes right through a fielder when you'd expect a catch and sometimes they catch it when you think it has gone through. I doubt Flash has the best physics engine though.
The experience overall is good, my first match was my best match so far, when it is close and you know every ball matters it is thrilling. For me, it is the only online game I've managed to play without lag absolutely ruining it, though there are still lag issues, but when you're on a 256k connection, even the PlanetCricket Database Errors lag a bit.
But what happens when every ball doesn't matter? It becomes a game that lacks the depth it needs to be successful long term. The match engine is good, but it is a gimmick for most online cricket managers, who will quickly move on if there isn't something to hold them there.
Besides getting points for winning (or spamming the game on Facebook) and using these to increase player skills and a level system that hasn't been explained anywhere (as far as I've seen), there isn't all that much on the management side.
The real sore point for me is the lack of it being a league as such, you just play random one-on-one matches, likely just against your friends or whoever is online. Not having a structure to the matches means besides the achievements, there is nothing really to make you feel compelled to keep going, you can level up, but to what ends?
Playing in a table to be the best team of the country and then a World Cup of those top players perhaps, or even just custom leagues. You don't need to go to the extent of requiring people to play everyone at a certain time on a certain date, that would be fairly difficult, but some sort of structure to create something to aim for would keep people going.
Also, you shouldn't have to win to get 'experience'. Playing well against a better team should earn you points, and as I mentioned earlier, being able to do net sessions or training with your players would both make it much easier to improve your playing of the game and offer an interactive way of improving your skills. Virtual catching drills anyone?
You can change enough about your team for what the game is, but custom logos would be nice. Also, my choice of team name 'The South-South-Easterlies' managed to break most text boxes and causes my score not to show in game, which is fairly annoying. Perhaps do abbreviated team names in those cases (I'd have thought of something else if a character limit was imposed).
Overall, while the fundamentals of the game are strong in parts, the 3D match engine isn't good enough to be self standing and the management side is too weak to be enough of a draw in itself. HowZat may have chosen to go to be a simple to play online cricket game, but that simplicity will be its downfall unless something is done to give the game more longevity. Though for this side of things, the online nature of HowZat gives it an advantage, fairly quick patching, there already seems to be one as it reloaded part of the game when I went to play again to get some screenshots for the review. Hopefully they will be able to address some of the issues here, otherwise I think most won't be playing for too long.
In terms of ratings,
Graphics: 8 - For what they are, the graphics are great, with the overall presentation very pleasing.
Gameplay: 7 - Improved batting would have nudged this higher, but fairly good for the platform.
Longevity: 5 - Besides random five over matches, there is nothing to do once you've set up your team for the first time.
Overall: 71/100 - A game with huge amounts of unfulfilled potential, I hope to see them put some more work into the management side of things, to improve the game's biggest issue.
(There you have it my first 'official' review, enjoy.)
For a browser based Cricket game, it is the best I've played. However that doesn't say all that much, as it really hasn't been attempted before. Games like Stick Cricket are about the only thing similar, and as the name of that suggests, it doesn't try to be proper Cricket. HowZat has bit off a lot in this regard and has some good ideas, the bowling is very well thought out, though with timing missing from the equation, you just pick a spot and pick a speed, which isn't exactly a comprehensive bowling experience, but it is pretty good for what it is, especially considering how wrong some recent full 3D Cricket games that do that badly.
Batting is another story though, there's a lot of missing feedback here. I've found while I'm playing that I could just easily play down the ground, with the only variance being whether it is a single or a four (with the occasional two), but if you try and play different shots, you almost certainly end up mistiming. With the lack of a nets/training mode to practice shots, the only time you get to practice shots is in the middle of a five over match and with the timing/shot selection feedback not there half the time, or not in the game at all, it just leaves you with going for the safe shots, which doesn't make for interesting cricket. On the other hand my first Six was square of the wicket, but I only got 16 in that whole innings because of the amount of time I spent trying and missing.
Fielding is non-existent, you have a choice of three non-ideal fields and no time to make decisions on it (three seconds I think). I'd get reasons for not including a field editor (as it would introduce too many variables), I'd just like some more field settings. It also often seems like the ball goes right through a fielder when you'd expect a catch and sometimes they catch it when you think it has gone through. I doubt Flash has the best physics engine though.
The experience overall is good, my first match was my best match so far, when it is close and you know every ball matters it is thrilling. For me, it is the only online game I've managed to play without lag absolutely ruining it, though there are still lag issues, but when you're on a 256k connection, even the PlanetCricket Database Errors lag a bit.
But what happens when every ball doesn't matter? It becomes a game that lacks the depth it needs to be successful long term. The match engine is good, but it is a gimmick for most online cricket managers, who will quickly move on if there isn't something to hold them there.
Besides getting points for winning (or spamming the game on Facebook) and using these to increase player skills and a level system that hasn't been explained anywhere (as far as I've seen), there isn't all that much on the management side.
The real sore point for me is the lack of it being a league as such, you just play random one-on-one matches, likely just against your friends or whoever is online. Not having a structure to the matches means besides the achievements, there is nothing really to make you feel compelled to keep going, you can level up, but to what ends?
Playing in a table to be the best team of the country and then a World Cup of those top players perhaps, or even just custom leagues. You don't need to go to the extent of requiring people to play everyone at a certain time on a certain date, that would be fairly difficult, but some sort of structure to create something to aim for would keep people going.
Also, you shouldn't have to win to get 'experience'. Playing well against a better team should earn you points, and as I mentioned earlier, being able to do net sessions or training with your players would both make it much easier to improve your playing of the game and offer an interactive way of improving your skills. Virtual catching drills anyone?
You can change enough about your team for what the game is, but custom logos would be nice. Also, my choice of team name 'The South-South-Easterlies' managed to break most text boxes and causes my score not to show in game, which is fairly annoying. Perhaps do abbreviated team names in those cases (I'd have thought of something else if a character limit was imposed).
Overall, while the fundamentals of the game are strong in parts, the 3D match engine isn't good enough to be self standing and the management side is too weak to be enough of a draw in itself. HowZat may have chosen to go to be a simple to play online cricket game, but that simplicity will be its downfall unless something is done to give the game more longevity. Though for this side of things, the online nature of HowZat gives it an advantage, fairly quick patching, there already seems to be one as it reloaded part of the game when I went to play again to get some screenshots for the review. Hopefully they will be able to address some of the issues here, otherwise I think most won't be playing for too long.
In terms of ratings,
Graphics: 8 - For what they are, the graphics are great, with the overall presentation very pleasing.
Gameplay: 7 - Improved batting would have nudged this higher, but fairly good for the platform.
Longevity: 5 - Besides random five over matches, there is nothing to do once you've set up your team for the first time.
Overall: 71/100 - A game with huge amounts of unfulfilled potential, I hope to see them put some more work into the management side of things, to improve the game's biggest issue.
(There you have it my first 'official' review, enjoy.)