andrew_nixon
Chairman of Selectors
The International Cricket Captain series of games continues, and this time they promise us a whole new look. Is it that new? Is it worth getting? Let's find out.
When you start the game, the first thing you hear is the familiar strains of Soul Limbo by Booker T and the MGs, better known to some as the theme from the BBC's cricket coverage, in the game for the first time since ICC2002. It appears they've spent some more money on this one.
And the money has also been spent on the interface, as the game has had a significant makeover for the first time since ICC2000. The new look continues when you play a match, with the layout getting a new look, that is a lot more clear.
A new hawkeye style "ball tracker" also makes it appearance here, though it isn't really of much use. It is in the match interface that the first annoyance appears though, as you now have to click one extra time when you set line and length. There are more problems though, more on that later.
The really big change is in the match highlights, which have been changed for the first time since the original game almost ten years ago. They are now genuine 3D, motion captured, animation. They look good, with the grounds recreated to some extent, kits reasonably accurate but without sponsors, with a few exceptions.
But they're far from perfect. Whilst they are now watchable, they have their problems. Players with high-end graphics cards will be disappointed that there is no option to change graphics detail, or even the resolution, which is stuck low down the resolution spectrum, looking rather pixelated on my 17" monitor. Anyone with a bigger monitor is going to find it even worse.
The match highlights also show problems with the lbw rule. I've seen lbws given when the ball pitches well outside leg stump, and not given when it's plumb in front. It happens too often to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they've programmed umpire mistakes into the game though.
So whilst the new interface does look good, what about "under the hood"? Well.... it's basically the same game. It features the same errors that have been in the game for a long time.
There still aren't enough sixes. Whilst a county championship match without a six is not that far beyond the realms of possibility, a Twenty20 match without a six is about as likely as a Test match century from Monty Panesar.
The game still does not know the difference between a Kolpak player and a player with an EU or UK passport. Andy Flower and Nic Pothas are both Kolpak players in the game, when they aren't in real life.
As the captain of your side, you always call at the toss, when in real life, the away captain does the calling.
You still can only select 12 players for a home Test match, and still can't select separate Test and ODI squads when on tour.
ODI's for the top six associates are also missing from the game.
Ridiculous data errors also are still in the game. Ian Harvey, an Australian playing on a UK passport in real life, is Italian on the game. David Hemp is not a Bermuda player in the game, when he is in real life. There are probably more, but I haven't checked everyone.
With Cricket Coach far outweighing the ICC series in terms of depth (you can still only captain an English county in ICC III) the team at Childish Things needs to give us more of a reason to buy the next ICC game. Expansion to the domestic competitions of other countries is sorely needed.
But is the game worth getting? If you've not bought an ICC game in a while, or have never bought one, buy it. If you bought ICC2006 Ashes Edition, then it's practically the same game.
It's good, but not good enough when compared to the competition. Childish Things need to grow up.
Rating: 6/10
When you start the game, the first thing you hear is the familiar strains of Soul Limbo by Booker T and the MGs, better known to some as the theme from the BBC's cricket coverage, in the game for the first time since ICC2002. It appears they've spent some more money on this one.
And the money has also been spent on the interface, as the game has had a significant makeover for the first time since ICC2000. The new look continues when you play a match, with the layout getting a new look, that is a lot more clear.
A new hawkeye style "ball tracker" also makes it appearance here, though it isn't really of much use. It is in the match interface that the first annoyance appears though, as you now have to click one extra time when you set line and length. There are more problems though, more on that later.
The really big change is in the match highlights, which have been changed for the first time since the original game almost ten years ago. They are now genuine 3D, motion captured, animation. They look good, with the grounds recreated to some extent, kits reasonably accurate but without sponsors, with a few exceptions.
But they're far from perfect. Whilst they are now watchable, they have their problems. Players with high-end graphics cards will be disappointed that there is no option to change graphics detail, or even the resolution, which is stuck low down the resolution spectrum, looking rather pixelated on my 17" monitor. Anyone with a bigger monitor is going to find it even worse.
The match highlights also show problems with the lbw rule. I've seen lbws given when the ball pitches well outside leg stump, and not given when it's plumb in front. It happens too often to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they've programmed umpire mistakes into the game though.
So whilst the new interface does look good, what about "under the hood"? Well.... it's basically the same game. It features the same errors that have been in the game for a long time.
There still aren't enough sixes. Whilst a county championship match without a six is not that far beyond the realms of possibility, a Twenty20 match without a six is about as likely as a Test match century from Monty Panesar.
The game still does not know the difference between a Kolpak player and a player with an EU or UK passport. Andy Flower and Nic Pothas are both Kolpak players in the game, when they aren't in real life.
As the captain of your side, you always call at the toss, when in real life, the away captain does the calling.
You still can only select 12 players for a home Test match, and still can't select separate Test and ODI squads when on tour.
ODI's for the top six associates are also missing from the game.
Ridiculous data errors also are still in the game. Ian Harvey, an Australian playing on a UK passport in real life, is Italian on the game. David Hemp is not a Bermuda player in the game, when he is in real life. There are probably more, but I haven't checked everyone.
With Cricket Coach far outweighing the ICC series in terms of depth (you can still only captain an English county in ICC III) the team at Childish Things needs to give us more of a reason to buy the next ICC game. Expansion to the domestic competitions of other countries is sorely needed.
But is the game worth getting? If you've not bought an ICC game in a while, or have never bought one, buy it. If you bought ICC2006 Ashes Edition, then it's practically the same game.
It's good, but not good enough when compared to the competition. Childish Things need to grow up.
Rating: 6/10
