Cricket 2005

Step into the Virtual Cricket World

If you are a cricket fan and also a gamer, you will probably have noticed that there are not a lot of computer games that take cricket as its theme. Although Cricket 2005 is a bit long in the tooth by now, it is still hailed as one of the best cricket games around. Read on to discover if this game will make you crazy about cricket.

There are many sports that the Americans excel in such as baseball and basketball. Cricket, however, is not a sport that is typically associated with the USA. Which is why it seems rather odd for American gaming company EA to have released Cricket 2005. British cricket fans are sure to realise pretty quickly that the game offers the basic mechanics of the game without the subtle nuances that they have come to know and love.

The concept doesn’t really take a lot of figuring out. Gamers are invited to take part in the action and excitement of playing a game of cricket in the comfort of their own home. This has a number of advantages, such as being able to play alone no matter what the weather. Players can choose their teams and even customise them slightly according to their preferences.

After the novelty has worn off, however, players are left with a rather dull game that fails to capture the magic of playing or watching a real game of cricket. While the graphics are pretty good, they still leave a little to be desires and the postures that team members sometimes end up in look far from natural, comfortable or at times even possible.

The main criticism of Cricket 2002 was that the game was too easy and gamers did not feel like they were being challenged. The 2005 version set to rectify that problem and to be fair the game play is more intricate and difficult than before. However, there still feels like there is a lot missing here.

Having said that, there is a lot to like about the game. The game menus are very fluid and your curser is replayed by a cricket bat, which is a nice touch that any sports fan is sure to appreciate. The player models are well rendered and most of the top cricketers from around the world are represented in the game. For people who have always dreamed of meeting their cricket heroes, this takes them one step closer and will provide some moments of nostalgia as you watch them make their way onto the pitch.

However, many of the players, especially those on the Canadian team, have rather generic faces that can take some of the fun out of playing the game as well as making the players difficult to keep track of. The animations of the umpire are rather limited, despite the fact that he is always visible. It often feels like the creators did not really put a lot of effort into the game and so much more could have been done to make Cricket 2005 a success.

You really have to be a cricket fan to appreciate this game. While the graphics and the game mechanics are fair, the game does feel rather dated and it is better to spend a little time searching for a newer option. The game often feels so slow that you will probably have time to do this while actually playing Cricket 2005.

Pros

• Lots of players and teams
• The graphics are not too bad

Cons

• The game is very slow
• Matches take a long time to complete
• The controls are rather awkward