Ashes Cricket 09 has probably been one of the most hyped cricket games in recent years.the developers are: Transmission Games and producers are: Codemasters.
Its available on:PC,XBOX360 and PS3.I will be reviewing PC version.
Now lets introduce you to the game,this is the best cricket game available in the market for pc,but this game is no different from being a “non-realistic cricket video game”.if u expect this game to be similar to the cricket you watch or follow,then u will be disappointed.let me give you a example: When was the last time we saw brett lee come to the crease and blast 53 off 19 balls in a test match?(I can remember he was a bowler,right??) Why are bowlers being punished for bowling a “good” length? When was the last test innings to feature more than 2 runouts in fact? And since when did point fielders and gullies take catches running forwards?i am not saying that this game is bad,I am just saying that this has lot of potential,which was not tapped into.
You would ask the question that “why should you waste your money on this game,when other cricket games are available for cheaper price?”well that I have explained in my review.
Installation
It’s a normal installation game.simply insert your game DVD,autoplay will be executed->install game->some documenteations(never read those :P)->choose where you want to install the game->game begins installing files->DONE!!!
The whole process took 15 to 20 minutes on my system,which is pretty ok for this type of game.
Gameplay
This game supports singleplayer,multiplayer(both online and offline i.e. on same pc upto 4 players),but this game doesn’t support LAN(that means no Hamachi too :’().
The multiplayer severs need you too update the game to the latest patch(pirates say bye-bye to online matches).
The singleplayer features test,one day(5,10,25,50 overs matches),and t-20 matches for which there are sufficient amount of teams to choose from(but not as great as EA’s cricket 07).
Now on to the game mechanics:
Bowling ,batting system is pretty basic and works well,but there are few glitches like the AI hitting good balls for sixes,and acting reckless in a test match as if it was a twenty over match and , the wrong foot bug(this will really piss you off),and some minor batting and running issues(which is present in all cricket games,so you have to deal with it ).these are fixed in some patches but not completely.
Storyline
Well it’s a cricket game,there is no story line.but you can play ashes to relive its tention and stories.there is also legends coaching ,with some commentary,but there is no story.
But the main thing I like in ashes cricket 2009 is ability to create your own player,transfer him to any team,and earn points by playing matches to increase his potential as a cricketer.
The game also tracks the stats of each player,no. of runs,wickets ,centuries etc. increases with time as you play game against computer A.I.(stats are also affected during offline multiplayer).this feature can help you create your own story of sort i.e. increasing your player stats to eclipse the stats of Mr.tendulkar.
Graphics
This game has the best graphics for a cricket game.but there is no-antialasing,so there would be some jagged lines.
The game runs smooth on good enough PC’s.
Though there is a bug in the game,the game lags some time.the solution for that is open your windows media player,play any song and keep it on repeat,then mute the sound.now the game would run smooth again.
Closing comments
- This is the best cricket game for PC.completly enjoyable alone or with friends.
- there are not enough mode in the game,but they are enough to keep you busy.
- The stat tracking system and the point earning system,to increase player attributes is awesome.
- Best graphics for a cricket game.
- Worth the money.
- I give the game 6.5/10
There are various mods available for this game on planetcricket.net like ipl 4,stroke variation ,player uniforms etc.
Requirements
Minimum:
2.0 GHz Intel Pentium III or AMD equivalent
1 GB of RAM
Grahpic Card: GeForce 6800 / Radeon X1600 or above Shader 3.0 256 RAM card
2.5 GB free HDD space plus space for saved games and DirectX 9.0c
Dual layer DVD-ROM Drive
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Required Operating Systems:
Windows XP / Vista (if running Windows Vista SP1 or above is recommended)
No known issues with Windows 7
Required Software:
DirectX 9.0c or higher
Supported Graphics Cards
- ATI Radeon x1600, x1650, x1800, x1900, x1950, HD2400, HD2600, HD2900, HD3450, HD3470, HD3650, HD3850, HD3870, HD3870X2, HD4850, HD4870, HD4870X2, HD4890
- NVIDIA Geforce 6800, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950, 8400, 8500, 8600, 8800, 9600, 9800, 9800GX2, GTX260, GTX280, GTX285, GTX295
