International Cricket 2010 - Review

Cricket is the second most played Sport in the UK and is the most played sport in some parts of the world such as the Asian Sub-Continent, however as a gaming genre it is very much the "poor relation" of sporting games. EA Sports have not released a cricket game in the last 5 years, and while Codemasters have released games they have generally been poor efforts.

International Cricket 2010 is published by Codemasters and developed by new Australian developers Trickster Games, many of the people involved with the new developer were part of the team who developed Ashes Cricket 2009, which was a game that had promise but was badly let down by shocking AI which made the offline mode of the game almost useless, the game received an avalanche of criticism from gamers, Codemasters promised a patch but when the studio that developed the game went Bankrupt the patch was cancelled.

We are pleased to report that International Cricket 2010 is a much better game than Ashes Cricket 2009. The developer has listened to the feedback provided and all the bugs from the previous game have been eradicated and more importantly there do not seem to be any new gaming breaking bugs/issues.

Graphics

In the graphics department the game looks much like Ashes Cricket 2009. The two licensed teams (England and Australia) player faces have been improved and there are some new stadiums, the front end has also received some attention but they still remain clunky. If one was to compare the graphics to other sports titles like FIFA 10 and Pro Evolution Soccer then you have to say that the graphics are disappointing, but then cricket gaming is considered a "niche" market therefore developers will have limited budgets in order to make the game viable, therefore considering the budget constraints it fair to say that the Graphics are as good as can be expected for a niche title.

Audio

The audio in this game has also improved, the commentary is better, this is largely due to the introduction of David "Bumble" Lloyd, who brings his own inimitable style to the game, the other commentators seem to use the same lines as they did in Ashes Cricket 2009. The games on pitch audio is now much more realistic, you can hear the players grunting, or when using the games new "action cam" can hear the bowlers feet pounding up to the crease.

Gameplay

The most crucial part of any game is of course is gamely, you can have the best graphics, awesome audio but a game will fail if the gamely is not up to scratch. Ashes Cricket 2009 was a fundamentally broken game because of the well documented offline and online problems, many people have said that International Cricket 2010 would just be a patched Ashes Cricket 2009. We are happy to report that it is not.

The first thing to look at is the new Action Cam. When it was announced many people, including Sports Gaming Blog dismissed it as a "gimmick", however after playing the game for nearly 20 hours we can say that this could be the best camera view that we have ever seen in any sports game. When using Action Camera it really makes you feel like that you are out in the middle, it works really well for batting, the camera allows you to look around the field and pick gaps much more realistically. Then as the bowler charges up to the crease it makes you feel like that you are out there in the middle, particularly when involved in a tense match. The Action Cam also works well for bowling, it again adds to the authenticity of the experience, to begin with when bowling it is hard to judge the length and some will revert to the traditional camera for bowling, but we advise that you don't stick with it and eventually you will become better, also it makes the experience more realistic, when playing cricket often a bowler decides where to place the bowl as he runs up to the crease and often it is an inexact science.

Bowling

This was one of the most infuriating aspects of Ashes 2009, mainly because batting AI was broken, in AC09 the AI batsman would attack bowlers regardless of the situation, this resulted in unrealistic scores and it was virtually impossible to use Spinners. We are happy to report that International Cricket 2010 has eradicated these problems, bowling is now challenging and fun. The AI behave in a realistic manner, we played 4 test matches, each time we inserted the AI team batted first and each time they scored 300 plus runs, there were one occasion when there was collapse but the lower order managed to pull things together, the way that AI behaves in ODI's and T20 matches is almost perfect.

As for the bowling mechanics, things have changed from the previous game. Again you have a marker, but this time there are three lengths Bouncer, Good Length and LBW/Bowled Length, the aim is to make sure that the marker is green in whichever length you are choosing to bowl, you will need to keep hold of the left stick in order to ensure that the marker stays at the length that you have selected, when the bowler is reaching the crease a power indicator comes up and again the aim is to get it as close as possible to the light green zone, if you go past the light green zone it will be a no ball. Each type of bowler has different types of deliveries, this is selected before the bowler starts to run in.

The bowling works well, you can now use different types of bowlers, they are all effective if you bowl the right line and length, if you ball bad bowls and the batsman is "fearless" then you will concede runs. Spinners are effective they can take wickets (if used correctly) but also can be used to tie down one end. There have been reports that bowling is to easy and it is easy to get wickets, we played on hard and in the 25 odd hours of play we have not come across this.

In the past bowling in cricket games has been a chore, but we found that in International Cricket 2010 it was fun and challenging.

Batting

Using the action camera makes batting a joy, as mentioned earlier it makes you feel like that you are actually in the middle, never has a cricket game been able to create this kind of batting experience, there was one T20 match where we needed 3 runs to win off the last ball, as the bowler came steaming in, the tension was palpable and I found that I was gripping the controller harder than usual, the camera angle helped to add to the tension of the situation.

In terms of batting mechanics, you use the left stick to select the direction of the shot and also the further you push the stick the more power you will apply to the shot. This method was excellent, you can now play lower risks shots and push the bowl into gaps, so if the AI field is defensive you can now pick up runs by pushing the ball into gaps, or if you need to score at a higher rate you can use the power stick to take more risks.

These innovations combine to make the batting experience fun, challenging and most importantly realistic.

HUD Off Mode

You can now turn of the HUD, for advanced players this will really add to the challenge of playing this game. The HUD off mode takes away all visual aids, using this on hard mode the game was extremely challenging, you have to use your judgement, just like the real cricket if your judgement is off then you will get punished. Again this is the developer showing that it is catering for casual and hardcore players.

Conclusion

Is International Cricket 2010 the perfect cricket game? No, is it an improvement on Ashes Cricket 2009? Yes. Hats off to Codemasters and Trickstar Games, they have created a very fine game in IC10. They have listened to the feedback that the community gave and worked on those issues, the result is a game which has excellent core gamely and one that will provide players of abilities with a challenge. It does have problems, some of the animations are suspect, the graphical fidelity could be better and the lack of licences. However, these matter little when the core gamely has improved so much since the last version. It is fun, realistic and engrossing cricketing experience which keep you occupied over the summer. It is hoped that the game sells in enough quantities so as to ensure that Codemasters commission Trickstar to make another game next year, because if they make the same strides next year then we could possibly have the "perfect" game.

Overall score: 8/10.

FIFA 2011 Screenshots

FIFA 2011 Preview

We have heard about PES 2011, now it is EA's turn to lift the lid on FIFA 2011. FIFA 2010 was widely regarded as the best football simulation, and even managed to convert PES fans to jump to the FIFA series. However EA have not rested on their laurels, they have listened to the feedback that fans have provided, so here are the improvements:

Graphics:
Players now look more realistic and animations have been further enhanced. There are now 9 different body types (FIFA 10 had 3) and EA have implemented photo technology to ensure that player faces look much more realistic.

Audio:
EA have really gone to town in this area. You can now record your own chants and play them during matches. Also you will be able to assign music for when your team comes onto the pitch as well as when they score or at the final whistle.

Gameplay:
The most important element. FIFA 10 had solid gameplay, however there were bugs and the AI was poor. EA have listened and made tweaks. Passing has been improved, EA have implemented "Pro Passing" which lets you control the weight of distribution and now longer can the likes Keith Andrews pass the all as effectively as Xavi. Player AI has been improved massively and goalkeepers are now much more realistic.

Other improvements include Players having their own personalities. so the likes of Wayne Rooney charge around the pitch closing down the opposition, whereas Tevez is full of flicks and Dider Drogba strong and powerful.

FIFA 11 is shaping up to be a great game, it seems that EA have listened to what the fans have demanded. Maybe this year we could have 2 great games on the market.

PES 2011 News Blowout

There has been a huge amount of news and preview released today with regards to PES 2011. Before we post the information, we at the Sports Gaming Blog would like to give a HUGE THUMBS up to WENB (Winning Eleven Next Generation Blog), all of our news has come from their site, those of you who are unfamiliar with WENB should know that they are the most reliable and best source for all things PES related, from News, Comment and even a weekly podcast, they also have forums which are also a great source of information. So go and check them out at http://www.winningelevenblog.com

So onto the news, last month a select band of journalists flew out to Tokyo to test out PES 2011. We are pleased to report that their impressions are cautious but very optimistic, the positives from all of the previews released today are that the game looks and plays great, they comment on the increased animations, the enhanced graphics, the enhanced AI and new controls for dribbling. The general consensus is that the PES 2011 is shaping up to be a great game, they only negative comments seem to be that the reaction times were poor and the goalkeeping AI was still not right, however with 6 months left to release Konami have promised to fix these issues.
Some New Screenshots of PES 2011 have also been released:Konami have also indicated that PES will be shown at E3 which is being held later this month so hopefully we will be able to bring you some gameplay videos. Also keep checking back for some news about FIFA 2011 which is coming very very soon.

FIFA 2010 World Cup Game - Review

Our policy for reviews is to where possible play the game for 2 weeks and then write a review, the main reason for doing this is because often first impressions of a game can be misleading, it is only after playing a game solidly for a couple of weeks that allows you to form a solid opinion about the game. We are not in a position at the moment which allows us to receive review copies before release of a game so unfortunately for the time-being reviews will be normally 2 weeks after the release of the game, however what you will get is our honest opinion of the game and one that has not been tainted by PR departments of Publishers.

So onto FIFA 2010 World Cup which has been developed by EA and builds upon the FIFA 10. The game features International Teams and has a wide variety of game modes, including an offline World Cup, Online World Cup, Captain Your Country Mode and offline mode which allows you to play an entire World Cup Campaign from Qualifiers right through to the final (should you make it that far). There is also a scenario's mode where you put in certain situations and you have to change the outcome, EA have promised that more scenario's will be added during the world cup.

Inevitably this game is compared to FIFA 10 and people ask why wasn't DLC released instead of a full price game, to some extent those arguments are true but then it is also true that this game does build upon the FIFA 10 match engine and has enough new modes to warrant a full release, in the end it comes down to individual choice.

What about the game itself. Graphically the game looks superb, the stadiums have been done really well, player faces are a lot better and the addition of showing cut scenes of the managers is also a positive, the other positive is that the sound in the game is superb, you can clearer hear chants, the atmosphere within the stadiums is very realistic, this combined with the visual advances help to re-create the world cup atmosphere accurately.

Gameplay wise players will notice that it is a touch faster than FIFA 10, this makes matches at times very frantic and end to end, which may appeal to casual players but not to the hardcore. The shooting has been improved, as have headers, unlike FIFA 10 it is now possible to score headers on a more regular basis. The penalty taking system has also been revamped, when stepping up to take a penalty a power bar appears at the bottom of the screen, you have to use your skill to stop it in the "green zone" and the use the left stick to place the shot, if say you are involved in a penalty shootout in the world cup final then the green zone is a lot smaller, this is superb as it ratchets up the pressure!

Despite these advances there is one huge problem with this game and that is the AI, which to be frank is extremely poor. After a couple of days of playing it becomes obvious that the AI is fundamentally broken, particularly defensive AI. When playing against the AI you are pressured all over the field, which is fine but the problem is that the computer controlled team does not get tired and will do this for 120 minutes if needs be, however when you do get into the opposition half and attack the defence you will see defenders behaving in a very erratic manner, they will lose their shape, run in the opposite direction or just stop and let your striker run through, this results in high scoring games and far to many situations where you are one on one with the goalkeeper. These defensive problems also affect your team, as you can only control one player at a time, when you are defending the defenders you are not controlling again behave in a very erratic manner, this not only ruins the offline experience but also the online experience because again to many chances are created, far to many one on one situations and very high scoring games. We even tried very defensive formation (eg 4-5-1 and 5-4-1) and adjusted tactics to be very defensive in order to try and make it more difficult for the opposition to score but could not manage it due to the AI problems.

The other niggle is that this game like FIFA 10 lacks individuality. When you look at the player statistics the better players have better statistics for factors such a passing, shooting etc, However once you get them onto the field they all behave the same way, so Keith Andrews can pass the ball as effectively as Xavi or a San Marino striker can shoot as effectively as Fernando Torres, again for hardcore fans this ruins the experience because it offer no real challenge and star players do not stand out.

FIFA 2010 World Cup does have some excellent features, the improvements graphically and to the sound are very welcome. However, it falls down in the gameplay department. If you are a casual fan and want a "pick up and play game" which is fun then you should do ahead and purchase this. Hardcore fans will not like this game, initially it is playable but the more you play the game the more the AI issues will start to grate, particularly if you play online a lot as games will be high scoring and it becomes frustrating not being able to defend properly.

EA have made huge strides over the last few years but with FIFA 10 and the World Cup game they have made games which have potential but are badly let down by AI problems and bugs which should have been picked up during the testing process. It is hoped that this is just a blip and they return to form with FIFA 2011.

Overall Score: 6.5/10.

PES 2011 - The King Is Back

There are very few games in the world that have been able to define and at times transcend a genre, which attract almost religious like following. The Pro Evolution Soccer series, developed by Konami is one of these genre defining games, during it's hayday in 2005 it was the game of choice for people who loved the beautiful game, hours spent playing the game, often leading to students failing exams, and even stories off marriages ending because of the game.

People expected Konami to continue to deliver and when the new generation of hardware arrived in the form of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, fans of the game were salivating at what Konami could do with the increased capabilities of these machines. However, as a great leader once said "with great power, come great responsibility", for Konami the new hardware was the poisoned chalice, they faltered, whilst the nearest competitor EA's FIFA Series made tremendous leaps. Fans become almost suicidal as the king was knocked of it's thrown.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and 2009 were to be frank very poor games. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 was somewhat return to form for Konami, it looked gorgeous and the core gameplay was excellent, particularly the offline experience. There were gripes of course, mainly the poor/rigid animations and times poor AI, especially the goalkeepers but it was a relief that the series seemed to be back on the right track.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 was announced last week, since then our sources in Spain have told us many additional details but because we are not able to verify what we have been told, it is not prudent at this stage to publish it. However, Konami's press release gave an astonishing amount of information about the improvements that have been made to PES 2011:

• Total Control: PES Productions has enhanced the 360-degree passing ratio, offering unprecedented levels of control over every pass, shot, throw-in, through ball and lofted through balls. This allows users to pass the ball into space, and move their play with total freedom. Players must precisely weight their passes and second-guess the runs of their team-mates and exploit their movement. Players even can apply pressure on opponents to force them off the ball.
  
• Shot & Stamina Gauge: In addition to the generic power gauge, the Shot & Stamina meter details the player’s exact level of fitness. Constantly sprinting will affect the player’s movements and will have an adverse affect on his stats, with passes going awry and a loss of pace.
  
• New Defender AI: Defenders now hold their positions naturally, no longer chasing any ball that enters their area; preferring to close down the attacker and force them into a mistake.


• Animation and Player Physics: PES Productions has totally reworked every element of in-game animation. These additions will become clear before even kick-off, with the players enjoying fluid, natural movements, with more realistic acceleration and inertia than ever before. The physicality between players is also improved, which was a priority requested in PES forums. Jostling and blocking now looks stunning, while there is a larger variety of convincing tackling styles. Ambient animation also adds immensely to the in-game atmosphere, as players behave realistically when off the ball, and walk and run with a variety of individual styles.
  
• Speed of Play: The new level of control means that PES 2011 enjoys a more considered pace of play, which varies dependent on situations. The game will burst into life as counter-attacks come into play, but players can dictate the pace via slow build up or exploiting available space to surge forward. It is harder to make long runs from midfield, and successful play will depend on making quick passes to make room.
  
• Aesthetics: PES 2010 showcased the best likenesses in a football game, and PES 2011 ups the ante further. Facial animation has been enhanced, but the key advances are over 1000 all-new animations which have been recreated from the ground up using over 100 hours of motion captured footage. Every aspect of player movement has been reworked, with more organic runs, turns, throw-ins, tackles, and interaction. The way players speed up and slow down is also more natural, while replays display elements of motion blur that bring your saved goals to vivid life.
  
• Tactical and Strategy: The sheer number of options available in the PES series has established it as a remarkably flexible simulation, allowing players to stamp their playing style on each match. The PES Productions team has implemented an all new ‘Drag and Drop’ mechanism that can be used in every aspect of team management, not just substitutions or formation changes. These settings are also animated to promote better understanding of the plays that have been altered.
  
• Feint settings: PES has always offered a wide range of subtle skills, feints and turns, but PES 2011 allows users to map their favourite move sequences to the right stick, making them more accessible than ever before.
  
• Master League Online: Master League will offer an all-new challenge, as users are invited to try their hand against other managers online. PES 2011 will mark the online debut for its much-loved Master League element, with players bidding against each other for the world’s best players, and attempting to build a squad that can compete with the best against online peers all over the globe.

It does appear that Konami have listened to what the community wanted and the signs are the PES2011 is going to a superb game. We should be getting more news shortly, some gaming websites and magazines have been invited to Tokyo to play the game this week, that in itself shows how confident Konami are about this year's edition, hopefully their impressions will be published in the near future.

So keep checking back as we will post information about this game on a regular basis and we expect EA to release details about FIFA 2011 in the near future.

International Cricket 2010

Codemasters have revealed that they are releasing a followup to the hugely successful Ashes Cricket 2009, which was released last July.

The new game is called International Cricket 2010 and is due to be released in the UK on 18 June, it will be available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

International Cricket 2010 continues Codemasters 15 year association with world class cricket and follows last summer’s Number One best seller Ashes Cricket 2009. Produced by Codemasters and developed by Trickstar Games, the Australian developer with a team pedigree that includes Ashes Cricket 2009 and the Brian Lara series, IC 2010 steps up to the crease with a range of innovations and enhancements to set the new standard in authentic cricket gaming. The new Action Cam will immerse you in all the on-pitch drama, intensity and excitement of fiercely competitive international cricket. Supplementing traditional broadcast views, you can now feel the satisfaction of smashing home 90mph+ deliveries and experience the thrill of thundering down the track to bowl from Action Cam’s new on-field perspectives.

A key addition to the range of fielding, bowling and batting improvements is the new ‘Power Stick’. Giving batsmen 360° analogue power and direction control, Power Stick enables the widest selection of shots, from pushing quick singles to gaps in the field to risky shots and everything in between. Officially licensed by the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia to feature official you, stadia and kits, International Cricket 2010 can be enjoyed in a wide range of game modes including new instant tournaments. A comprehensive player editor enables you to put themselves into the game and the squad editor allows you to edit the player name, appearance, team and attributes of all athletes, you can compete as any of the expanded roster of 16 nations at an improved selection of 21 stadia around the world, including Lord’s, the Home of Cricket.”

Codemasters have also released a video of the game in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxWh2JZ1VD0&feature=player_embedded