I recently got invited to a PlayStation 5 Cricket 24 Bundle launch and at the event, I managed to play the latest iteration of the sports simulation series from Australia-based Big Ant Studios, which has almost become a household name in India over the past few years for being the flagbearer of Cricket video games globally. After playing the game for a few hours, I now have a general idea of what it has on offer and now that the game has officially been released in the country, I would like to share my thoughts to help you make your decision to either give this game a chance or skip it. Without further ado, let’s jump straight into it.
Cricket 24 first impressions
Cricket is probably the toughest real-world game to turn into a video game while retaining its authentic excitement which usually builds up in its real-life counterpart over a period of time. This is one of the crucial reasons why we see some of the other sports simulation series such as NBA 2K, and FIFA series (now EA FC), and Madden from EA have done really well over the last two decades but for Cricket, there isn’t much interest or options. However, to its credit, Big Ant Studios has done a really good job in the past few years to ensure that Cricket fans all over the world get an authentic gameplay experience through its video games. In this direction, this year’s entry comes with fully licensed IPL teams, which means you get real-world names for players and their likeness in the video game. While it might not seem like a big deal at first, licensing makes a big difference indeed. In fact, many do believe that licensing agreements were the primary reason why the FIFA series from EA managed to edge out PES, which debatably offered a better gameplay experience in the late 2000s.
Game modes
In terms of game modes, you don’t get a major overhaul here and apart from exhibition matches, you get to play the Ashes (the primary attraction for this game series since its inception), career mode, world championship, competition, and tour modes. Notably, in the career mode, if you choose to start as a new player instead of an established one, you get to play local leagues from India as you progress through the ranks and become an international cricketer. In the Ashes mode, you can choose to play as Australia, England, or as a particular player. I noticed that while playing as a particular player, skipping sequences ended up taking much more time than it should ideally take. As I played an early build of the game, I’ll have to play for more time to give the game a fair shot.
Gameplay experience
While a game can have a variety of game modes, gameplay remains the king. If you do not enjoy its core gameplay, you are most likely not to play the game for a long time. Thankfully, it seems like Cricket 24 fairs really well in this department. Hitting perfectly timed shots in the game and managing to take a wicket feels immensely satisfying. The variety of shots that you can play (including reverse hit), and the variation in deliveries is commendable and at no point do you feel that the process gets repetitive. While I would still say that the fielding feels robotic and mundane, the overall feel of the game would satisfy anyone who has had an interest in the game at any point in their life.
One of the aspects where the game does fall short sometimes is animations. While batting or fielding, you might feel that the animations feel a bit sluggish. Not to say that there are any frame drops or performance issues, just that some transitions do not feel as smooth as they can possibly be. However, in my brief time with the game, I did enjoy it thoroughly.
Graphics
One of the standout aspects of Cricket 24 is its graphics. The game looks impressive and even when I was sitting just a few feet away from the large-screen TV at the event, the game’s graphics looked hyper-realistic. Player likenesses seem to have been improved as well this time around. However, you might notice that some player models are not as impressive as others.
Conclusion
With the inclusion of IPL teams, Cricket 24 does get a new dimension and the game might find a lot of interest, especially with the upcoming Cricket World Cup just around the corner. In my limited time with it, I found the game to be particularly enjoyable. Cricket 24 launched on October 5th globally and can be bought on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch and PC. The game has been priced at Rs 2,999 on Steam, and is available for all the other versions for Rs 4,299. If you buy the PS5 Cricket 24 bundle, you will get the disc edition of the console along with the game code (and golden ball and bat DLC) for Rs 47,990.
