Brian Lara 2005 review
Ok, this is not a “fanboy” review, I enjoyed the previous Codemasters game a few years ago but was by no means overawed with it, secondly, I will try not to make too many comparisons with EAC2005.
So Brian Lara 2005.
Front end.
Firstly installing the game, I should have booked a table at the local restaurant before installing this game – it took 15 minutes to get the files from DVD, and has a whopping footprint on your hard drive. Still as long as the content is worth it..
The front end itself is pretty good. The opening splash seems scaled up from a low resolution, but the menu’s themselves are pretty self explanatory, though when choosing “nets” as my first port of call (to bowl) I was immediately asked to pick a batsman (which confused me – simple boy that I am)
Played around, changed the key set up. This is improved over the demo which wouldn’t let you change the button setups for batting without affecting the bowling setups (and vice versa)
Music better than most (actually left it on 15 minutes before disabling it – a record for me)
Ok Gameplay
Batting.
If you are familiar with cricket games since Graham Gooch’s, then this will be almost second nature, The bowler sets down a marker circle (the intended aim spot) giving you an idea of the line and length. You have limited movement horizontally (yes you still get in line before the bowler even starts his action , not realistic, but pretty universal) then prepare for the shot.
Hey, but then some good new touches.
The circle narrows to the impact point, but IT CAN MOVE!, you get an idea of the movement by the colour and angle of an arrow marked on the pitch with the ball impact market, but you get in line for an off drive, the ball cuts in, you have to adapt quickly to an on drive (the percentage shot for the in –cutter) or risk nicking it
The defensive shot can be used to score runs. You can direct your defensive shot, open the blade, close the blade run the ball into gaps.
Batsmens skill against various bowler types and deliveries are also pretty well represented.
Not so good points.
Well, no front or back foot options. I’ve heard arguments that say these are not missed. I would prefer them to be honest. It’s not a game destroyer for me, and the subtely you can employ on the higher levels to run the ball around almost makes up for it
No wandering out of your crease.
Dedicated keepers will miss this, it is a shame (obviously it’s allied to the issue above) but still a shame. Not seen a stumping as yet. Maybe they are “contrived” somehow (I hope not)
Bowlers accuracy circle is still a very flawed idea. In my opinion it is just as much of a hiderance to the batsman as the bowler. Sometimes it’s that big you have no idea where to position your batsman and can’t pre-empt any shot really.
Bowling
OK so I’ve mentioned the circle and all it entails. Overall though bowling is a big plus. Each bowler has separate ratings for in swing/out swing / offcut/legcut and accuracy (though not pace – more on that later)
Bowling as you would try in real life actually works.
Three away swingers followed by an off cutter gets an inside edge sometimes - just often enough for you to believe that you are actually engaged in a real game of cricket, though not often enough for it to become predictable. The result of the inside edge also varies (4 down to fine leg, 4 to wide midwicket of long on even) though a chop onto the stumps, a catch to short leg or a smack in the breadbox are also in the list of possible outcomes (though the batsman reading the delivery and playing it correctly is the most common result – and quite rightly so).
You have real control over line and length, can quite easily try a yorker (oops low full toss worked to square leg for four) the bouncer (damn swung to far down leg side)These and every other possibility I can think of (including getting it JUST right) happen just about as often as you would expect dependant on the skill level of the bowler.
Bad points
Only one, but it’s a real niggle..Pace
My “Career” player, opens in a one day international with Andy “wingnut” Caddick, and despite being a “Fast” bowler, can rarely get the ball over 45 MPH
45 MPH !!!! The ball wouldn’t reach the flipping batsman, that’s slower than Ashley Giles slower ball Eh ??????? What is up with this !
Well. I have worked out what is up with this ( I think)
Timing !!
Never have I played a cricket game where timing is so vital. In most games shot selection is WAAAYY more important than timing. In Brian Lara 2005, they are about the same importance. And obviously a rookie quick shouldn’t be able to make life as difficult as Brett Lee. I’m hoping that your pace is a product of your overall bowling skill (if you are a quick that is)
It does wobble the realism levels some what, but again not a game killer for me. (if it doesn’t improve as your player progresses though then Codemasters better get a patch out PDQ)
Fielding
Errm you press a button at the right time to catch the ball, you press a button at the right time to throw that ball. Simple as that. All ground fielding (picking up the ball) is automatic, and it does add a little to the game to have some control. It actually makes field placing more important. Put a fielder with a rubbish catching skill but a good strong arm out on the cover boundary – vice versa in the slips, nice.
Other points
Career mode.
It’s ok, but not what I expected, the skill level build up is great, The bats are great – though my 3lb 1oz Big Kahuna is not available – discontinued by Kookabura. But nice to look roughly like yourself , with your own kit on when you go out to play. Progression seems to work ok as well, though as I’ve only played for 10 hours I don’t know for sure
Would much preferred to be “only myself” during a game. i.e when batting the game autoplays till I’m in, then I only face the balls I’m due to face. I field (on autoplay) till a catch comes or it’s my turn to bowl.
I still suffer from “one out all out” syndrome with most cricket games. Where my first 3 or 4 batters graft to a decent score, then I get bored and the rest get out for next to nothing - ‘cause they all have the same mindset – MY mindset.
A missed opportunity here I think. Career mode could have got over this, and I was expecting it to . Ah well
Graphics
Yup they are cartoony. If you don’t like (good) caricatures then you won’t like these. Andy Caddick’s likeness had me in stitches NOTE they are in some cases NOT the same as in the demo
For me though they are easily the best graphics in a cricket game to date. Looking at the whole “graphics package” it’s the animation that stands out.
Loads of different shots, all played nicely with no skipped frames or jolty movements, several different bowling actions for each bowler type. Little things are right.
My pet niggle in sports games is that the running stride animations rarely relates to the amount of ground that the player covers stride for stride. They are often “swimming in treacle” or “sliding down a conveyor belt” Not in BLC2005. If the guys stride is 3 feet – he moves forward 3 feet. Like real life.
Not like some other games I can mention where the keeper just “appears” next to the ball played square on the on or off side to run you out.
Well done for that
Bad points.
Stadiums really aren’t brilliant. OK, but not brilliant. Crowd repeats more often than a vase on a pedestal during a chase scene in Scooby Doo.
Sound
Well the only one that really matters is the sound of leather on willow. It’s ok. Not the best I’ve heard.
Like the “scratching” in the crease you get
Overall
For my money the best action cricket game to date. Beating both Cricket 2002 and Brian Lara 1999. Not perfect. Seems easier to progress in career mode as a batter than a bowler, Village play mode is ridiculously easy, Bowling speed needs fixing (or explaining at least).
Overall though a very worthy effort, that even unpatched gets a good 80% or so from me, with the potential to push 90% if the issues above are fixed and the career mode tweaked.
Lastly my credentials as a reviewer of cricket games. Going back to the Spectrum in 1983 with “Cricket” and “One Day Cricket” by Cases Computer Simulations,(on the A and B side of the same cassette) through “Howzat”, a game called “Cricket Captain” for the Speccy, Graham Gooch cricket on Speccy and C64.
Robin Smith’s cricket several other games called “Cricket” for the Amiga. “Tim Love’s cricket”, a game from Challenge software (whose name I forget)
Yet another game called “Cricket Captain” for the Amiga (which required a dongle in the serial port to play) Ian Botham’s cricket (developed by some Spanish development team I think) and every PC cricket game I can get my hands in (5 iterations of ICC, EA Cricket 96, 97, 1999, 2000 , 2002 (Wahaaayy, the “false dawn”) 2004 and 2005 (First cricket game I’ve ever taken back in disgust)
Brian Lara for Amiga (Audiogenic / Codemasters) Michael Vaughan cricket, Dan Thomas’s “International Test Cricket” Lots of freebies, and of course Brian Lara and Brian Lara 2005 (an lots of others I can’t even begin to remember) So I know of what I speak
Ok, this is not a “fanboy” review, I enjoyed the previous Codemasters game a few years ago but was by no means overawed with it, secondly, I will try not to make too many comparisons with EAC2005.
So Brian Lara 2005.
Front end.
Firstly installing the game, I should have booked a table at the local restaurant before installing this game – it took 15 minutes to get the files from DVD, and has a whopping footprint on your hard drive. Still as long as the content is worth it..
The front end itself is pretty good. The opening splash seems scaled up from a low resolution, but the menu’s themselves are pretty self explanatory, though when choosing “nets” as my first port of call (to bowl) I was immediately asked to pick a batsman (which confused me – simple boy that I am)
Played around, changed the key set up. This is improved over the demo which wouldn’t let you change the button setups for batting without affecting the bowling setups (and vice versa)
Music better than most (actually left it on 15 minutes before disabling it – a record for me)
Ok Gameplay
Batting.
If you are familiar with cricket games since Graham Gooch’s, then this will be almost second nature, The bowler sets down a marker circle (the intended aim spot) giving you an idea of the line and length. You have limited movement horizontally (yes you still get in line before the bowler even starts his action , not realistic, but pretty universal) then prepare for the shot.
Hey, but then some good new touches.
The circle narrows to the impact point, but IT CAN MOVE!, you get an idea of the movement by the colour and angle of an arrow marked on the pitch with the ball impact market, but you get in line for an off drive, the ball cuts in, you have to adapt quickly to an on drive (the percentage shot for the in –cutter) or risk nicking it
The defensive shot can be used to score runs. You can direct your defensive shot, open the blade, close the blade run the ball into gaps.
Batsmens skill against various bowler types and deliveries are also pretty well represented.
Not so good points.
Well, no front or back foot options. I’ve heard arguments that say these are not missed. I would prefer them to be honest. It’s not a game destroyer for me, and the subtely you can employ on the higher levels to run the ball around almost makes up for it
No wandering out of your crease.
Dedicated keepers will miss this, it is a shame (obviously it’s allied to the issue above) but still a shame. Not seen a stumping as yet. Maybe they are “contrived” somehow (I hope not)
Bowlers accuracy circle is still a very flawed idea. In my opinion it is just as much of a hiderance to the batsman as the bowler. Sometimes it’s that big you have no idea where to position your batsman and can’t pre-empt any shot really.
Bowling
OK so I’ve mentioned the circle and all it entails. Overall though bowling is a big plus. Each bowler has separate ratings for in swing/out swing / offcut/legcut and accuracy (though not pace – more on that later)
Bowling as you would try in real life actually works.
Three away swingers followed by an off cutter gets an inside edge sometimes - just often enough for you to believe that you are actually engaged in a real game of cricket, though not often enough for it to become predictable. The result of the inside edge also varies (4 down to fine leg, 4 to wide midwicket of long on even) though a chop onto the stumps, a catch to short leg or a smack in the breadbox are also in the list of possible outcomes (though the batsman reading the delivery and playing it correctly is the most common result – and quite rightly so).
You have real control over line and length, can quite easily try a yorker (oops low full toss worked to square leg for four) the bouncer (damn swung to far down leg side)These and every other possibility I can think of (including getting it JUST right) happen just about as often as you would expect dependant on the skill level of the bowler.
Bad points
Only one, but it’s a real niggle..Pace
My “Career” player, opens in a one day international with Andy “wingnut” Caddick, and despite being a “Fast” bowler, can rarely get the ball over 45 MPH
45 MPH !!!! The ball wouldn’t reach the flipping batsman, that’s slower than Ashley Giles slower ball Eh ??????? What is up with this !
Well. I have worked out what is up with this ( I think)
Timing !!
Never have I played a cricket game where timing is so vital. In most games shot selection is WAAAYY more important than timing. In Brian Lara 2005, they are about the same importance. And obviously a rookie quick shouldn’t be able to make life as difficult as Brett Lee. I’m hoping that your pace is a product of your overall bowling skill (if you are a quick that is)
It does wobble the realism levels some what, but again not a game killer for me. (if it doesn’t improve as your player progresses though then Codemasters better get a patch out PDQ)
Fielding
Errm you press a button at the right time to catch the ball, you press a button at the right time to throw that ball. Simple as that. All ground fielding (picking up the ball) is automatic, and it does add a little to the game to have some control. It actually makes field placing more important. Put a fielder with a rubbish catching skill but a good strong arm out on the cover boundary – vice versa in the slips, nice.
Other points
Career mode.
It’s ok, but not what I expected, the skill level build up is great, The bats are great – though my 3lb 1oz Big Kahuna is not available – discontinued by Kookabura. But nice to look roughly like yourself , with your own kit on when you go out to play. Progression seems to work ok as well, though as I’ve only played for 10 hours I don’t know for sure
Would much preferred to be “only myself” during a game. i.e when batting the game autoplays till I’m in, then I only face the balls I’m due to face. I field (on autoplay) till a catch comes or it’s my turn to bowl.
I still suffer from “one out all out” syndrome with most cricket games. Where my first 3 or 4 batters graft to a decent score, then I get bored and the rest get out for next to nothing - ‘cause they all have the same mindset – MY mindset.
A missed opportunity here I think. Career mode could have got over this, and I was expecting it to . Ah well
Graphics
Yup they are cartoony. If you don’t like (good) caricatures then you won’t like these. Andy Caddick’s likeness had me in stitches NOTE they are in some cases NOT the same as in the demo
For me though they are easily the best graphics in a cricket game to date. Looking at the whole “graphics package” it’s the animation that stands out.
Loads of different shots, all played nicely with no skipped frames or jolty movements, several different bowling actions for each bowler type. Little things are right.
My pet niggle in sports games is that the running stride animations rarely relates to the amount of ground that the player covers stride for stride. They are often “swimming in treacle” or “sliding down a conveyor belt” Not in BLC2005. If the guys stride is 3 feet – he moves forward 3 feet. Like real life.
Not like some other games I can mention where the keeper just “appears” next to the ball played square on the on or off side to run you out.
Well done for that
Bad points.
Stadiums really aren’t brilliant. OK, but not brilliant. Crowd repeats more often than a vase on a pedestal during a chase scene in Scooby Doo.
Sound
Well the only one that really matters is the sound of leather on willow. It’s ok. Not the best I’ve heard.
Like the “scratching” in the crease you get
Overall
For my money the best action cricket game to date. Beating both Cricket 2002 and Brian Lara 1999. Not perfect. Seems easier to progress in career mode as a batter than a bowler, Village play mode is ridiculously easy, Bowling speed needs fixing (or explaining at least).
Overall though a very worthy effort, that even unpatched gets a good 80% or so from me, with the potential to push 90% if the issues above are fixed and the career mode tweaked.
Lastly my credentials as a reviewer of cricket games. Going back to the Spectrum in 1983 with “Cricket” and “One Day Cricket” by Cases Computer Simulations,(on the A and B side of the same cassette) through “Howzat”, a game called “Cricket Captain” for the Speccy, Graham Gooch cricket on Speccy and C64.
Robin Smith’s cricket several other games called “Cricket” for the Amiga. “Tim Love’s cricket”, a game from Challenge software (whose name I forget)
Yet another game called “Cricket Captain” for the Amiga (which required a dongle in the serial port to play) Ian Botham’s cricket (developed by some Spanish development team I think) and every PC cricket game I can get my hands in (5 iterations of ICC, EA Cricket 96, 97, 1999, 2000 , 2002 (Wahaaayy, the “false dawn”) 2004 and 2005 (First cricket game I’ve ever taken back in disgust)
Brian Lara for Amiga (Audiogenic / Codemasters) Michael Vaughan cricket, Dan Thomas’s “International Test Cricket” Lots of freebies, and of course Brian Lara and Brian Lara 2005 (an lots of others I can’t even begin to remember) So I know of what I speak
