Sorry - reposted from another thread, as this thread was probably where I should have put it in the first place
Gor BLC demo (no commentary).
It is far more professionally put together. Don't know how the career option willwork as it's not enabled, but the graphics are nearly as good as the EA version BUT the animation is WAAAAAAAYYYYY better.
Sure no front or back foot options, but the game plays really well.
Not as feature packed as the EA version, but EA's features are like varnish on a turd.
Who cares that you can decide the width of your players eyebrows, and how long his hair is (in EA Cricket 2004 ) when the game plays so badly. Had every bug under the sun on the EA demo (fielders stood in middle of pitch for no good reason, strange ball physics, a bat that sits on your knuckles rather than in your hand, bowlers who look like they need a trip to the ostiopath (nice colours - shame about the movement) unresponsive controls. Insta-slide fielders (keeper in particular just "appears" next to the ball if you knock it to silly point or thereabouts - EA may say there's some animation in there somewhere - but I'm buggered if I can see it - makes Linford Christie seem like Grandpa Simpson) Bowling is same old same old.
BLC gameplay is a fair bit better than in '99 - but it seems like they haven't tried to totally re-invent the wheel. Sliders and dials all seem present and correct (though ball "movement" pointer is very good - as are many other improvements)
If you look at the forums a few days after EA's Cricket 99 was released and read the criticisms - and then play the 2005 demo for yourself - it's like they haven't learn't a damn thing. Even the strangest errors are stil there (and that one was written by Creative Asembly wasn't it - aren't they responsible for the excellent Total War series now)
Anywho. my opinion. EA are taking the ****.
If you want a good EA bat and ball game...buy MVP 2005 (on import if needs be - it really is that good) - it has most of the stuff that Cricket 2005 should have, and shows that EA are easily capable of making a good cricket game - I can only assume after 8 years, that they just don't want to.
I'll get BLC - not because it's perfect - but because it is better - both than Codemasters last effort, and better than any cricket game EA have ever produced. It seems to be a tight, well produced piece of software that does the basics well, and adds a few new touches to move the series on.
EA on the other hand layer the new features on thick - and advertise them hard. But the game underneath simply isn't strong enough to warrant the time.
Clarker
