Brian Lara International Cricket 2005

Brian Lara International Cricket 2005

Ameya Dalvi, Oct 08, 2005 1000 hrs IST

Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 is easily the best cricket game of all time.

The best overall cricket game ever, Excellent game-play, Good graphics and sound, Low system requirements, Hawkeye, Various game modes, Impressive net practice.

No Network/Internet play support, Huge installation size, No Geoffrey Boycott.

Expert Rating :

Expert Review

Game-play
Game-play was the forte of BLC 99 and this version takes it a step or two further. While batting, you have an option to play a defensive stroke, a cultured attacking shot along the ground or an almighty slog. The timing of your shot along with the placement, plays a key role in your success as a batsman. Shots can be played all around the ground but don't expect to hit a ball from outside off stump to the square leg fence. Shots played in the right areas will fetch you runs and a false shot can cost you your wicket; just like in the real world. The range of shots is vast and the player movements and the technique is spot on. At times the correctness of the technique can impress a Geoffrey Boycott. The pace and bounce of the ball varies from bowler to bowler and the type of pitch. Someone like a Shane Bond on Australian pitches is really tough to counter. You have to cut down on your front foot drives and try and play square of the wicket on Aussie pitches when the ball is pitched on good length or marginally short of it. On the sub-continental pitches, you can comfortably play the ball in the 'V' between Long-On and Long-Off. You will need some time to get used to all this but at no point in time will you feel like chucking the game out of the window, unless of course if you start the game in 'Test' difficulty mode.

Running between the wickets is fine and they run at a realistic pace. But beware of those occasional flat throws from the boundary that will leave you stranded. Another thing to watch out for is the number of times you press the Run key (8). If you press the key twice, the batsmen will go for the second run automatically. Yes, you can cancel the second run by pressing the Cancel key (2) but they take a long time to complete the U turn and that can lead to an unnecessary loss of wicket. You will get used to all this after you play the game for a while. The more you play, the better your judgment will become. A minor bug here is that you are not allowed to run, if you get caught off a No Ball.

The concept of 'confidence meter', that was seen in the EA version of Cricket, makes its way into this title as well and that's not a bad addition. A good shot will raise the batsman's confidence and a poor shot will drop it. Same applies for bowling. Talking of bowling, it is certainly better than BLC 99 and quite similar to that in EA Cricket 2005. You choose your line and length and speed. Overdoing the speed will result in a No Ball. The ball can be swung in the air or cut off the seam by pressing the direction keys. After a consistent performance with the ball, you are awarded special deliveries like Bouncer, Yorker, Slower ball, Flipper etc. which I still believe should be a part of the bowler's armory by default. Maybe the frequency and effectiveness of those deliveries should change with the level of confidence.

Unlike the earlier cricket games, the fielding isn't entirely left for the AI to do. In automatic mode, the fielder gets to the ball on his own but you need to get the arrow in the right area on the meter for a flat and fast throw to effect a run-out or to hold on to a catch. That adds an extra dimension to the game. Also field positions can be changed at will to suit your bowler and line of attack. Not a new feature but useful all the same. You can use the preset positions or manually adjust each player.