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Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 Mini Review
Jon Wilcox
25/07/2005
Brian Lara returns to the videogames crease in Codemasters new leather-on-willow title...
Electronic Arts may have already released their take on the quintessentially British Commonwealth game, but Codemasters have brought back one of cricketâs biggest names to the crease of videogaming in an attempt to win back the crown of best cricket title. First appearing on Mega Drive (or Genesis) back in 1995, the Brian Lara franchise is now ten years old, and with this being the first Lara title in a number of years, Codemasters appears to be pulled out as many stops as possible in an attempt to win over the hearts of cricket loving gamers.
Lara certainly features enough variety in game modes to keep cricket fans content with exhibition matches, tournaments, and challenges in the One-Day, Test, and Double Wicket versions of the game as well as setting up world tours and custom leagues as an extra selection - in fact the only tournament not to feature in the game is the English County Championship. Besides featuring the worldâs current line-up of test cricketers, the title contains some of the key features of the modern game on television including the very first use of the HawkEye ball-tracking technology in a videogame, and high-profile commentators such as Jonathan Agnew, David Gower, and Ian Bishop. For ardent cricket fans the prospect of unlocking archive photos and collecting trophies such as the ICC Cricket World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy will be matched by the ability to change history in some of the Classic Matches found in Challenge Menu.
Although the game may not be the most amazing looking title out there (thanks to average character models and animations not always being their smoothest) the fact is that Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 does play like the sport of cricket. The presentation such as the choice of camera angles comes straight off the TV, and the inclusion of Picture-In-Picture when a player hits the ball some distance increases this sense of immersion. Gamers are able to achieve a high level of control with the ability to customise the positions of fielders, decide of the type of bowl is, well, bowled, and the type of hit made by the batter. Power and accuracy meters are used by all three key positions to decide the outcome of a ball and the Overs, and whilst it may seem confusing to begin with, the ability to correctly judge the trajectory of a ball soon develops â“ not that it makes it any easier to get an opponent out.
For cricket aficionados, Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 certainly seems to have it all; the different cricket formats are here, and whilst it may not be as slick as EAâs Cricket 2005, Lara feels like a very close representation of the game. Of course, if youâre not a fan of the sport then Lara isnât going to appeal (much like Formula 1 2005), but for people whose idea of fun is sitting in a terrace for five days watching a game that might still end up in a draw, this will keep them engaged well into the cold, dark, cricket-less winter.
