It's all about the confidence
The release of International Cricket 2010 might come as a surprise to some, given that it has been less than 12 months since Codemasters last took their place at the crease with Ashes Cricket 2009. Compare that to the two and a half year gap between that game and its predecessor, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, and you start to wonder what could possibly have changed in such a short time to justify a new purchase, especially given how Ashes can easily be picked up for less than a tenner nowadays.
While the first apparent change is a new development team for the game, that's actually now quite as big a switch as it seems. The demise of last year's developer Transmission Games saw several of its staff move onto Trickstar Games, who just happen to be in charge here. As a result of this, very little has changed in terms of the control system and basic game engine.
The real change comes in the form of a (much needed) brand new camera angle. While the old, stuffy television style view is still available, the default view is now a new third person "Action" cam. When batting, it's almost as if you're viewing the game through the eyes of the opposition's wicket keeper. Prior to a bowl, you get a brief period called reaction time, during which you can take a 360 degree look all around you to inspect the field and determine the best gaps to hit the ball into.
Third person view also follows the bowler when you're fielding, ensuring that the Action name is justified. To combat the reduced view of the aiming reticule, a new meter appears on-screen, informing you of exactly where you're aiming towards and how accurate your delivery will be. To make things that little bit tougher, however, you now have to hold the reticule in position with the stick while you're determining the quality of the delivery, rather than it just staying in a static position as before.
A series of tutorials will (re)introduce you to the controls and the new view, as well as one of the newer game features, the 360-degree control. Now, instead of just choosing the direction of your shot, you can also alter how much power there is in your stroke. By only pushing the stick a short distance in one direction, instead of all the way, you're able to play a lighter shot that might allow you to nab a cheeky single, instead of constantly aiming for the boundaries.
Of course, you'll want to be swinging for the fences (to borrow a baseball term) eventually, but unless you're playing on easy mode, being able to make the big strikes is dependent on building up your batter confidence first. Making successful hits and taking singles will help to both raise your game and lessen the confidence of the bowler. Likewise, when you switch ends, you'll want to prevent such occurrences to ensure that your bowler is at the top of his game for taking wickets.
The Ashes license from the previous game is gone, although there is the option for a custom test series. Unlicensed versions of popular tournaments are available, along with a greater emphasis given to 20-20 Cricket, with new club-style teams and a Super League option. There are a few changes to the international teams line-up, with everyone's favourite whipping boys, Scotland, back to get their backsides handed to them. Meanwhile, England and Australia are fully licensed, with customisation options letting you edit any false names as you see fit.
Perhaps the biggest drawback for the game is that, like the sport it imitates, it's a rather time consuming affair. To play a full length game, you're looking at somewhere in the region of a couple of hours - not usually the sort of time that many gamers would want to invest in a single match for a sports sim. When you consider that the game has online functions, the idea of being stuck trying to psyche out an opponent online for a couple of hours doesn't seem to appeal that much. Even worse, just think of the possibility of a disconnection right at the end of a gruelling Test Match!
Presentation is pretty basic, with a series of text-based menus and an ongoing instrumental loop of Kasabian's "Fast Fuse" playing in the background. Now, I'm a big fan of West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, but even I'll admit that the tracks from it have become far too overused when it comes to background music and commercials. In-game, things step up, however, with all the kind of stats you'd expect to see, and full commentary from the likes of Aggers, Warney, Bumble and Ian "no current nickname" Bishop. Sadly, Beefy Botham is not present this time around.
What things boil down to is that this is not a game designed to convert non-fans to the way of the willow. It's primarily for those that simply can't get enough of the bat and ball action, and to a lesser extent those who like easy (albeit rather time consuming) achievements. For those concerned about the additional cost in comparison to last year's game, it has to be said that the new view does make it vastly more playable and thus enjoyable. However, if you've already picked up last year's game, it might be worth holding off on this one for the inevitable out-of-season price drop.
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