As a fan of cricket, this game ticks all my boxes. Believe it or not, but it is one of my most played games for the PS4. And the reason for that is simple: the core gameplay is perfect. I'm referring to batting, although the bowling can be fun as well. I honestly don't know what else you could improve on in terms of gameplay. Even the slow pace of Cricket is hastened thanks to the skipAs a fan of cricket, this game ticks all my boxes. Believe it or not, but it is one of my most played games for the PS4. And the reason for that is simple: the core gameplay is perfect. I'm referring to batting, although the bowling can be fun as well. I honestly don't know what else you could improve on in terms of gameplay. Even the slow pace of Cricket is hastened thanks to the skip option, where you can jump ahead and bat when it's your turn. I'm also very glad it runs at 60FPS and doesn't have micro-transactions.
Now there are a few minor negatives like commentary, odd fielding at times, fielders taking years to stump/run-out someone and wicket-keepers running through the batsman to take a catch. Most of these happen rarely and I can look over them pretty easily. Especially since I run a podcast on the side and enjoy the game with sound turned off and not taking it too seriously. My biggest complaint though, is a serious one, and although it doesn't happen often, it completely takes the fun out of the game. The ball will sometimes go through the bat. I don't know if this is a ps4 only issue, but in a game where the point is to hit the ball with a bat, that's unacceptable. I hope they release a patch or something, because it results in some cheap wickets. And thanks to great replay feautre, it can be infuriating realizing you got out from a bug. My second biggest complaint is simulating an innings. Bowling can get tiring easily, and while I greatly appreciate the fact I can skip it, the result is not always good. Sometimes the simulation will be realistic, or sometimes the opposing side will literally set world records. Batsmen will score 120 from 60 deliveries or 160 from 70. Michel Starc will come in and score a game-winning half century of 40 deliveries like it's nothing. That's insane. I think if that happens rarely it's fine, but it happens so frequently that it gets annoying fast.
Even with that, I can recommend buying this game. I'm assuming if you're even remotely interested in this game it is because you are already a fan of cricket, and if you are, you will have a blast playing Ashes. There are thing I haven't talked about like the official England and Australia roster or being able to download other players from a community pool (smart work Big Ant!), or the inclusion of the women teams. But I don't think there's a point in talking about it. Those great features might draw you in, but the reason you'll stay and play this game over and over again is the fantastic gameplay. Possibly the greatest cricket game ever made. Big Ant did a fantastic job, and if they can fix the two issues I mentioned, and add some polish, I would give this game a 10. Although Big Ant should be proud of themselves for making such a good game anyways.
If you're a cricket fan, buy this game.… Expand
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