Don Bradman Cricket 14

 Xbox 360
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Gameplanet
    Apr 24, 2014
    70
    Don Bradman Cricket 14 is one of the best cricket games to come along in a long while. A solid title, it'll keep the hardcore happy, but it might prove too complicated for the casual player.
  2. IGN
    Apr 14, 2014
    68
    Big Ant should be commended for attempting to reinvent the cricket game experience and imbuing it with gameplay depth and fidelity unheard of in the genre to date, but there are just a few too many bugs and quirky design choices that hinder the overall experience.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 2 out of 17
  1. Juzzy82
    Apr 13, 2014
    8
    The best cricket game to date, without question. But just a few tweaks keeps it from being great.

    This is a game for those who take cricket    The best cricket game to date, without question. But just a few tweaks keeps it from being great.

    This is a game for those who take cricket seriously, that want to spend time practicing the perfect cover drive or out-swing delivery. If you are prepared to be patient and learn the game you will be rewarded.

    The attention to detail is everywhere - you can shine the ball, alter the position across the crease from where you deliver the ball, bowl swinging deliveries, cutters, seam, slower-balls and the game even does a good job of simulating the drift a spinner gets before the spinning ball pitches. In fact there are so many nuances to the game that recommending anyone start playing it on anything above "Amateur" difficulty is like asking a baby to get drunk and ride a unicycle. But once you practice, and practice some more you will start to learn the game and it's controls and that is when you can really start to enjoy and appreciate the game.

    The difference (and frustration or love) in this game compared to those before is in the controls. In batting you use both analogue sticks go play the ball. Sounds simple, but now understand that there are no magic circles on the pitch giving you a head-up where the ball will land. You must do this in the split second it takes the ball to get from the bowlers hand to a few meters down the pitch. Now throw in up to 6 different modifiers for leaving the ball, playing defensive shots, aggressive shots and so on and you start to see where the difficulty is.

    Bowling is a little more forgiving by nature, as if you make a mistake you turn your attention to the next ball instead of the walk back to the pavilion. Bowling is represented again using the analogue sticks, with the difficulty for a fast bowler lying in timing the initial delivery stride jump so as not to bowl a "no-ball" and then the accuracy of the aiming and trajectory of the ball. This again requires practice to get right but is very satisfying when you do. Spin bowling substitutes the timing of the delivery stride jump for spinning the left analogue stick to spin the ball.

    So batting and bowling controls are well done. Bowling in particular is almost perfect - although bowlers seem to be able to bowl too many varieties well, when in real life just being able to bowl an out-swing delivery on demand at 145+ km/h would be devastating most bowlers are adept at bowling seam, in/out swing and cutters. There is also a fatigue issue where bowlers will tire and bowl 15 or 20 km/h slower after only a few overs. Bowling does feel like something you are in complete control of though and can learn to be great.

    Batting is a little more unforgiving. Because of the reaction time required to accurately select the correct shot and time the ball you will need a lot of practice, and even then the task of playing a 140+ km/h ball properly is more an exercise in guesstimation than playing the ball on its merits. To even think about using the correct shot modifier during a ball's flight is simply too much to ask, with most shot modifiers needing to be chosen before the ball is delivered. Batting is great when you get it right, but I feel there is just a little too much asked of the player to play it as should be intended.

    Fielding is relatively straight forward - run, slide, tap and catching the ball are all in there. Although I will mention the long waits between when the keeper or fielder at the bowlers stumps collecting the ball from an incoming throw and then hitting the stumps.

    The AI is something which can make or break any sports game, and with cricket - and all it's nuances - it is especially true. This is something that passes, but that probably needs the most work in DBC. Bowlers have a super-natural ability to stop balls hit back at them with full force, fielders belong in the Seoul Olympics they run so fast and batsman slogging me over mid-on for six a couple of times in the first over of a test-match are all in there.

    But those sorts of things can be forgiven, however there are two over-sights that are far more serious. AI bowlers bowl on a middle to leg stump line more often than not which ruins the immersion. When bowling, edges, nicks, lbw and bowled just don't seem to happen nearly often enough compared to run-outs and being caught from a slog. In fact you never really feel like the AI batsman are having difficulty with the perfect delivery hitting the top of off. Tail-enders seem to have no trouble in smashing 150+km/h in-swinging yorkers out of the way. Bowling usually boils down to waiting for AI batsman to hit a catch then actually bowling them out with destructive deliveries.

    So the foundations of DBC14 are good. With a little more assistance when batting, ironing out some bugs, and some more realistic AI batting and bowling this game could contend with some of the very best sports games available.    … Full Review »
  2. Bunyfoofoo27
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    Don Bradman Cricket is by FAR the best cricket simulation I've played.

    This is superior in every way to all other cricket games that have    Don Bradman Cricket is by FAR the best cricket simulation I've played.

    This is superior in every way to all other cricket games that have come before it but most importantly, in the critical component of the game, namely the gameplay. It manages to brilliantly capture the tense and edge of your seat moments of the sport, especially when playing with a friend. It has so many small touches that true cricket fans will love. The career is especially unique as your 16 year old created character slowly progresses in skill with successful gameplay. Conversely your characters skill level will decrease if you play poorly, creating a great sense of "must concentrate at all times" type of play which is true of the real sport.

    The most fun is found when playing against a friend and a few beers. I have spent many hours into the early morning the past few days and cannot recommend this game enough to ANYONE who even has a small interest in the sport. Its not perfect but its small flaws are easily forgiven and are promised to be patched shortly anyway. This IS the best Cricket game ever made, I promise you that.

    PROS:
    Ball physics are excellent.
    Manual appeal is genius.
    Actual split second reflex gameplay works.
    Fantastic community created players.
    Bowling is rewarding with field changes.
    FANTASTIC 2 Player fun.
    Career while difficult is very additive.
    Lots of game modes including excellent online.
    Replay system is awesome.
    Very In-depth create-a-player is super realistic.

    CONS:
    Commentary can be repetitive.
    Fielders throws hit the stumps far too often.
    Batting can be frustrating on Pro or harder.    … Full Review »
  3. NZCricketFan
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    **Ps3 review, but same difference** What a cracking title (LOLZ @ Mojo23... did someone send him a different game? As captain, you decide who**Ps3 review, but same difference** What a cracking title (LOLZ @ Mojo23... did someone send him a different game? As captain, you decide who bowls anyway nooby tube)). A simulation rather than an arcade hit-out - and a really outstanding effort IMHO. Was stressed out when first started playing it, as I downloaded the 'best teams' and they were not at all good (especially the modern ones). Also the learning curve, especially in career mode, was pretty full-on (it sets you at pro level and lifts that level for international play)!
    Had to do a bit of hunting online and discovered some forums / groups were voting on their mates 'creations' early on (boys will be boys! But this lass will not stand for it, haha) and they have been at the top from the start (from beta stage apparently) and they do not shift. The same dudes vote down other teams as they rise up (!!). I wish some of my fellow Gen Y'ers would stop embarrassing us with this kind of desperate behaviour, but it is hardly surprising.
    I dug around, ignored the trolls talking up their own teams and sought out some neutral / objective information on teams / players. Than I struck gold....
    Thanks to "Chunnster_Lives_" (user / creator dude) I have the meanest Black Caps team now (I need, as mentioned earlier, for my team and players to look like their real world counterparts, especially the Andersons, Taylors, Neeshams and McCullums and co)... and his other international sides, world elevens and IPL squads are mean az as well!! I can even play HRV Cup t20 competition now!! Come on Northern Districts!! 8-)
    I have always been one of those gamers / girls that does not like no licences. I hate generic skin colour and fake gear and stat-less teams, so I was over the moon to find out facebook info on proper teams being made by an adult (chunnster_lives_)... skeptical for sure... but having seen the teams at the top of the table, i was honestly contemplating returning the game or selling (hard to return these days) due to the underwhelming top 50 (and beyond) teams.... they just had not been fully or even half finished (I even had multi-cloured bat handles when that takes two seconds to change)... and the likenesses were very lacking in detail and underwhelming, even at long range (playing).... But once I had the chunnster_lives_ teams downloaded with the player links and photographic quality Kyle Mills and Neesham and others... I was sold. Doubtless forum trolls and others will think I just am chunnster_lives_ so I implore you to just go check them out for yourself. Just choose what you like, but do not be a sheep and go for the eye-sores riding high. You will regret it.
    Currently I am happy to declare this baby my GOTY.... certainly the best sports title of the year. If you dig cricket, you'd be crazy not to own it. Just do not cry and stress when see the teams high in the rankings... they are not the best teams.... but there are some wicked units uploaded and some real diamonds in the rough (and creators have done some good old teams from like the 40s and ***, but they do not interest me).... I do not know what is the reason for the ratings system not working, I have learned to ignore them (the stars)....
    If you have made all the teams / players yourself (I could not be bothered, though tried, it takes days and days it seems to do one team) and have a cracking set of teams or players then you are good to go!! But otherwise, try and track down a good creator like 'chunnster_lives_' or you may find yourself unnecessarily disappointed. Basically I learned the obvious rule of reading information on forums that eluded me before that..... they are talking each other up and searching, inwardly, outwardly, for some form of recognition... lonely, propped up like deflated warriors over their keyboards and dreaming of human love, they forget that any sense of 'fame' for making teams is imagined and a tad sad... the community wants the best teams OVERALL / in the world and teams, no offence, by adults preferably... The ones done by those young forum guys were alright, considering their adolescence..... but as a follower of cricket (above gaming or anything else)... it was the teams by 'chunnster_lives_' (others too, but not 20-plus by the same creator, so it is easier to recommend him) that seemed authentic to me.... as if the teams had asked him to do them for them or something, ya know? The others were all very "oh, that'll do".. "close enough" kind of stuff.... As an informed gamer and cricket fan, I did not want the best of the worst by some kids, I wanted the best. Got them now. So, be informed / vigilant when you get your teams.... the top ain't the top peoples... that's all I can say. The game itself is just too fun.. grab yourself a copy and give it the old whackity-doo!!! 9/10    … Full Review »
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