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Gaming client that's the sequel to Don Bradman Cricket with greatly expanded career mode

Gaming client that's the sequel to Don Bradman Cricket with greatly expanded career mode

Vote: (37 votes)

Program license: Paid

Developer: Big Art Studios

Version: 1.0

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(37 votes)

Paid

Developer

Version

Big Art Studios

1.0

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • The most authentic cricket simulation on the market
  • An improved career mode that allows you to take on an existing pro or create your own

Cons

  • Graphics leave a lot to be desired
  • Controls are exceedingly complicated, especially for bowlers

Don Bradman Cricket 17 does an admirable job of replicating the sport of cricket and adapting it to video games. Cricket may not have the appeal in the west that more popular sports like football, basketball, and baseball do, and it's unlikely that it will ever challenge the NFL for dominance of America's airwaves. It's something of a surprise, then, that Don Bradman Cricket17 is so good. While it can't rival market giants like Madden or NBA 2K in terms of production values and polish, there's no doubt that this is a game created by fans of cricket for fans of cricket, and that it exists at all is an indication of how wide open and accessible the video game industry has become. Even if you're not a fan of cricket, Don Bradman is worth checking out if you're curious about learning the intricacies of the game.

Cricket isn't fundamentally all that different from the sport of baseball. While bowlers and batsmen replace pitchers and batters, it's still a battle of wills between someone hurling a ball and someone hitting it, and Don Bradman could have easily adapted the mechanics of a baseball game, slapped on a new coat of paint, and called it a day. Luckily, they did nothing of the sort. In fact, the mechanics are incredibly nuanced, and they may at first seem inexplicable to players not well verse in the complex rules of cricket. The tutorial can take the better part of an hour to set in, and it can be hard to absorb all that information at once. On the other hand, anyone with a passion for cricket will have the opportunity to replicate practically any style they could imagine. Playing as both a bowler and a batsman offers a whole lot of variables to control. Mastering these can take a long time, but it's surprisingly satisfying to go out on the pitch with a whole bag of tricks and a fundamental understanding of the game's mechanics at your disposal.

Unlike its more popular sports rivals, Don Bradman isn't an annual franchise, and this edition has benefited greatly from its three year hiatus. These increasingly complex mechanics are a new addition to the formula, and while they make the barrier to entry much higher, they also allow this game to establish its own unique identity. Further rounding out the experience are some major changes made to the career mode. As with many other sports games, you get to create your player and guide them from nobody to pro. It adds a persistent sense of roleplaying to the experience and provides users with a great excuse to keep improving, and it will likely dominate the playtime of people looking for single player experiences.

Pros

  • The most authentic cricket simulation on the market
  • An improved career mode that allows you to take on an existing pro or create your own

Cons

  • Graphics leave a lot to be desired
  • Controls are exceedingly complicated, especially for bowlers