In the time before the invention of video games, quite several sports such as football, cricket, volleyball, and basketball were used as a form of entertainment. However, not everyone could take part. For one to play these games, they needed certain skill levels and physical abilities. All that changed with the introduction of video games based on popular sports like Don Bradman Cricket 17.
These games gave cricketers at all levels of ability an opportunity to participate in real-life cricket’s thrills and excitement without having to possess any special physical strength. Offering hyper-realistic graphics and captivating gameplay, titles like Don Bradman Cricket 17 are now staples for sports fanatics and gamers alike who can get involved in this sport irrespective of their field prowess through a fun medium that is accessible to all people with their different capabilities playing this game.
Now everyone could play the sport of their choice. Becoming an expert was just a matter of practice. This virtual sport hooked people of all ages. It was both engaging and entertaining. So it’s no surprise that sports video games are one of the most popular genres in the gaming industry.
FIFA has become one of the highest-selling games in the world selling over 260 million copies. There are also a lot of cricket video games and today I am going to review one of the most popular ones – Don Bradman Cricket 17
In this blog, I will share my review on the game’s overlay, graphics, controls, and customization options.
About the Don Bradman Cricket 17 game
Don Bradman Cricket 17 was developed by Australian video games company, Big Ant Studios. Big Ant Studios is well known for its cricket games like Big Bash Cricket 2016, Table Top Cricket, Ashes Cricket, etc. This game is a sequel to the 2014 popular game Don Bradman Cricket 14.
The game derives its name from Australia’s legendary batsmen Sir Don Bradman who is considered the greatest batsman of all time. The game was launched in 2016 on PlayStation, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. It is now available on Android Play Store as well. Don Bradman Cricket 17 gives players different cricket format options to choose from including test matches and one-day format. You can also play the current favorite format that’s used in IPL which is T20.
It also allows players to choose a female cricket team which was not available in the earlier version. YAY!
When you choose to bat in Don Bradman Cricket-17, you get all the traditional shot selections like the hook, pull, square cut, cover drive, straight shot, etc but now you also get additional options like helicopter shots and charge sixes.
When you are batting, you get a circular option near the hand of the bowler giving you an idea of the type of bowl you are going to face. This can help you strategize your shots accordingly.
The Artificial intelligence in this game is very smart and quickly understands your batting pattern. It changes the fielder and bowling style accordingly. This makes the game even more exciting and challenging for the players.
BOWLING
When you choose to bowl in Don Bradman Cricket-17, you again have a variety of options to choose from. Depending upon your bowling team, you can choose a fast bowler or a spin bowler.
If you choose a fast bowler, you have 7 different bowling types to choose from. You also get to choose the length and speed of the bowl, so you can bowl either a Yorker or Bouncer. There are 7 different bowling types that include in swing, out swing, and also if the ball should swing before it hits the pitch or afterward.
There is a learning curve to ace the bowling, especially fast bowling. When I tried the fast bowling, an out swing always went away from the batsmen and usually crossed the boundary line. You need to be very articulate in terms of line, length, speed, and bowling style to achieve the desired result.
So my suggestion would be to start with spin bowlers as they have limited options and are easier to master in a short time.
FIELDING
The fielding is a bit tricky and is the weakest part of Don Bradman Cricket-17 game. When the ball is in the air, two circles appear on the screen. The fielder can catch the ball only when both of these circles coincide with each other. This can happen when you press and hold the button which is very difficult and hence even simple catches are dropped.
Many times the fielder runs for the ball long after it has passed him which means the batting team gets a free reign of 4s. Also sometimes the fielder throws the ball so high and fast that it skips the wicket keeper and crosses the boundary line.
GRAPHICS
In the graphics department, Don Bradman Cricket-17 scores better than its predecessor. The players look much more realistic than before. The camera angles are great and realistic. Even the commentary is good and feels like you are in the real game.
But as this is a 2016 game, the graphics are not as good as the recently released game by Big Ant studios – Cricket 19. But If you compare it with other games released in 2016, this game has better graphics.
Also, the AI in this game is super intuitive and quickly learns your pattern making the game difficult as you progress.
CONTROLS
The controls on Don Bradman Cricket-17 are good and easy to use. You can control every aspect of the game whether its batting, bowling, or fielding. But the game itself has so many techniques that it requires a good amount of practice before you start acing it. I would suggest you spend some time practicing in the academy before participating in the tournaments.
CUSTOMISATION
Here is where Don Bradman Cricket-17 game shines. It offers you all the customisation you would ever need. You can now create your team, logo, uniform. You can even create your own stadium and even customise your bats.
So if you are one of those creative people who like to customise everything, then you can do it on Don Bradman Cricket-17.
CONCLUSION
So overall Don Bradman Cricket-17 is a great game for cricket enthusiasts and you can spend hours enjoying the game. It is not perfect in all aspects but if you look at it overall as a game, then it provides you a good experience as a player. It is also a great way to get a doze of cricket given that COVID-19 has put an end to all sports.
