Cricket 19

Pros

• Good graphics settings on moderately capable Windows computers
• Realistic gameplay mechanics and ball physics
• Responsive bowling, batting and outfield controls
• Offers different matchplay options
• Utilizes smart AI technology and challenging game tactics

Cons

• Scenario Mode can become a touch tiresome to setup

Cricket 19 is a bat-meets-ball video game. A batsman stands in front of a set of wickets. A bowler runs, throws the cricket ball in an effort to strike the wicket, then the flat bat smacks the ball in midflight. That, in a nutshell, is how things should play out in this sports simulator. The cucumber sandwiches and cups of tea poured during an exciting test match might be absent from the simulated version of this popular summertime English sport, but every other gaming component is present, including all generally accepted forms of matchplay.

Let's start with hardware specifications. For once, here's a game that doesn't demand a beefy machine to get the best out of the game's graphics. An i5 CPU and 8GB of RAM are recommended, so there's no real need for some kind of an i7 or i9 monster rig. The graphics do use DirectX 11, though, which implies a need for a relatively speedy GPU. Still, an Nvidia GTX 970 with 2GB of video memory should be enough to get any keen cricketer off to a flying start. For AMD machines, a minimum machine setup should include an AMD Athlon II X4 555, plus a Radeon HD 6670 graphics card. All-in-all, these are reasonable hardware configurations, and anyone with a Windows computer that's less than 4 years old will probably have access to enough computing power to play Cricket 19. That's more than can be said for some sports simulations, which seem to sadistically enjoy pushing the limits of what computer parts are capable of processing.

Back to the actual gameplay mechanics, everything depends on accurate ball physics. When the bowler comes sprinting down the green turf, he bowls overarm with a powerful throw that fairly rockets towards the three-stick stump. If the ball smashes into the wicket, which it can do, like a cannonball, then the batsman is called out. However, if the player times his strike just right, his digital avatar swings fast and hard, the flat cricket bat hits the leather-covered ball midflight, and it goes flying out from the infield pitch with a wood-meets-leather crack. Now the two batsmen begin their run. In fact, the score is made up of the number of "runs" made by the batsmen. All of this is taking place, all in glorious color. The realistic graphics render the bowler approach, the ball throw, and the batsman swing in great detail. Indeed, Cricket 19 is a fun, incredibly realistic version of the British bat-and-ball game.

The gameplay mechanics are good, the graphics are excellent, too, but what of the controller interface? This sports simulation features a highly responsive control interface, which is just as well, for a mistimed bat swing could cost the whole game. Speaking of gameplay, all of the various forms of matchplay are represented. There's short-form Twenty20 cricket to entertain short attention span cricketing aficionados. ODI (One Day Internationals) pit different nations against one another, so a strong Pakistani team could very well end up winning against an Allstar Jamaican or South-African squad. Above and beyond the realistic ball physics, the players behave as if they're caught up in a real match. A long test match, perhaps played in Australia during the height of summer, will tire the players out faster. They'll grow fatigued sooner because of the heat, and they'll slow their game unless an umpire allows a replacement player to enter the game.

It's fun to pick up a simulated cricket bat and become a professional cricket player. It's even more fun to play around with the game and create a team that'll compete with the very best. That's where Career Mode comes into play. The goal-oriented player mode sets a beginner up with a capable but not very professional group of team members. As a computer user progresses along their chosen career path, the team matures. Skill and ability points accumulate. The players begin to look as if they could really pull off a big victory. Off to the championship they go, perhaps to win back The Ashes against the old enemy, Australia. Of course, there should be more depth to the game, that's something reviewers have said about all sports simulators at some point or another. Not to worry, Cricket 19 also features an integrated Scenario Mode. Use it to relive a historically accurate match and see how different options would've changed a match outcome, one that was played several decades ago or just yesterday.

Pros

• Good graphics settings on moderately capable Windows computers
• Realistic gameplay mechanics and ball physics
• Responsive bowling, batting and outfield controls
• Offers different matchplay options
• Utilizes smart AI technology and challenging game tactics

Cons

• Scenario Mode can become a touch tiresome to setup