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Please send me your own reviews of PC Brian Lara Cricket.

Short Reviews

Review by NMA.

I got BLC World Cup edition 99 about a week ago. The game really lives up to its hopes. Although there are a few glitches, you can forget them and enjoy the game when its all said and done.

The practice doesn't necessarily help except for timing. Cause they wont let you see where or how the ball goes. Friendly matches are great and so are Quick starts. You should start out in a friendly against the weakest team available. You can soon get the feeling of the bating. What you mostly do to score is smash any ball from outside leg to on off stump pitch with a normal on drive. If the ball is way outside off, use a regular Sweep for a six. If you can do this perfectly, you'll end up with scores of the like 100/1 in 4-5 overs. Use Sweeps and cover drives more against spinners and swingers. Use Hard shots only when absolutely necessary.

Bowling isn't necessarily fun. The best way to limit runs in ODI is to bowl at a fuller length, using random deliveries. Use yorkers and speed boosts when you're looking for wickets and are not short on runs to give away. The slower deliveries will take the stumps if bowled correctly once in 2 overs.(this is certain). Speed Boost yorker can take out any tail ender and/or newcomers easily. Spinners, bowl outside the stumps and bring the ball in or out. A speed boost off-spin outside off will get the catch at close positions or deep mid-on and mid-off. Slow yorkers can take stumps out at any time against any batsmen.

Basically, the game is fun. You should try out the ODI's before starting Test Series and finally Test Seasons. Believe me, they are hard. The game gets 7and1/2 out of 10 and/or 4/5 from me. I really enjoy it.

Review by Yaju Arya

Brian Lara99 is a Batsman paradise. You can't match it's classic shots. In a word,they have class. The cameras,though lesser than Cricket World Cup99, are better. They give better broadcast than a TV. The Database is good and Commentary is fast. The Third Umpire is a new feature. The matches get exiting when you need more runs in few overs/balls. But I would give it 7/10 because of some problems.

Plus:

Minus:

Overall,if you like batting or are new in PC Cricket,buy this Game

Rating:7/10

Review by Anish Kumar

I bought the copy of Brian Lara Cricket 99 here in India. The game costs too much here in India. But after playing the game I thought that it is worth of cost. There are a lot of options given in it. we can choose a one day match,test match test series and a classic match.The graphics are really brilliant. The commentary by Jonathan and Geoffery Boycott is really good. The pitch report given by Geoffery at the start of the match makes it more realistic.There are more aspects which make the game more realistic. There are a lot of shots included in it.

For newcomers You should have to go and have a practice at the nets to get yours shots correctly. Once you get timing correct you can score runs very easily.

Codemasters have put in a lot of effort in making the game a realistic. Hats of to Codemasters for making a good cricketing game.

Review by Matthew Harbour.

I played this game first using the software rendering all of the settings, resolution, detail etc, on high. I only have a ATI Rage II 4Mb card, but also an AMD 350 K6-2 so I thought it would be able to handle it, I was wrong, I had to change the res to low along with the detail and that made it just about playable. I am happy with the game play, especially the classic matches but am disappointed with the poor repetitive commentary and huge number of bugs. There is the pause when you first try to play a classic match or load a saved game, forcing you to restart the computer. There's also the ball moving through the stumps and not being given out, the LBW appeals not moving on a ball.... the list is endless, even the patch does not solve half the problems it said it should, this game could have been a whole lot better, so £24.99 is a disappointing price for me.

Review by Mr Anon.

I have just purchased Brian Lara Cricket 99. Its a wonderful game with a lot many options. The game revolves around the globe having all test playing nations and there grounds. You can play Test Series, Friendly Matches, World Series Cup, World Cup etc. The Graphics are extraordinary. Having options of Floodlit and coloured kits have added colours to the game of cricket. but the game can not compete in play ability to Cricket 97 Ashes Tour Edition because its too easy and a person willing for challenge can never enjoy.

Otherwise the game graphics wise and option wise is extraordinary.

I have allocated following points to the game

If you enjoy cricket of Sixes etc then its ideal for you but If you like challenge then the game can never come up to your expectations.

Review by Sridhar Ramaswamy.

I got my copy of BLC yesterday. I think I will be one of the first customers to get it. I played a 10 over match between India and Pakistan (India won). Based on that here is my comments.

Pros:
This game has absolutely brilliant settings, graphics, strokes and commentary. The options that are available during a game is good. The Grounds are captured exactly. The practice facility is really good. The bowlers and fielders have good response for a dismissal.

Cons.
Fielding cannot be customized.
I don't know how to change the Level of play during a Game.
Cannot add new players.

Well in spite of all these small problems I should admit that this is the greatest game I have ever played. I think it is really absorbing. In fact my friends thought I was watching a Video Cassette.

Hats off to Codemasters for a great game and good service (for delivering the game before its release).

Review by Amit Gogwekar.

Well to tell you, I am giving you a 'brief' overview on the full release of BL '99, which I received via Royal Air Mail from the UK yesterday (I am an Indian-American, who surprisingly enough, loves Cricket).

Well the game is just beyond belief......the gameplay and the graphics just make you think what they must of put into making this game. If you didn't know that this was a game, and were watching the screen from a distance, you would most likely think it was a real live TV coverage match. The reality is superb. EA's Cricket '97 to BL '99.....hmmmmm no comment. You get the point.

Overall the gameplay controls are not that easy to comprehend in the beginning, but takes about 5 minutes to getting use to. Thank God Codemasters placed a practice session in the game. Batting is easy to get use to, but bowling lacks that similarity. Trust me, moving that cursor to a certain spot and making it stop is a task within itself!

Auto fielding is a nice option, and it beats having it done manually.

Overall commentary is good, but a bit of more of 'talking' while the match is going on would've certainly diminished the 'quietness' factor. A bit more of background crowd noise would have done good on the friendlies, rather than just having it for the World Cup tournament matches. Instant replay, 3rd umpire, and camera angles bring uniqueness to this game.

Regarding bugs. Well as one person reported, batters or sometimes bowlers walk through the wickets. I have noticed that on the full version as well. Also I have had the game suddenly quit abruptly (this happened twice), and this when I was playing a fast match. I know for sure that my technical specs for the game hardware are higher than recommended. So I have no idea what the deal is there.

Regardless, I love this game, and I am certainly getting addicted to it! But with EA coming out with their version of the game, and knowing what they do for FIFA (and the current buzz regarding WC99) there is no doubt in my mind that they will try their best to out do BL '99.

Long Reviews

Review supplied by Steve Collins

Review originally from: http://www.gameretail.co.uk/gameover/reviews/pc/feb99/blc0299.htm (link is now dead).

Brian Lara Cricket 99 Review

It's rare that one finds a good cricket game. It's rare to find a truly engaging port from PlayStation to PC. Codemasters have bravely tried for both in one package with Brian Lara Cricket.

So how have they done? Press on, dear reader, and all shall be revealed...

Brian Lara Cricket is supplied on a single CD and is another of the growing raft of DirectX 6 games. As a result of this, installation is a simple and painless affair with the choice of small (85Mb) and standard (480Mb) installations. After the usual "Shall I install DirectX again?" questions, you're in business. Well, almost.

I thought I was in for a hard time when I first tried to start the game as  it resulted in a brief view of the egg timer and then nothing. Fortunately, a quick reboot and I was away. Odd that the install proggie didn't mention I'd have to reboot after installation.

The Launcher presents you with a choice of graphics engines. Choices include software, various card specific D3D implementations and 3Dfx. I'll come back to the relative merits of these later so, for now, suffice it to say that you click on your choice and you're in.

One nice thing about the game is that the intro/credits sequence is of a reasonable length rather than the cinematic epics that bar the way into so many other games. Arriving at the main menu, there are a number of choices.

Diving straight for the Settings menu, as so many of us do, there's a few   well-chosen options available. Graphics are at Low, Medium or High Detail although there is no option to allow you to select the resolution at which the game will run.

A good variety of game types ranging from 20 over matches to Test Series provides a choice of games to suit all endurance levels. You can also choose whether to do your own fielding or to let the AI handle it for you. I think I'll have to invest a considerable amount more time in playing this game before seeing any benefit from this.

The graphics in this game can be really, really nice but it's all very dependent on your hardware. Resolution control is non-existent and you will have to make do with whatever mode the program uses. I tried each of the three options that applied to the test machine:

Generating the graphics in software produced an adequate image that ran fairly smoothly. Overall, this mode was marred only by occasional jerkiness and solid black shadows cast by the players. The low colour depth employed with this engine didn't make that big a difference to the game.

Selecting the D3D mode for the Matrox Millennium gave a substantially prettier show but one that was so jerky it needed a trip into the Options menu to turn off most of the pretties to make it playable.

Unsurprisingly, the 3Dfx mode was outstanding. Not only in terms of the number and types of effects, but also because of the smoothness with which they are implemented. In particular, the lighting and shadows are superb.

Bearing in mind that the test hardware was fairly meaty, don't consider the software or D3D modes on older kit. This game is another case for the wonders of dedicated 3D hardware.

The blurb makes a great song and dance about how the movement of the players has been modelled from the real world. In spite of all the hype, they have done a very creditable job of animating the cricketers. In particular the bowlers are extremely well done. There are a few glitches, however, and from time to time a player will be seen sliding across the grass like he's on wheels. Also, when seen from a distance, fielders sometimes seem to pick up the ball from a fair distance, or to ignore it when they are standing on top of it. I'm almost certain that this is a perspective problem but it is unnerving to see, all the same.

The sound in Brian Lara Cricket is very much a product of its PlayStation roots. The snatches of music and the bright cheery sounds from the menu are typical of such games. The in-game sound is thankfully also of PlayStation standard. Even the background crowd noises are well done, surging at the right times in a believable way.

Likewise, the commentary (from Jonathan Agnew and Ian Botham) is varied and topical. In particular, the pre-match analysis of the conditions and the opposing teams is interesting and the recommendations for whether to bat or bowl if you win the toss seem to be reasonable. The in-game commentary can be a little predictable at times but there is still sufficient variety to keep the player entertained.

Game play is simple, engaging and addictive. Like many of the best games,  the controls are easy to learn but take some practice to master. Essentially, when batting, you have to make a decision based on an indication of where the ball will bounce and the style of the bowler. You then position the batsman, choose the type of stroke you will play and have at it.

Simple! Well, in principal, yes. In practice, you have almost enough time to get it all together. Timing is the key to batting success and as you learn the strengths and weaknesses of each stroke against each type of delivery, you'll start to see the batting averages climb.

A quick word about controllers here. I played exclusively from the keyboard and mouse. This game shows its PlayStation roots so clearly that for the very first time I wished I owned a GamePad.

Bowling is a case of indicating roughly where you want the ball to bounce  and choosing the type of delivery. Each of the many styles of bowler has a number of different deliveries he can make. Not much timing here, but if you bowl to the strengths of an opposing batsman, he'll start to murder you.

If you've chosen to field, then when the shot is played the computer selects the most likely fielder with whom you can chase the ball. The AI's selection is pretty good and it is rare to have to change to another fielder. To catch the ball, "simply" stand where it's going to land. When picking up the ball, you have simply to choose whether to throw to the bowler or the wicket keeper.

As each stroke is played, you get TV-like coverage of the shot and fielding action. All generated real-time, the movement of the players is good although the choice of camera shot is not always ideal. Once the shot is over, you can relax and watch while the players resume their places or you can (usually) skip onwards.

The documentation is light but enough to get you going. Given that this is a cricket simulation, I would have expected more in the way of explanation for the less knowledgeable about the game. Even a glossary explaining what a Googlie or a Chinaman is would probably be a great help to the new player.

Quibbles? Well, there are a few. The mouse and keyboard controls aren't consistent across all menus. Multiplayer is restricted to the same machine and can be a bit of a squash round the keyboard. Object collision isn't perfect and some of the commentary shows clearly the way it has been built up of pre-recorded phrases that are assembled into sentences.

Overall though, a good game in a difficult genre. Taking a completely different approach to its chief competition (International Cricket Captain), BLC will be a popular, sedate sports game that isn't afraid to take the game at its own pace. I look forward to seeing how Codemasters will develop the game from here.

Review by Chintan K. Ganatra

This is Chintan from India. I had purchased Brian Lara Cricket’99 on the 26th of May. But my I-net connection was shut off for 4 months. I was waiting for it to hit the shelves here in India since Nov’98. But till the 25th of May I had no idea that I will get it so suddenly. I had thought of ordering it directly from the Codemasters. But since I had no credit card, I asked my Uncle as he had one. But he said that he had seen BLC’99 in a shop just opposite to his office and the next day it was with me. I was doubtful whether it would run smoothly since I had heard so many complaints that it crashed down in between. I prayed to God and inserted the CD in the drive. I fulfilled the required conditions and it started installing. I installed the full game (480mb) since I had a lot of space on my hard disk. I also have a 3dfx card. It is Voodoo Banshee with 16mb SDRAM. After the installation I started the game. The starting movie is not so good as compared to EA games. But still I liked it. The music in the menus is very good. I played a friendly match between India & Pakistan. I was really impressed by a wealth of options before the match. When the match started, Jonathan Agnew talked about the match, the weather and then Geoff Boycott talking about the pitch. Surprisingly I won that match by 4 wickets. I have tried all types of matches and after playing them my views regarding them are: -

Pros

1. The sound effects are very great e.g. the crowd reacting on different situations in different countries, batsmen saying yes, no, etc.
2. The pitch report is very great. In about 3-4 months, I have heard repeated pitch reports only 4-5 times. Otherwise it is always different.
3. The shadows of each and every thing are very well created.
4. The floodlights during a night match are superb.
5. Rains during test matches (I have seen it only after entering the CATSDOGS cheat).
6. The pitches look 100% real. Also the pitches acting in variable weather conditions.
7. The stadiums are very much the same as the real one. They are excellently captured (But the game hangs when a match is played at the Faisalabad (Pakistan) stadium. Does this happen to all of you out there?)
8. Motion capturing has been very effectively done.
9. The classic match option.
10. The bowler taking his run-up, batsmen practicing their shots (however they only play the leg-glance), the fielders exercising, etc.
11. The cheats are very good.
12. Performance tracking is a good edition.
13. Variety of camera angles.
14. Nets are very good.

Cons

1. Manual fielding is awful. It is very, very “roobish”. It seems that Codemasters have not paid much attention to that. When a fielder catches the ball, the ball goes behind him but he bends down and picks it up where it is not present. Many a times this has happened to me. When the ball is very close to the boundary, the fielder catches it but as stated above, the ball crosses the rope, the umpire signals four, the fielder throws the ball and hits the stumps directly and there is a loud appeal!!! I have never seen in cricket that after a four, the fielding side appeals for a run- out. Also when a ball is hit the fielder runs after it in a particular camera angle. But when the camera angle changes the fielder runs according to that. E.g. when a batsman hits a ball straight down the ground, the mid-off fielder runs after when I press the down arrow. But when the camera changes it reverses its direction and runs towards the umpire.
2. The umpire doesn’t signal the third umpire. Only Agnew says,” The umpire is calling for the TV replay”or other words like that.
3. The umpire does not duck or move when a ball is hit straight past him or during the run-outs.
4. The bowling style is the same for all bowlers of the same type e.g. all leg-spin bowlers have the same style.
5. When bowling round the wicket for the right hand bowlers and vice versa, the runner looks the other side as if he is seeing the leg-umpire.
6. When the ball is hit, the fielder just allows it pass between his legs near the boundary.(not always)
7. When a batsman reaches his 50 or 100 he does not acknowledge the crowd by raising his bat.
8. A batsman can’t come down the wicket( this is very sad indeed)
9. When a batsman hits the ball straight past the stumps, the bowler does not catch the ball, not even tries to catch it.
10. When a fielder catches the ball by diving or sliding, he doesn’t hit the stumps when the batsman is out of his crease but instead takes his full time in getting up and setting up to throw. This is very absurd.
11. How can the commentator know that the ball is a boundary or a six even before it has reached the rope?
12. The third umpire is very quick. He doesn’t even wait to check the run-out for a few seconds. He gives the decision so quickly that sometimes he is wrong.
13. The same bowler goes for his run-up even after the over and the end of the match.
14. Why don’t the fielders catch the ball that is coming towards them? They run backwards with the ball coming after them.
15. No customised fielding.
16. Even when a batsman gets out he keeps on taking a run.
17. Also, has anyone noticed that during a replay, if you sit without touching the mouse for 2-3 minutes, Boycott and Agnew talk about other things such as the shot which was played at that moment, the different coloured kits used in modern cricket, the fielding positions, etc.

Revised: Saturday, 16 March 2013.
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