A review of Brian Lara Cricket

Brian Lara Cricket is a series of video games that were released for various systems and published by Codemasters. The games in chronological order are Brian Lara Cricket, Brian Lara Cricket '96, Brian Lara Cricket '99, Brian Lara International Cricket 2005, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 and Brian Lara Pressure Play.

Many different versions

The Brian Lara Cricket series span many different consoles and PCs, going all the way back from 1994 (the original PC version) up to the present day, not to mention the fact that there are so many versions for so many different systems. This means that there are a multitude of different releases under the Brian Lara franchise. Here, I shall be reviewing BLIC 2007 for Xbox 360.

Positive points

The name issue
Fans of international cricket may at first be dismayed - it seems that this Brian Lara cricket game features no real players. However, names of cricketers in licensed tournaments that you can play in do in fact have real names of some of the stars of the sport. This will be a compelling option to try the game for fans of the sport.
Providing a sense of realness to the game
With the famous names of David Gower, Bill Lawry, Ian Bishop, Tony Greig and Jonathan Agnew providing the in-game commentary, a certain sense of realism is brought to the proceedings. Indeed, avid fans of cricket will no doubt love this aspect. Online options that make the game highly re-playable
To add to the replay value of the game there is a pretty solid online option on offer. This allows up to 16 team tournaments to be played. Playing against fellow humans certainly adds a different avenue to walk in terms of game play style and also provides something extra in terms of the game's longevity.

Negative points

Artificial names
Although there are real cricketer's names used in Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, hardened gamers and fans of the sport might discover the fact that not all of the names are real. This coupled with the fact that the license is for ICC tournaments only might come as a bit of a disappointment for some.
Low quality graphics
The graphics in BLIC 2007 certainly aren't up to par in terms of the capabilities of the Xbox 360.
Final word
True cricket fans might find this game perfectly suits their needs. Sadly, as regards the casual gamer, the lack of game modes and also the nature of the game might not appeal to all.