The most prominent new feature is the addition of both Indian and Australian twenty over competitions, which adds both depth and a feeling authenticity. Not only this, but the database of player records is fully up to date to the start of the current season and is more comprehensive than eve?r. Though it still lacks the depth of the enormous database of the Cricket Coach series, you can see that efforts have been made by the ICC developers to narrow the gap between the two; the fact that it is now possible to keep full records for retired players, as well as full records of all the runs scored, wickets taken, strike rates, averages, catches and so on from any international series played are particular examples of this.

Another welcome addition is the inclusion of new player types, such as batsman that are designated as openers for particular forms of the game (e.g. Ian Bell will be listed as an opener when selecting a team for a 50 over match, but not when selecting a test match or T20 squad). Similarly, bow??lers who have impressive economy rates w?ill be valued far more highly at T20 auctions than a player who is perhaps a better bowler but is more likely to be hit around the park every now and again. The AI has been improved, along with the match engine, and this can be seen to make a real difference in your playing experience. Computer captains will now choose to take powerplays in ODIs when a batsman lacking in form comes to the crease, for example, or when a key partnership is broken and they can smell victory.

All the above is very positive, and there is no denying that the game is a lot of fun. However, to fans of immense statistical detail, who enjoy pulling up extensive records of a particular player with minimum fuss and designing intricate bowling plans and other tactics down to the closest detail, it is hard to see how the most recent edition of ICC is likely to persuade such folk to take an interest, rather than sticking to other sims which boast these features, such as the Cricket Coach series. Whilst the database of this version of ICC is more detailed than ever, it still falls some way behind the scale and level of detail that is present in those of it??s competitors. As such, it may be that this is a title that would be better suited to a casual fan rather than someone who enjoys agonizing over small details.

However, what ICC 2012 lacks in depth, it arguably more than makes up for in terms of its atmosphere and sense of enjoyment. For me, the true test of any computer game is whether it can create an atmosphere that absorbs you and really makes you feel a part of the experience. ICC 2012 does not disappoint in this regard. Unlike when playing other titles, I felt myself feeling the pressure in an intense game, feeling the crunch as my last senior batsman was trapped lbw with 80 left to chase and an uncapped 20 year old coming in next, hoping – rather than expecting – that my tired senior bowler could find it in him to get an extra wicket or be resigned to facing an excruciating defeat. Put simply, Cricket Captain 2012 has an atmosphere, a personality, whatever you want to call it, that makes you care and want to be involved. It makes you feel like you are involved in making decisions in a miniature cricketing world, and never like you’re adjusting figures in a database. It provides a sense of fun and enjoyment that other titles with more depth or greater scale titles never seem to be able to match up to.

All of the additions and new features add up to make a gameplay experience which is both enjoyable and challenging, and despite the fact that Cricket Captain 2012 is not a huge advance or improvement on previous editions, it should still offer enough depth and variety to keep even seasoned players of the series interested. One feels, however, that if the fans of the series are to be kept interested for much longer, an update similar? to that seen between ICC 2005 and ICC III will be needed in the near future.

7/10

Cricket Coach is renowned for its enormous depth and wealth of statistics, and once again does not disappoint in this regard. The game boasts accurate statistics for over 4,900 players which are correct up to the beginning of the 2012 season, a more thorough and detailed database than is offered by any other cricket sim currently available on PC or console. This alone is likely to greatly appeal to cricket fans who take a keen interest in the statistical side of the game, but the addition of the new Almanac feature will amount to many a statistician’s dream. At the click of a button, it is now possible to instantly compile a 5000+ page HTML almanac, which will detail the results and performances from one season’s worth of domestic competitions, test series, ODIs, international T20s and other international competitions, all of which will be based on the occurrences which take place in your saved game. For any player of the game who wishes to truly immerse themselves in a Cricket Coach world of their own creation, the addition of this feature is surely a landmark moment in the series’ history.

Not only is the size of the database itself, yet again, very impressive, but there is now more ways for someone playing the game to put to use the huge amount of player profiles and records which are at their finger tips. For example, new to Cricket Coach 2012 is the ability to fully manage U19 and 2nd XI squads. Though this task can be designated to your assistant coach, for those who are so inclined it is now possible to manually manage a reserve team through a full season of fixtures, and run a youth team with a view to selecting which of the best youngsters of each year are deserving of a full contract and a chance in the first team. Other notable new features include the way international T20 tours are now separated from ODIs – with the ability to appoint a specific T20 captain, the addition of the Australian T20 franchise league – complete with player auction, and staged player retirements – which allows for players to retire from one format of the game before hanging up their bat entirely. These are all welcome additions and greatly improve the game’s authenticity and sense of realism. The game’s interface itself, whilst visually no great advance on previous editions, is once again easy to operate, and the addition of a live games widget – which allows for easy access to matches which are currently ongoing, as well as a new quick search function and a revamped search screen makes the game more easily accessible and easier to navigate than ever before.

However, whilst the extensive database and wealth of new features are undoubtedly impressive, their overall value would be considerably lessened if the most vital aspect of the game – that is to say, the gameplay itself – was not up to scratch. It was glitches with the match engine and general gameplay issues that proved to be the undoing of Cricket Coach 2011, with freak occurrences, frequent incredulous results and performances, and the ease with which one could pick up a victory undermining what was otherwise an extremely polished and impressive product. When starting up Cricket Coach 2012 to play test it for this review I was worried that I would be in for more of the same. Having now played the game extensively over the last two days or so, I’m thrilled to say that my fears were for the most part misplaced. On the whole, the match engine now plays a lot more smoothly and realistically and the type of annoying freak occurrence that plagued the previous version appears to have all but been eliminated. I have not, for example, witnessed a batsman cutting the ball away through gully for the ball to swirl around in the air and for him to then be caught around mid off, as was known to happen on the 2011 version, nor can spin bowlers be relied upon to dismiss a team for next to no runs with the new ball. Similarly, the way in which you could blitz through games with minimal input and still pick up victories has been curbed, and it seems that it is no longer possible to do this. Rather than coasting through matches hardly paying attention, you’re now forced to pay heed to what’s going on – the confidence and skill of the batsman, the fatigue of the bowlers, the change in the condition of the pitch or the weather – and adjust your approach accordingly, merely clicking on ‘bowl’ repeatedly and changing your bowlers once in a while against a good side is likely to see you come away on the wrong end of a hiding. The ability to design bespoke bowling plans for opposition batsmen is nothing new to the Cricket Coach series, but it now finally feels as if the time you spend painstakingly outlining what you expect from each delivery is actually making a real difference, and the payoff is often immensely satisfying. Essentially, the match engine is much improved and delivers far more realistic results, whilst also being far more responsive to the inputs of whoever is playing the game.

Once again the Cricket Coach series continues to offer an experience of unique scope and depth. The possibility to customise and update the already extensive database allows for unrivalled longevity and replay value for all cricket fans, ranging from hardcore tacticians to more casual observers. This time around, however, the database is supplemented by a greatly improved match engine, and as such this 2012 edition is truly a cut above those that came before it. It delivers an immersive, detailed and realistic cricket simming experience, and is worthy of a place in any fan’s collection.

8/10

What is immediately impressive about Cricket Coach 2011 is its obvious statistical depth. With over 3000 players and teams from all of the Test and ODI playing nations (and more) around the world, a vast variety is on offer. When coupled with the additional “historic” database scenario and the database editing features, these possibilities become even more expansive. For those who really enjoy analysing statistics and fine details of the events on the cricket field, then there is no finer simulation on the market in this regard.

Another detail which is less important, though very welcome nonetheless is the clean and tidy presentation ?of the menus. They are crisp, clear and easy to navigate. Given the amount of statistics and information available to browse it would be unfair not to give the layout the credit it deserves. Whilst the graphics and sound are nothing to shout about, it would be foolish to condemn the game on this basis as neither are these things are in anyway integral to the experience it promises to deliver. Both sounds and graphics are neat and tidy and do the job asked of them to a necessary sta?ndard.

The big issue, however, is the match engine. Throughout my experiences with it I developed a strong love/hate relationship with it. We’ll start with the good points. Firstly, for the most part it delivers an experience which gives the atmosphere of a real match.. The top down view whilst leaving a lot to the imagination serves its purpose well, insofar that if gives you the impression of complete control and oversight, you are given a very clear and precise view of how your bowling plan/field setting/batsman are performing, would the experience be enhanced by virtue of better visuals? For my money, no.

The in match options given are again impressive. The ability to fine tune each of your bowler’s plan of attack down to the nature of each individual delivery further emphasises the attention to detail and customisation at your disposal. However, whilst this may be appealing to some, it may prove to be daunting to a more casual fan.

Similarly, the engine delivers results in a manner and pace that one would expect to find in a real match?, with the AI adjusted well for different forms of the game, a concept that in my experience ICC to this day continues to struggle with.

However, there are a couple of deep seated problems with the match engine which are impossible to overlook. Most obviously the top down engine can often be seen to throw up very curious animations such as a batsman crashing the ball away towards the covers only for it to swirl around in the air and end up being caught at mid-off. Similarly, on occasion you see fielders charge in from square leg to take a sharp catch at silly mid-on, covering the ground on the field between these two positions in the space of about half a second. These sorts of incidents are rare enough to ensure that the overall experience of the game isn’t ruined, but they can be frustrating when you end up on the wrong end of them. Worse, however, is the frequency at which the match engine throws up results that defy belief. Freak results stemming from a team’s terrible first innings collapse only for them to be made to follow on, score 600+ and then bowl the other team out for under 150 and suchlike happen just slightly more often than such things ought to. This is a problem further exacerbated by the apparent ease by which one can pick up victories, for all its diverse customisable features, it seems that even with minimal input from the player winning matches is not a difficult feat. For example, whilst playing as England I was able to win the Ashes series in Australia 4-0 (with 2 innings victories), the following one day series 6-1, and then the World Cup (without losing a match), throughout all of which the only adjustments I made were to batsman/bowler temperament. Sadly, this makes the game feel both somewhat unrealistic and that it only gives the illusion of providing the player to make any discernable impact through their own decisions and so on.

Despite the problems with the match engine, as a cricket fan it is hard not think very favourably of Cricket Coach 2011. The experience offered here is unique in terms of the amount of depth and scope laid at the player’s finger tips. Whilst the heavy stat based and detail intensive style is perhaps best suited to the more hardcore fan, there is enough enjoyment here to satisfy the more casual player. As previously mentioned, the potential for customisation and sheer scope of the in game options and environments mean that this is a cricket title with unrivalled longevity and replay value, and for this it must be given the recognition it is duly deserved. The match engine issues, however, cannot be overlooked, and it must be said they are what is stopping this title from being something truly special, but if these issues can be addressed in future versions, it’s hard to see how Cricket Coach could be improved much further.

7/10