For the most part, there are two types of cricket fans. There are the fans that adore a good Twenty/20 while sitting around a mates lounge room enjoying some drinks. Then there is the cricket purist, the one who will quietly watch and scrutinise over every shot and each bowl for a entire test season. This game is targeted at the latter.
ICC is just crying out for change. Surely even hardcore fans of the series are fed up with how little this game has evolved over the last decade. Incremental fixes and database updates haven't been enough to keep the game relevant when so many obvious problems with this product remain untouched and other simulations like Football Manager go from strength to strength. Where are the Wisden stats? The player editing options? The scenario creator? The fact that Empire Interactive went into administration after the release of last year's game possibly has something to do with the current state of ICC. Now that developer Childish Things has full control over the license, one can only hope that next year's game (if there is one) sees a top-to-bottom re-design, revamp and re-think. As it stands, ICC 2009 feels like a bargain bin relic.
Presentation - 3.0
Graphics - 4.0
Sound - 3.0
Gameplay - 5.0
Lasting Appeal - 4.5
Overall -
