Second innings, new platform

Don Bradman Cricket 14 was quite the revelation when it released last year on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Its bold design, intuitive yet hard-to-master controls, and the clever way it worked around the issue of paying huge sums for licensing teams were the clear highlights. Even if the game wasn't exactly of the "pick up and play" variety, all aspects of it were easy to enjoy when you got the hang of the controls. Yes, it had a lot going for it, but budgetary constraints and the small size of Australian-based developers Big Ant Studios meant that the game would ultimately lack a few layers of much-needed polish. So does this year's timed release before the beginning of the World Cup for current-generation consoles address these issues or have we ended up with a lacklustre remaster?

Here's the short of it: if you've already got the PC version of the game, there's really no reason to invest in the current-gen version (unless all your friends are on PS4 or Xbox One, of course). You're probably playing the game at a high resolution on your PC, and you could potentially benefit on loading times if your PC is well geared. For previous-gen console owners, however, the current gen version is a definite step up - even if only slightly so.

The visual upgrade was quite apparent in the PS4 version I tested. The game runs at 1080p: character models sport better detail, edges are smoother all round, there's more detail on the pitch, and a new lighting engine adds a fair bit to stadium immersion. I read somewhere that the forced frame-rate cap of 30 frames per second was lifted, and while it definitely was smoother on PS4, it didn't feel like the game was closing in on anything much greater than 30.

It was also disappointing to see that not much attention was paid to the stadiums and their crowds, which benefit only slightly from the higher resolution. As a result, Big Ant Studios haven't really been able to play around too much with the camera angles - the action on the pitch is captured well, but crowd involvement in matches is strictly audio-driven (cheering a bowler on when he's on the verge of a hat-trick, for instance), and there's no "visual" participation (an integral part of the stadium experience) from virtual fans whatsoever.

Gameplay in DBC 14 on PS4 remains unchanged from its lesser previous-gen cousins. There's still a steep learning curve for all aspects of the game, given the lack of visual aids, so you'll still need to spend some time in the nets or playing practice matches, memorising complex bowling controls, as well as learning which button makes a fielder aim for the stumps at the non-striker's end. The issue of licensed teams is still very easy to circumvent with ease - you can download the "best squads" at the outset or search for carefully crafted user-made teams (which I've found is a better approach if you're looking for the most accurate squads and likenesses) within the game. There could potentially be improvements to netcode as well, though I had no problem inviting friends to matches (and losing).

DBC 14 on current-gen consoles is the definitive cricket gaming experience available today. However, it's still not perfect. In one tour game, I had Western Warriors seamer Jason Behrendorff more or less alternate between bowling over and around the wicket for each ball of a five-over spell, while on another occasion, Malcolm Marshall insisted on bowling slower deliveries for an entire over (granted, my India "All-Time Greatest" batting line-up except Vinoo Mankad succumbed due to bewilderment). Fielding animations are still imperfect, and you're likely to have someone in the deep agonisingly carry the ball over the boundary rope due to an animation error. Having said that, player-versus-player is still quite fun despite minor latency issues during online play. It's particularly fun to use the "share" feature on the PS4 to show off videos of an epic run chase against a friend or capture that moment when you took an outrageous catch to dismiss the opposition's best batsman.

If you don't already own the PC version, this is a game you would probably want to get on PS4 or Xbox One if you're a cricket fan. Just keep the steep learning curve and premium pricing for the current gen version in mind.

Don Bradman Cricket 14
Big Ant Studios
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One
Approximate prices: £50, A$90, NZ$85, Rs 4000