The wicketkeepers, for example, can be clunky (think early career Matt Prior) and are not helped by the slips bunching up close as if for an impromptu team huddle. There are a few bugs, but they prove only mildly irritating rather than fundamental and are certainly not game-breaking. AI has been improved too – it will quickly tweak the field if there is a barrage of boundaries. Ashes Cricket has an easier to grasp, button-based control system as well as the traditional stick-centred method from Bradman. In gameplay terms, the title has developed further. The Big Ant Development Director, Mike Merren, described it as: “a cricket sandbox, you can make the game whatever you want”. All of it can be shared cross-platform online as well so players can upload their work for others to enjoy. However, there is a very detailed editor built into the game and almost anything can be changed or created, to the extent that new stadiums can be designed from scratch with enough time and dedication. Unfortunately, this means that the unlicensed players, of which there are over 4,000 from a huge array of teams, do look a bit disappointing by comparison. Including all the male and female players is another pleasing addition. Focused on the Ashes series now under way, all the stadiums and squads are accurately represented, and while Bradman lacked official licences, they are present here. Although released less than a year after developer Big Ant Studio’s previous foray into the market with Don Bradman Cricket 17, this is more than a cynical Ashes tie-in, and with plenty of new features is a step forward for the genre. Timed pleasingly to coincide with the renewal of the sport’s greatest rivalry in Australia, with Ashes Cricket fans of the game’s virtual incarnation have a marvellous accompaniment to the series. PS4, Xbox One, Koch International, cert: 3
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