Brian Lara International Cricket 2007

Probably the best cricket game ever. Right?

	Version Xbox 360, PS2, PC	Developer Codemasters	Publisher Codemasters	Genre Sports

By Stuart McAndrew

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When fielding, you can cycle through various attacking or defending fielder positions with simple clicks of the left and right triggers/bumper buttons before bowling the ball. You will need quick reactions if a catch is on as a bar appears on screen to be stopped in the middle. Miss, and your fielder will drop the ball. The bowlers and batsmen have confidence meters too, so playing well can quickly build up your confidence which lets you pull out special shots. Of course, a wicket from the bowler or 6 from the batsman will send their confidence soaring and the opposition's crashing down.

A wealth of options cover every type of cricket game imaginable, as far number of overs and type of game goes, although there's a missed opportunity for a Flintoff Drunken Pedalo mini-game or match-fixing mafia activities behind the scenes. Playing through the World Cup will be your first goal, and achievements are available if you win with all teams so for the fan there's plenty to come back to.

The level of control is as good as I imagine console cricket can get; at least until we get a Wii version that actually fires balls out the Wii which you have to smack off the remote! Everything in BRIC2007 feels very, very natural. Placing your batsman while the bowler lines up his shot and still covering your wicket is no stroll in the park, especially when you realise on top of this you still need to aim somewhere the fielders aren't around if you want to rack up the runs.

Bowling uses a similar system to Rockstar's Table Tennis and getting the spin on the ball, in the right area, at the right speed is glorious when it works. Like real cricket a ball which is easily read will be whipped over a boundary in no time. Batting is always fun, but the first time you stump your opponent for a duck is really special. Catching a ball is no easy matter and you need very fast reactions to get it as it flies off the bat. Miss timing a throw back to the wicket once you have it can also see the ball spilling from the wicket keepers hands, allowing your opponents another cheap run. The only discrepancy I saw in the game was 4 fielders all running towards the ball when it's in the field, which although it looked weird, didn't have any negative impact on play.

Playing against friends is good fun, although friends who haven't played as often will get thrashed until they pick it up. Due to the turn based nature of cricket this can become a sore point, especially if your friend is a sore loser. Online the game plays as well as a local match, providing you're not playing on a dial up modem.

Having never been a cricket fan, BLIC2007 has certainly opened my eyes to the sport and I've watched some of the highlights of the World Cup already. Unfortunately Brian's side aren't doing quite as well as this year but I'm sure his royalties cheer him up a little. If you do have an interest in cricket then this game is as essential as any of the top sport games can be. If you're just a gamer looking for a ways to pass the while, you could certainly do far worse than shelling out your dosh on this.

Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL 8.0 8.0 9.5 9.0 8.0 8.8

THE VERDICT: It really is difficult to imagine how a cricket game could improve on the formula found here. For those who enjoy the sport this is a must buy; for the uninitiated it's a great introduction that will bowl you over.