Brian Lara International Cricket 2007

Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 is a PC cricket game that was released by Codemasters in March 2007.

The game was released in the lead up to the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, helping to generate plenty of hype and sales for the game. There are three release versions of the game, featuring cricketers Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting and Yuvraj Singh on the covers. Despite much apprehension towards the game, given the poor efforts at cricket games by Codemasters in the past, this game was both a commercial and critical success.

Game Modes -

Users who download this game from the Internet can enjoy several game modes, starting with one off One Day International and Test matches. There are also options to play the ICC World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, Twenty20 internationals, and net practice for batting, bowling and fielding. Gameplay is possible with the following teams: Australia, Bermuda, Bangladesh, Canada, India, England, Ireland, Kenya, Holland, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Pros:

• Extensive game modes allow players to experience the three main forms of cricket, in addition to allowing plenty of learning with teams of different skill levels.
• Batting and bowling are realistic. Batting shots are struck with similar angles and power to real life situations. In addition, the difficulty of hitting certain shots on certain balls is also well adjusted.
• The game is at the right level of difficulty. This encourages beginners to learn and allows experienced players to remain challenged. The easy level allows the beginner to get settled in, while the hard difficulty level can be very tough, especially in test match situations.
• Customization options are endless, especially when it comes to editing player abilities and characteristics. The world of cricket is ever changing, while cricket games are rare. A few tweaks can lead to updated playing rosters.
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Cons:

• Graphics are poor compared to modern games. This came out in 2007, around the time the PS2 and Xbox 360 were introduced. However, the graphics are more in tune with PS1 and Xbox games, which was a disappointment to cricket fans. Most players look identical, with the exception of skin color, and there are very few hairstyles to choose from.
• Real names are not used in the rosters for any of the teams. This is not hard to edit if you can get a hold of a game FAQ document or a user created guide, but it is irritating nonetheless.
• Hitting front foot drives to fast bowlers, a staple cricketing shot, is a lot more difficult than expected. A large portion of front foot drives result in being bowled out or called LBW.

While there are some licensing and graphics issues with Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, it is still a great game for cricket fans. Batting is fun, bowling is challenging, and the overall experience is pleasant.