Before I talk to you about Don Bradman Cricket 17, let me tell you a little about myself. I’m from the Indian subcontinent and cricket is a way of life. I’ve been obsessed with the sport since I was a child. I used to watch test matches all the time and couldn’t wait for the world cup to take place. Even when we were in high school, we would skip class to watch cricket matches on the televisions inside the gym. Suffice to say I know a lot about the sport.
When I was growing up there were many cricket games like the Brian Lara Cricket franchise and more recently Ashes Cricket. If you own a Windows machine it’s easy to find a plethora of games that work on your system and still look great. However, if you’re a console gamer you’re out of luck. The Xbox One just has the Don Bradman Cricket series and the first game wasn’t that good. It wasn’t good on Xbox 360 either. In my opinion even titles from the early days of gaming beat it. However, Don Bradman Cricket 17 is a clear upgrade over its predecessor and that shows in every aspect of the title.
The game looks great on Xbox One despite some fuzzy textures. While I like the visual style and the loading times aren’t that extensive, the one aspect that bewildered me was why the game ran at 30 FPS on the console. It’s not a demanding title and I always expect simulation games to runs at 60 FPS. It elevates the gameplay experience and makes the controls that much more precise. While 30 FPS isn’t a deal breaker, it’s still a strange choice for a game that requires precise movement and timing to swing the bat.
Don Bradman Cricket 17 does an amazing job at teaching you the mechanics and how to effectively use the controller for batting and bowling. The tutorial is one of the most extensive ones I’ve ever seen in a video game and you’ll know how to pull off even the hardest spin. While that’s all well and good, the game doesn’t teach you when to use certain techniques. Beginners will have a hard time with the title because Don Bradman Cricket 17 requires you to have considerable knowledge about the sport. You have to know which deliveries will result in sixes or boundaries. You have to know which deliveries are dangerous and it’s best to defend. The same applies to the bowling side. When do you add spin? When is it effective to use a fast delivery versus a slow one? You’ll be looking at Wikipedia a lot when you’re playing Don Bradman Cricket 17. Depending on your interest in the game—which is very rewarding if you know what you’re doing—that might be frustrating.
The game features an expansive career mode but playing multiplayer matches is more satisfying. Challenging a friend and seeing who comes out on top by managing to confuse the other is the way to play. Cricket is all about anticipating the weakness of your opponent and delivering adequate batting or bowling moves. Is the opponent having a hard time with spin deliveries? Does he miss more fast balls? Don Bradman Cricket 17 requires a lot of strategy as well as skill with a controller. This has to be the game’s best feature. It’s also what makes the sport so interesting.
There are a lot of customization options that weren’t available in previous iterations of the franchise. You can build your team any way you want and can even design banners. Don Bradman Cricket 17 is definitely the most personal cricket game I’ve ever played and one of the most personal sports games out there as well. I nearly forgot to tell you, there are female players too.
One element that deserves mention is the commentary which occurs when you play a match. It adds to the immersion and it’s a great way to learn about the game. Usually when you get hit for a six the presenters provide answers as to what you did wrong. It’s a great way to increase your knowledge about cricket and you feel like you’re inside that stadium.
Summary
Don Bradman Cricket 17 has many more features I haven’t even touched upon. It’s quite a comprehensive cricket simulator and if you love the sport, this is a no-brainer. However, the barrier to entry is quite significant because you need to know when to employ certain techniques. While it’s possible to acquire this knowledge through outside sources, it’s still a daunting task. If you’re familiar with cricket, this is a great way to get the feel of the sport on Xbox One. I would just caution new players unfamiliar with the game because it’ll be a lot of work for them.
Ajay was a community contributor to ICXM, writing 2 articles in 2017 covering game reviews. ICXM operated as an independent Xbox and Windows gaming outlet through the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative, drawing from a rotating bench of editorial volunteers.