Posted by We’ve had a quick look at the new free online cricket game Howzat, which is due to be unveiled shortly. We’re giving it the royal seal of approval.
Gameplay
It’s a player v player action game, as opposed to a management sort of affair. Batting is largely as you’d imagine: you aim in your chosen direction and then execute either a normal or a lofted shot. Timing is key.
There’s a quite a neat system for the bowling. You aim where to pitch the delivery using a cursor and then you stop a pointer on a meter to decide what kind of ball you’ll deliver. The ingenious part is that the meter is divided into three sections for three different deliveries, but within each of those sections, there’s a range for pace – so you can deliver a slow, straight ball or a fast away-swinger by pressing the key at different times.
It’s five overs per innings. We got battered in our test game, but we were playing one of the guys who’s made the game, so we don’t feel too bad. We hit a couple of sixes and got a few wickets.
Customisation and longevity
So far, so short-lived. The big selling point in our eyes is the fact that you’ll have your own team. You can change all the players’ names and change the kit that they wear, but you can also develop them. When you play well in a match, you’ll earn experience points and you can then allocate this to your players as you see fit. As players level-up, bowlers will get quicker and swing or spin the ball more and batsmen will time shots better and hit the ball harder. Fielders will become less spazzy.
Yorker spammers
Anyone who’s played a cricket game will know what this means. If you need convincing about this game, you’ll be reassured to know that measures are being taken to counteract this tactic, which should ensure a good, rounded cricket game that you’ll be playing for some time.
Yes but the REAL question is “can I draw blood with a short pitched delivery?” This is an option open to me in real cricket, but one that hasnt made its way into any game yet.
Anyway, I’m unsure how I feel about you reviewing another cricket game when you haven’t given us the verdict on wii cricket yet…
It’s in the to do list for this week.
We did a review of it for a proper publication. If you’re the kind of person who’s willing to part with money to read cricket writing, you could use that as a stopgap until the official KC review appears.
This is rather interesting, and exciting. I’m not much of a gamer, but the 1v1 action, and not just purely fantasy style aspect of it got me interested.
Their website doesnt seem to have a link to the game, have they not released yet ?
Can someone explain what a “yorker spammer” is to a non-cricket-gamer please.
I’m imagining an unwanted e-mail that arrives in my in box much faster than I expected and at a troublesome trajectory, thus busting open the nail on my big toe as it lands.
Am I warm?
That’s it Ged, bang on the money.
From: waqar@aol.com
Subject: Get cheap meds now….
great game ….love it
Yes, It’s quite exciting and pretty fun oriented cricket game. I have not play it but I would like to play it.