Don Bradman Cricket 17

Despite not having an official license, Don Bradman Cricket 17 is one of the best cricket games I have ever played. I loved Brian Lara Cricket back on the Sega Mega Drive so this is a sport I have always had a real soft spot for.

Hitting For Six

Let’s start by talking about what Don Bradman Cricket 17 is like on the actual field. This is a great game of cricket. It is the kind of game that is both easy to pick up and play, but also kind of hard to master. No matter if you are batting or bowling it feels like the players are doing exactly what you want them to do. While it is easy to get into. Once you figure out the basics, you can start to get more in-depth with the way you play and you can really develop some strategy to the way you go about games.

Starting From The Bottom

The career mode that Don Bradman Cricket 17 has is pretty spectacular and I actually think the lack of an official license works in the games favor here. You start off by creating your character and starting out at the lower local level. From here you want to work your way up to eventually becoming an international cricket player! What is really cool is that this “world” feels real as other players will get better, worse, retire, move teams and so on so it feels like you are in the middle of it all.

Be A Pro

While creating your own player is great, this career mode also has a Be A Pro mode where you can play as an already established pro player if you do not want to start out at the bottom. There is also another option that allows you to control the whole team. I found myself dabbling in my own created player career mode along with a separate one where I was in charge of the whole team.

If You Build It They Will Come

One thing that Don Bradman Cricket 17 has which I wish all other sports games be it FIFA or NBA 2K would have is a stadium builder! That is right the creative aspect of this game is not just limited to players. You can actually create your own dream cricket stadium or you can design one that is based on a real-life ground that you love.

I had a great time with Don Bradman Cricket 17. It is probably the best cricket game that I have ever played and at first, I thought the lack of real players would bother me, but it did not. The career mode is very addictive and the action on the field is a lot of fun and also forces you to be rather strategic in the way that you go about games. If you are not a fan of the sport then I cannot see the game-winning you over. However, cricket fans simply must check this one out.

8/10

Pros:

• The career mode is great
• The game looks fantastic
• You can create your own stadium
• The on the field action is a lot of fun
• Plenty of ways to play the career mode

Cons:

• Lack of real player likenesses may be an issue for some
• If you do not like cricket this will not change your mind