Cricket Captain's latest iteration remains an enjoyable way to lose track of time

BRAD WEST: The detailed statistics need not frighten the uninitiated as the game is simple enough to get into. As I dived into a campaign with Surrey I found myself immersed and I promptly lost track of all semblance of the hour

^{Cricket Captain 2018 is available to buy}

Cricket Captain 2018 (Childish Things): 8/10

Cricket video games have a patchy past. For all the cult heroes (think Brian Lara Cricket and the recent Don Bradman Cricket 17) there have been as many, and perhaps more, absolute duds (the infamous Ashes Cricket 13 sits top of this particular pile).

Cricket Captain 2018, developed by Childish Things, looks, on early viewing, to sit encouragingly within the former.

The latest in the long-running cricket management series, which began with International Cricket Captain in 1998 and was formerly developed by Empire Interactive, sees players manage any team from all major cricket competitions across the world, from Durham to Durban.

You train your players, pick a (hopefully) winning playing XI, dictate how aggressive your batsmen are and what line and lengths your bowlers bowl while you also buy and sell players and there is a neat “rounds” draft-style transfer market too.

First things first, I have a confession to make. This review comes not from a seasoned veteran of the cricket sim in question but a first-time player, albeit one with swathes of experience on a very similar title, Football Manager.

^{The stats pool is more detailed than ever}

There is a reason why Football Manager retains legendary status with so many people and that is because of its endless possibilities. The game is what the player makes of it, channelling the inner childhood indulgence of an imagination run wild. Cricket Captain’s latest iteration continues to succeed in targeting the same desires.

This year, the game has some shrewd new additions to complement its established formula. The match engine has been fine-tuned so that all animations run smoother, making the delirious, and slightly humorous, air-punching bowler celebrations much clearer. It is also nice to see bowlers stare down batsmen and fielding sides appeal to their hearts' content at a leg-before-wicket shout that is nowhere near on target.

The most impressive section of the game, its hugely detailed database of records and statistics, has been overhauled once again so that it is now, frankly, absurdly big. It now contains every player to have played Test cricket (enabling you to play as greatest XIs in a multitude of scenarios).

The pool of over 6,500 players (and their records) only serves to fuel the numbers-crazy player that simulation games attract. Ireland and Afghanistan are playable Test nations to reflect their real life status while coaching and online gameplay has also been improved.

^{There is a familiar feel to the game dynamic}

The detailed statistics need not frighten the uninitiated however as the game is simple enough to get into. As I dived into a campaign with Surrey I found myself immersed and I promptly lost track of all semblance of time.

An hour in and I had not even touched a matchday yet. Once I did I was pleasantly surprised as Rikki Clarke took figures of 6-54 to run through the Hampshire middle order as they were bowled out for 261.

Half-an-hour later and a frustrating draw was the result of four days' toil at The Oval. As with Football Manager it is easy to be baffled at how seemingly fool-proof tactics, at least from the perspective of the player, fail spectacularly.

Too much, too little or just too middling aggression sparking a crushing collapse or dry spell in the wickets column. In this area, the match engine, lies a particular problem. There are too few options to play with and so it can feel difficult to change the tide of a situation or to understand how you have just done so.

Both the bowling and batting options are a bit limited, albeit simple and so easy to get to grips with. There are too few options to change things up, whether that be through a different delivery or batting approach.

^{Childish Things have upped their game with their animations}

The game could almost certainly benefit from an ability to bowl specific types of delivery, perhaps developed through the training menu, and various shot types.

The training side of the game serves its purpose but is limited in scope while the fruits of this labour are tough to determine, with it being remarkably hard to see how a player’s skills are changing. The AI, though, are intelligent while the graphics are not a sticking point in a game about stats and not picture quality.

More than anything, for players new and old, Cricket Captain 2018 offers a perfect sense of escapism and a cricketing world where anything is possible. The opportunities are endless and the potential time spent playing it is too.

While the match engine may be a little limited, the wealth of stats and immersive nature of the gameplay means diehards will be able to gorge themselves on what they know and love, while newcomers will be able to pick it up with ease – though that’s not to say they will master it!

Available now on PC, iOS, Android & Mac. 10% off PC exclusively from childishthings.com