Whether you want soccer — football, if you’re across the ocean — or basketball, there’s always the FIFA or NBA series of games in which to dive in. Cricket, played across three continents, still has a very slim and linear representation in the video game space, and Cricket 19, formerly known as Ashes Cricket, hopes to bring that AAA cricket gaming experience to your living room.
- Developer + Publisher: Big Ant Studios
- Price: ₹3999 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4
What’s it about?
Despite sporting a simpler name, Cricket 19 is very much an Ashes game, focusing on the Test Series played between Australia and England. With in-depth men’s and women’s teams from different parts of the ‘Land Down Under’, you can participate in a Career Mode that spans across 20 years, as you create your player and throw your very own curveball to fame.
Additionally, you can recreate famous matches from T20 and other world series, though you will need to wade through a lot of menus to do so. Once you’re set up for the international matches, you can recreate famous games from any era. You can replay all the series of India vs Pakistan matches to change history, but be prepared for a lot of menu navigation.
Screencap from Cricket 19
How does it play?
Everything works just right in Cricket 19, and while it lacks the glamour of a FIFA, the gameplay is top-notch. With well-thought-out mechanics for every role, be it a batsman, a bowler or any other choice of pitch-and-play position. The AI of the other players are also top-notch.
While the pitches lack that excitement or spectacle, they are recreated from famous ones the world over. Everything about the game lacks polish, from the wooden animations to the passable graphics, even though the player models look great.
Usman Khawaja in Cricket 19
Should you get it?
If you’re willing to overlook the fact that the only two licensed teams are Australia and England, as well as the lacklustre presentation, then Cricket 19 will happily fill that void the IPL left behind in your life.
Still in Game of Thrones withdrawal? Then Total War: Three Kingdoms could be that fix for treachery and battle that you crave. Except, instead of being a passive observer, you get to lead your forces into battle, recreating one of the greatest historical masterpieces ever written.
Jonny Bairstow in Cricket 19
Total War: Three Kingdoms
What’s it about?
Set in ancient China, Total War follows the events of the book Romance of the Three Kingdoms , which took place during 220 to 280 AD, at the end of the Han dynasty and the start of the Jin dynasty. You get to choose between one of the 12 factions and carve your own path through history to claim your seat as emperor. Three Kingdoms is an excellent tactical game that condenses a thick history into a surprisingly fun and engaging experience, especially when played in the mythical Romance mode.
- Developer: Creative Assembly
- Publisher: Sega
- Price: ₹1999 for PC
How does it play?
Your generals are superpower-wielding heroes who ride into battle with an impressive arsenal of special moves that take out large numbers of enemy soldiers, adding a bit of the supernatural to the game.
Playing in Romance mode adds that extra oomph to this turn-based tactical strategy game. If it’s historical accuracy you are after, then you can play in Records mode, but be warned things do get slow and boring there.
Total War: Three Kingdoms
It’s not just about devising strategies on when to send in the cavalry; you will need to recruit the best to your cause, from any field.
Politics and diplomacy also play a healthy part, as you not only have to appease your best, but you also need to make alliances or even back-stab those in your path.
Total War: Three Kingdoms
Should you get it?
If you love the idea of an epic strategy action game, with exciting, edge-of-the-seat battles and a massive world to conquer and unify, then Total War: Three Kingdoms delivers. We sincerely hope Creative Assembly would consider a Game of Thrones version, so we can redo that disappointing ending.
The writer is a tech and gaming enthusiast who hopes to one day finish his sci-fi novel
