Apparently Australia won the first test of the real-life Ashes this morning. Apparently cricket is a sport where you can win a test, as opposed to, you know, passing or failing. Anyway, the point is I know little of the sporting activity known as cricket. Which is why review duties were handled by Nathan Lawrence, our resident cricket expert. In that he's played many a digital game of cricket in his lifetime.

And was pleasantly surprised by the great Ashes Cricket.

When Ashes Cricket was announced, I was nervous. On one hand, the less-than-stellar critical and fan reception to Don Bradman Cricket 17 could, theoretically, have helped right the ship. But you never know. Sometimes devs double down on bad mechanics. But you’ve already read the review subhead and likely scrolled down to the score before reading the justifying text, so you already know that Ashes Cricket is a relieving return to familiar form for Big Ant, and a lot of fun for cricket fans.

The batting is back to where it should be. The fielding is the best that Big Ant’s ever made. And the bowling is tight, even if it feels as though you’re at the mercy of AI mistakes on higher difficulties to score wickets.

Click Here to Read Our Full Ashes Cricket Review

Ashes Cricket from developer Big Ant (Rugby League Live, Don Bradman Cricket) is getting a relatively big push through the media, as the game gears up for release ahead of the cricket season proper. And today we have a new gameplay trailer showcasing the game's "photo-realistic players and meticulously researched stadiums".

While the trailer here doesn't specifically show how the game is played, it is built entirely off Big Ant's custom-built proprietary engine. It also features commentary by Michael Slater, with other commentators joining the game to be announced soon. Ashes Cricket launches on November 16 on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.



I do have to say, as far as cricket games go, it does look pretty polished and capable. Definitely keen to see more.

Another Aussie-made sports title is set to strike its way to retail, with Ashes Cricket scheduled to land next month at retail.

The game is being touted as the "most authentic, realistic cricket video game ever made", though that comments appears to stem from in-house at developer Big Ant, but they're allowed to be proud of their project.

One of the reasons for the studio's bold claim is that they've used their "proprietary photogrammetry technology", which has been utilised to bring the Australian and English men and woman's cricket teams to life. Something you can judge for yourself when the game lands on PC, PS4 and Xbox One this November 16.

“We can’t wait for fans to get their hands on the game,” Big Ant CEO, Ross Symons, said. “We wanted this game to build on the years of experience that we’ve had in developing cricket games, and we’re thrilled with the results. Playing this game really does feel like being out there on one of Australia’s iconic cricket grounds.”

Players will also be able to participate in a comprehensive career mode, where they take a fresh, ambitious young player, and lead him or her through the ranks with the goal of eventually representing their nation in the Ashes itself.

“All the in-depth customisation features that Big Ant is known for are in this game,” Symons said. “and we’re adding the greatest competition in cricket into the mix, fully licensed, for an extra shot of authenticity and realism”.

“Every one of our releases builds on what we’ve learned in previous games,” Symons added. “We’ve taken fan feedback to heart and have brought innovations to the game that have resulted in a smoother and more comprehensive game of cricket.”

Ashes Cricket will be available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC on November 16. It will be classified “G” with an RRP of $99.95 for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, with PC Steam pricing yet to be revealed. Pre-orders are now open!

'Tis the cricket season, and it's always good to see Australian studios involved in bringing our national pastimes to life. Will you be padding up?