Brian Lara 2007 demo

By Robert Purchese Published 8 March, 2007

Available now for PC, 360.

Codemasters has released a new demo for Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 just in time for the ICC World Cup this weekend.

Both PC and Xbox 360 owners will be able take part in a warm-up one-day match of three overs between England and Australia, taken from the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 in India.

Simply pop onto Live Marketplace to catch the console demo, or bowl your way over to Codemasters' website for the PC version.

The full game launches on 23rd March, and aims to, cough, knock us for six with its new online multiplayer mode (a first for a cricket game), as well as slick batting control, which will apparently give players greater freedom when striking the ball.

There's also all the official licenced teams and players from the Cricket world, as well as tournaments, test matches, and so on.

Review code is promised any day now, so check back soon for a full review of the first next generation Cricket offering.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (27) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • stevencole7 #1 5 years ago

    I HATE CRICKET!!! IM 1ST

  • kmittal82 #2 5 years ago

    YESSS!!! Finally a demo for this..ill be giving this a swing for sure!

    Ill probably end up getting this anyways :)

  • getinthereson #3 5 years ago

    Anyone know if there's any multiplayer in the demo?

    Oh and eurogamer boys and girls, you messed up the link in the article.
    Edited by 1 at 08/03/07 @ 13:58

  • posh_geordie #4 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 18:45:04 02-01-2012

  • jonsaan #5 5 years ago

    Awesome. i can't wait to check it out!

  • Venatio Verified Expo Community & Gaming Manager, Eurogamer Network #6 5 years ago

    Should have read the article properly, shouldn't I?
    Edited by 1 at 08/03/07 @ 14:32

  • Stoatboy #7 5 years ago

    @stevencole7: I think you'll find it's "I don't like cricket!"

    Your version's just not gonna work.

  • Eldritch #8 5 years ago

    Do cricket (and rugby) games actually sell well enough?

  • Fatnick #9 5 years ago

    The 360 version is 3 overs, as england, against Austrialia. chapions trophy Teams/settings.

    A few niggles remain, but a lot of the complaints and bugs have certainly been cleared up (you can now run out AI teams, for example, and they will take the odd risky run). Some issues still remain, i've been able to score 70 off three overs and some of the player likenesses are a bit dodgy, but on the whole its a good effort. I've been addicted to it all morning!

  • gazareth #10 5 years ago

    Sweeeeeeeet

  • jonsaan #11 5 years ago

    Wonder what they'll call the next version. Presumably Brian will have retired by then?

  • varsas #12 5 years ago

    No Wii version?!?

  • GamerAddict #13 5 years ago

    @posh_geordie - what's the online play like? Have you tried it at all? Obviously timing is everything in a game of cricket, so the slightest lag could spoil a match......is it ok online?

  • posh_geordie #14 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 18:45:04 02-01-2012

  • Hullfire #15 5 years ago

    I can't wait for this. The hours my brother and I put into full test matches - often until 5-6am. Although I've moved away from the area now so it'll be over Live. Which is why it's shame that there's no co-op over Live, since co-op is what we always used to play. Unless Codies had a change of heart? Posh_Geordie?

  • Lankysi #16 5 years ago

    I'm really looking forward to BLIC 2007.

    I was one of the lead testers on the last BLIC and loved it. Was disappointed that we had to leave things out due to time constraints but apparently they've been put back into 2007? Stepping down the wicket to hit the ball, throwing the ball to both ends for run-outs etc :)

    Can't wait...........fingers crossed for the online mode.

    I've seen the achievement list at [link url=http://www.achieve360points.com/game/brianlaraic2007/ ]http://ww w.achieve360points.com/game/bri...[/link]

    Are the achivements single player only? Or can things like taking a hat-trick, 6 sixes etc be achieved in multi-player? And are they offline only or online as well?

    15 days to go :D

  • Draqule #17 5 years ago

    @Lankysi, wow mate, that's soooooo cool :)
    Do you know what the PC version is like this time, have they fixed all the bugs that had me pulling my hair out last time?
    I really don't want to get it on PS2 AGIAN as i wont to play my mates at this (ACE !)
    Rockon you can beat us all on 23rd ?

  • gazareth #18 5 years ago

    The demo is weak... 3 overs isn't enough time to really gauge if they've ironed out the issues that really bugged me on the last version (batting physics etc). New features is well and good but I'd be happy if they just fixed what was broken!

    They also seem to have made catching really tricky.

  • kmittal82 #19 5 years ago

    Just played it last night, one word... DISAPPOINTING!!

    Here are the issues I had with this demo:

    - Slooowww framerate (You can almost count the frames)
    - Mediocre Graphics (specially for a 360!)
    - Players dont even look close to their real-life counterparts (except Andrew Symmonds and Strauss)
    - No crowd Reaction
    - Running between the wickets is rediculously fast. You can even steal a single if the ball is in the keepers gloves, and running 4 runs is very easy.

    However, the demo does demonstarte some of the earlier bugs being ironed out. Timing is more critical to shots now, but batting on the whole is still a bit flawed. Bowling is improved and the ball behaves more naturally. The Batsman confidence meter doesnt seem to do much, and still it seems like a tailender can easily hit McGrath or Lee for a six on the first delivery.

    Let hope that by the final product, at least some of these issue are sorted out.

  • jonsaan #20 5 years ago

    kmittal82

    I totally agree. I was gutted when I played this. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy there is now a 360 cricket game but the graphics are sub PS2. Facing Bret Lee gives you no sensation of pace or urgency. The players are terrible. Billy Bowden looks like a strange gnome. The demo is also shit as it boots you back to the LIVE dashboard afterwards and takes about 5 minutes to load up. Shocking. Cricket 2007 on the PC is a million miles ahead of this.

  • kmittal82 #21 5 years ago

    jonsan

    Yeah, forgot to moan about the long loading times :)

    One would have thought that by now, they could make the players look atleast somewhat real. Ok, im not sayign that Codemasters are EA and can give us almost replica player models, but atleast something similar would be good... just look at Glenn McGrath, looks like his face was set on fire and put out with a cricket bat!!

    Even so, I doesnt really matter. What matters truly is the gameplay, and I thought the game is more or less the same as 2005, with a few tweaks. Wheres the threat of Lee's pace, or Gilchrist's aggression? Why cant you put pressure on batsmen by bringing in the field?

    Even I will end up getting this, but purely because of lack of choice. The only thing I really love about this one is XBOX LIVE! But I think for single player, the game leaves much to be desired

  • Lankysi #22 5 years ago

    One of the big criticisms of the last game was that the computer AI never really attempted to chase your score down if you put on a big total. I thought that this was meant to have been improved this time around but I didn't see much evidence of this.

    I played 3 matches last night, each time getting over 40 runs. Then the Aussies batted and got in the 20's each time, never really looking like they were going for it, like they would in real life!

    Was anyone else able to "dance down the wicket" to hit a ball? I couldn't get the hang of this at all.

    Still, I found myself enjoying it and will be purchasing it. But like someone else said, I think if there'd been competition from another cricket game, I'd have to look twice at this one!!

  • posh_geordie #23 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 18:45:04 02-01-2012

  • Fatnick #24 5 years ago

    "Was anyone else able to "dance down the wicket" to hit a ball? I couldn't get the hang of this at all."

    For some reason, its a lot easier to do it against the quicker bowlers I find it impossible to come down the wicket to Symonds, but smashing 95mph deliveries back over Lee's (mishapen) head is relatively easy.

    As for the totals, it should be noted that, in the last BLIC the computer would waste the first over of a 10 over match playing defensives. Its interesting that they go at it from ball one in 07. I've also had the computer play a number of extravagent shots and run itself out a couple of times in the last over.

    I think these problems maybe due to the fact that the demo is set to one of the lower difficulties.

  • kmittal82 #25 5 years ago

    @posh_geordie

    You seem to be one of the "inside" men for BLC :). Is the framerate issue being addressed to?

  • Lankysi #26 5 years ago

    posh_geordie = community liason.......I think, he certainly used to be anyway :) That's how he's in the know ;)

    @posh - thats good news, I wondered if it was to do with the difficulty.
    And I would go on the Codies forums more often but wasn't made very welcome last time!! By some current employees methinks! Hence me making my comments on here :)

  • gamecat #27 5 years ago

    Andress Flintoff is obviously going through his not looking like Andrew Flintoff phase in the demo. Graphics were a bit ropey all round, looked more like a rushed port a la early 360 game. Audio was similarly shoddy, no options as such in the demo but the crowd noise/constant droning was getting on my nerves.