Game On: A review of the continuously popular Hitwicket
It is refreshing to come across a cricket game that recreates scenarios from the pitch.
Reviewing cricket-based video games is a challenging task. There are too many available to try, with lots of new ones launching all the time, and most of them are simply no good. I have lost track of the number of times I have tried reviewing a cricket game during various international tournaments or the annual IPL season, but given up because of how poor the games in the genre are.
Some of them are bad games, and some are games made in poor taste. For example, I recently came across one that allowed players to acquire their own cheerleaders.
In India cricket is big money and it is only natural to want to make a cricket game for the world’s most populous country.
Hitwicket is different though, it tries to create a gaming experience that translates not just the bowling and batting but also the strategic elements of the sport. It is refreshing to come across a cricket game that recreates scenarios from the pitch, for example, the game’s mechanics factor in approaches like the benefits of using a left-handed and right-handed pair of batters or the effects of being beaten by a good delivery. Similarly, this is also a game that values good defense, rotating the strike, and building partnerships.
In terms of gameplay, you play as the manager of a cricket club where you recruit players for your team and then train them to get better. On the field, you decide what shots your batters execute and what deliveries your bowlers bowl – it is a battle of wits that gets quite exciting in the multiplayer PvP format.
Add to this the game’s arcade style approach of unique abilities and a three-way classification of players, and you realize that this is as much cricket as it is a game like Pokémon.
This is a modern free2play game, and it offers a variety of game modes, daily challenges, rewards for playing specific timed-events and even an auction to acquire new players.
The expectation of the grind is significant here and there are elements in the game that require you to log in multiple times a day to keep progressing.
A lot of what the game offers is fun but parts of it also seem a bit dated – like free2play games from 2015-18, for example, the interface and design could be cleaner and more intuitive, the menus could be designed and sorted more efficiently and the sheer amount of information on the home screen could be presented in a less functional way.
In the PvP mode, I found difficulty in finding opponents at times and also frequently found the game’s animation switch from ball-by-ball animated action to just updates on the scoreboard at times.
I found the shift both sudden and difficult, but I guess it is a way to ensure the game is playable on poor connections. These small issues aside, a lot of what I saw with Hitwicket was fun and worth my time.
I am told that the game launches special time events during major tournaments and will do so during matches of the IPL this year on a daily basis.
It could be something worth trying out! If you are in the search for a cricket game this IPL season, Hitwicket might be worth your while.
What Stands Out:
*The game does a great job translating cricket as a sport into a portable, mobile experience. Despite the arcade feel, there are a lot of great gameplay elements here.
* The behind-the-scenes experience of managing a team and building up a roster of players helps the game stand out from the several cricket games in the market.
Fails to impress:
* There are certain aspects of the game that are beginning to show their age, such as the UI and overall look, which could benefit from a cleaner, more minimalist design. Similarly, the main screen can appear too cluttered for a new player.
* I am nitpicking here, but in PvP games, the action sometimes switches from a ball-by-ball mode to what I am guessing is a low-data mode where on-screen action pauses, and only the score updates.
