PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

The next step for Big Ant would be to start capturing the nuances of the sport and convert excellent ball-to-ball action to give us the full match experience, when events that happened in the 10th over can impact on how bowlers, batters, and the crowd itself behave in the 40th. If Big Ant can get there, make it feel like tactics matter and results are less pre-determined and arbitrary, and then they will produce a cricket game that will finally move from the cusp to sit alongside EA, Sony and 2K’s sporting titles in offering something that truly understands and captures the spirit of the sport.

Cricket 24 is a curious case of being one of the best in the series, but with such minor changes over Cricket 22 that it feels like we’re watching a replay during a rain delay. That makes it hard to recommend if you’re already invested in past games. For new players, it remains as accessible as a sport as complicated as cricket can be. With a bevvy of returning control options and difficulties, there’s a way to play for all skill levels. Cricket 24 is still at its best when bat meets ball, and there are more licensed modes than ever before headlined by reliving the 2023 Ashes and forging a lengthy career – but the same experience can be had, without Gilly, at a fraction of the cost with Cricket 22.

As far as gameplay goes, Cricket 24 is great fun. With different bowling and batting styles to entertain, it has a level of depth that will appeal to both newcomers and existing fans of the series. But beyond this, it's a mixed bag. While heavy on international licensing, it lacks in visual fidelity and polish. Big Ant Studios are a team known for their dedication to constant improvement, and we may see these things fixed in patches and updates, but for now it’s a game that doesn’t quite hit the mark.

If Cricket 24 can capture the full essence and atmosphere from it's new licenses, the game can be elevated to new heights.

Cricket 24 fails to build upon the series’ solid opening partnership from its previous instalments in a significant way. Its enjoyable core gameplay is practically identical to Cricket 22, with the only noticeable addition being franchised tournament formats. Its abundance of bugs and glitches, and barren online lobbies, leaves little reason to take another swing at the series if you’ve already played an innings of a previous title.

Cricket 24 builds on its predecessor with better visuals and presentation but could have used more fine-tuning. If you're happy with Cricket 22, there's little reason to play the sequel.

Cricket 24 is a bit like English opener Rory Burns. That is, capable of quality play for decent periods – and getting the job done despite looking a little peculiar at times – but a bit too inconsistent overall to be considered an automatic selection. Since developer Big Ant Studios’ has previously displayed a penchant for post-release tweaking, future updates may well address a lot of the lingering issues with licensed players and smooth out the rough edges of its AI and presentation, and in six months’ time this could potentially be a simulation worth going into bat for. However, as of right now Cricket 24 is a disappointingly modest and often slipshod update that seemingly lacks the confidence or creativity to advance further down the wicket.