Cricket 26-anmeldelse: En nærmere titt på fremgang og vedvarende problemer

Cricket 26 Review sits at the center of renewed attention as Big Ant Studios attempts to push the series forward after the uneven launch of Cricket 24. The new entry opens with sharper visuals, quicker inputs, and fielders that finally respond with consistent awareness. Early matches create the impression of a cleaner, more coherent game. Yet across extended playtime, that optimism collides with instability. Crashes, erratic AI behavior, and unclear officiating decisions interrupt otherwise promising sequences. The game feels improved in key places but not yet settled.

The assessment draws on Tristan Ogilvie’s review on IGN, which provides a detailed account of technical problems and mechanical steps forward. His experience frames the strengths and shortcomings that define the current state of the game, giving a clear picture of a title that advances the series but still struggles to deliver reliability.

Batting remains the standout improvement. Input responses land with precision, and both button-based controls and the dual-stick setup give players direct influence over stroke placement. The predetermined tendencies of the previous entry fade, replaced by a more natural sense of timing. Inside and outside edges show greater variability, and the default difficulty delivers a measured challenge without requiring immediate slider adjustments. Batters still misjudge line and length, but the mistakes feel earned rather than manufactured by rigid systems.

Bowling has fewer structural updates but gains nuance from a new wind mechanic. An arrow on the pitch map marks direction and strength, allowing players to use natural conditions to enhance swing or extend lofted hits when batting. It offers a small but meaningful tactical dimension. The wobble seam, now a standard variation in real cricket, remains missing, and the knuckleball carried by several modern pacers is absent as well. Still, the core bowling experience holds steady.

“Cricket 26 presents a much more enjoyable representation of the sport than Cricket 24 was ever capable of." — Tristan Ogilvie

Player animations show clear attention to detail, particularly in bowling actions. Recognizable movements for Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Santner, and Jofra Archer add personality and practical impact. Facing Archer highlights the blend of casual approach and explosive release that distinguishes him in real competition. Adjustments in timing become more deliberate as bowlers rotate, providing a deeper rhythm across longer matches.

Fielding receives one of the most visible overhauls. Transitions from gathers to throws move faster, new catching animations bring energy, and relay throws appear with consistent intent. Remaining quirks undermine the progress. The slow-motion runout system frequently misdirects throws, and wicketkeeper behavior swings between indifference and improbable athleticism. Even so, fielders track the ball with more urgency than in earlier entries, and boundary-saving tap-backs introduce satisfying dynamism.

One of the game’s highlighted features, the Ashes mode, lacks the depth its branding suggests. It offers a full five-Test series across Australian venues, including a day-night match in Brisbane, yet the surrounding structure feels thin. Preparation involves brief training minigames, simple squad selections, and repetitive press conferences. Many of the questions in those conferences contain factual errors, undercutting immersion. Match objectives range from reasonable to extreme, and a team confidence system fluctuates without producing clear consequences.

“There appears to have been about as much thought and effort put into as England’s approach to batting on day two of the recent first Ashes test.” — Tristan Ogilvie

The inconsistency extends to roster accuracy. Brendan Doggett, who recently debuted for Australia, is missing from the in-game Ashes squad. Some objectives demand unrealistic scoring rates, such as maintaining eight runs an over in a Test match. Completing them boosts confidence, but the resulting gains rarely influence on-field outcomes. The routine repeats across all five matches with limited variation, giving the mode a mechanical quality.

A new management career mode accompanies the Ashes offering, though it presents few transformative ideas. The mode excludes budget oversight, staff hiring, or deeper administrative decisions. Players select teams, adjust training schedules, and either play or simulate matches. Simulation lacks visual highlights, leaving only scorecards and text reports to interpret. National team availability also fails to factor in, making top players selectable throughout domestic seasons when they should be occupied with international duties.

Technical issues weigh down the management mode as well. Menus fail to load, training screens hang, and in some cases, attempts to finalize lineups cause the game to crash. These problems diminish long-term engagement and weaken the sense of systemic control that management modes typically rely on.

“The shine is regularly taken off it as though it’s been polished with a piece of 60-grit sandpaper pinched from David Warner’s kit bag.” — Tristan Ogilvie

Other areas retain much of what Cricket 24 introduced. Player career mode remains largely unchanged. Pro Team returns with its microtransaction structure and an unreleased Centurian mode marked only as “Coming Soon.” Customization tools for players, gear, and stadiums stay expensive. Licensing sees mixed results: nine of ten IPL teams appear officially, but importing Indian and South African squads still depends on community creators, and New Zealand’s Super Smash competition has been removed.

On-field inconsistencies become more visible during close matches. Appeals go unanswered without review options. Edges to the keeper sometimes return not-out rulings with no explanation. Boundary catches may stand even when replays show the fielder stepping on the rope. Rain interruptions and Duckworth-Lewis adjustments work in theory, yet unusual outcomes occur. A T20 match ended three overs into the first innings with a rain-forced result despite only one team having batted.

Crashes persist across modes. Scoreboards glitch, UI elements appear incomplete, and AI decision-making falters. Bowlers open Tests with repeated short deliveries or assign batting specialists to open the bowling. Commentary struggles in similar ways. The presence of David Gower and Adam Gilchrist brings credibility, but lines trigger out of context, creating the impression that commentators are reacting to unrelated sequences.

Despite these flaws, the underlying play on the field shows evident progress. Responsive batting and sharper fielding reduce the frustration common in earlier titles. When the systems align, the game produces tense overs, believable pacing, and varied match situations. This foundation gives the studio room to refine the experience through updates, continuing a pattern established across previous releases.

Post-launch support has already begun. Multiple patches arrived in the first week, targeting stability and visual issues. However, long-term confidence remains tentative. Years of updates for Cricket 24 left some problems unresolved. Comparisons between the two games show lingering issues in player models and match stability. These signs raise questions about how much improvement Cricket 26 will receive and whether core flaws can be addressed within a reasonable window.

The present version of the game leaves a mixed impression. It offers a more reliable representation of cricket than its predecessor, with genuine improvements in timing, movement, and presentation. At the same time, it absorbs these gains into a structure weighed down by bugs, simplified new modes, and incomplete implementation. The result is playable and often engaging, but uneven.

“The irony that the design of Cricket 26’s dedicated management mode appears to have been somewhat mismanaged certainly isn’t lost on me.” — Tristan Ogilvie

Cricket 26’s path forward depends on how quickly and thoroughly Big Ant Studios can resolve the underlying technical problems. The strong batting model and improved fielding give them a solid base, but the stability issues and shallow new modes prevent the game from reaching its potential. It stands as a title capable of sharp moments and sustained tension, but still searching for consistency.

For players keeping an eye on updates, the next patches will signal whether Cricket 26 can become the reliable cricket simulation it aims to be. The groundwork is present, and the sport’s rhythm comes through when the systems hold together. Until the fixes arrive, the experience remains unpredictable, alternating between impressive sequences and stalled progress.

Cricket 26 is available to play on PC (Steam) here.