WorldCup Cricket Fever review

As a sports fan, a genuinely passionate one at that, two sports have always caught my eye for their unusual play styles: cricket and rugby. Cricket seemingly takes after baseball, but offers several major tweaks in terms of the field, equipment (or lack thereof), and "base" running. Nevertheless, WorldCup Cricket Fever has unleashed onto the iOS marketplace and attempts to offer a realistic cricket experience. Does UTV Indiagames rock a solid hit with Fever or an embarrassing swing and miss? 

Like previous titles from UTV, Fever aims to offer short, action-packed matches through realistic gameplay. Fever's problem, though, begins with its intent. The game features little explanation on how to control both bowling and hitting; if you want to learn the game of cricket through an extensive rule book, look elsewhere because Fever fails to layout the ground rules for this somewhat confusing sport. Once you catch on to the hitting and bowling aspects, matches become a little more exciting, but the lack of fielding controls makes you feel like you're barley affecting the outcome of each bowl or swing. 

Surprisingly, the game offers a variety of detailed venues where over a dozen teams from around the world can duke it out (sorry, no North American squad). These squads feature generic player names with bodies that look a little less blocky than a Minecraft character. UTV's decision to use the same engine from past games reveals itself through these horrid player models that move like freshly-greased robots. In addition, Fever features no commentating (at all) — simply put, these matches become boring quickly. 

As stated earlier, these matches are designed to be played in quick spurts. Because of this, Fever offers a thin amount of game modes; the three-over matches truly are the main component of the title. A career mode or simple franchise mode would have helped offer players a more in-depth dive with Fever's intentions, but sadly, you're left with little on your plate. 

Overall, WorldCup Cricket Fever offers the bare minimum for cricket fans. Bowling and hitting controls are firm and vastly improved, but outside of that, you'll find little that hasn't been done before. One of the best things about sporting titles are that they offer newcomers a chance to learn the sport through practice and rules, but Fever throws you into the wolves without any true knowledge of what is going on. If you're a cricket fan and are looking for a game to hold you over while you're waiting for the train, then definitely take a look at what Fever has to offer, but for hardcore fans and "noobs," pick up a rule book and order the cricket TV channel.

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