Cricket All Stars first impression: High potential mobile cricket experience that can take the throne

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The IPL cricket season is in full swing, and even though I was bummed to see the Mumbai Indians lose to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in such a close game, I ended up mindlessly scrolling through X (formerly Twitter) to take my mind off it.

I was surprised to see images from a cricket game made by KRAFTON appear unexpectedly. It turns out the game, called Cricket All Stars, had been quietly released on Android devices in India as a soft launch – meaning it was released to a limited audience for testing.

Cricket All Stars quickly established itself as a fast-paced, streamlined, and visually updated arcade cricket game. It already includes officially licensed teams from the IPL, such as the Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders, featuring their authentic jerseys and player appearances.

I’d already written about the game’s soft launch – it’s running until May 20, 2026 – so I was really eager to try it out for myself. And honestly, after playing for a while, I’m blown away. This game has serious potential – I think it could be huge!

The visuals feel next-generation for a mobile cricket game

Cricket All Stars immediately impresses with its polished presentation. From the start, you see the KRAFTON logo and official branding for IPL teams LSG and KKR, creating a high-quality gaming experience.

Okay, so when the game first loaded up, I was immediately hit with a ton of vibrant colors, and honestly, it fit perfectly with the menu style. You can really tell the developers put a lot of work into how everything looks. And a big plus – all the players on the licensed teams have their actual names, which is awesome!

What really stood out was how realistic the player faces and bodies looked – it’s the best I’ve seen in a mobile cricket game. While the unlicensed players aren’t great, I’m confident the licensed ones will be impressive. The game’s shadows are particularly well done and deserve recognition.

The game also looked fantastic. I was constantly impressed by the lighting – it was incredibly realistic, with vibrant colors and natural-looking sunlight. The way the stadiums were presented felt just like watching a professional broadcast, which was clearly what the developers intended.

You can make replays and animations happen faster by simply tapping the screen. For instance, after a batter hits the ball, a quick tap will speed up the replay by two times its normal speed. If you don’t want to bowl, you can also let the game’s AI take over and simulate the action for you, allowing you to just watch. I haven’t seen this feature in a cricket game before, and it’s a really neat addition.

Gameplay already feels smooth, but a few things clearly need work

Cricket All Stars is built on a solid foundation. The game is easy to pick up and play, with simple, responsive controls that anyone can understand. Bowling is particularly well-done, as the game clearly shows where the ball will go and provides helpful feedback as you bowl.

The game looks great, with polished animations and impressive pre-game stadium views, showing a real commitment to presentation. However, there’s still room for improvement in other areas.

My main concern right now is the camera angle when batting. The bowling cameras look great, but the batting camera feels too distant, making it awkward. Also, the game lacks a good camera that follows the ball after you hit it, which really diminishes the impact of big hits and boundaries – they just don’t feel as exciting as they should.

The visual effects showing a fiery trail behind the ball seem out of place. They give the game an arcade-like feel, which doesn’t match the rest of the experience. While I understand the intention, it would be great if players could turn these effects off.

The way shots work felt off too. Sometimes, even well-aimed throws wouldn’t clear the pins, and the game didn’t always account for how fast the bowler was. While the basic gameplay is enjoyable, making the shots feel more realistic would significantly enhance the overall experience.

The game offers extensive customization options to personalize your match experience. In the Facilities section, you can unlock and equip a variety of items like bat skins, wicket designs, stadium themes, and special effects – including lasers, fireworks, and even emojis. While many of these options are currently locked in this early version of the game, it gives a good idea of how much personalization will be available in the future.

The UI looks modern, but the AI-generated assets stand out negatively

I really like the fresh look of the user interface. As you can see in the attached image, the menus are colorful and modern, but still feel clean and uncluttered. Everything – like the Champion Pass, Draft Room, unlockables, and customization options – is polished, easy to find, and simple to use.

AI is used quite a bit throughout, and it’s noticeable in the transitions and loading screens. The initial clips, in particular, were poorly made and I didn’t even bother watching them.

These assets feel out of place compared to the game’s otherwise great visuals and detract from its overall style. KRAFTON, please remove the entire AI video collection and the AI-generated character that appears as a manager – the game would be much better without them.

Final Thoughts

Cricket All Stars shows a lot of promise and could become a top-tier mobile cricket game. Although it’s still in early development, the graphics are already better than most similar games. However, it definitely needs further improvements.

The game’s camera angles and visual effects could be refined, and the balance between realism and gameplay needs some adjustment. Expanding the available licenses would also be a great improvement. However, the core of the game is very strong, and as a fan of cricket games on mobile, it’s exciting to see a title with this much potential.

For a long time, Real Cricket and World Cricket Championship have been the main cricket games available on mobile. The genre hasn’t seen much visual improvement or new ideas lately. I’m excited to see if KRAFTON can bring fresh innovation and expand the possibilities for mobile cricket games.

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2026-05-13 17:42