Jonah Lomu rugby 2 announced

by thescrummagingwinger Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:52 pm

rugbychallengegame.com/

Looks to be an improvement on the previous with a lot of the issues sorted but some small niggles will inevitably remain.

Hopefully this one will better represent the NH teams. Lions edition promises to be a treat.

Anyone else excited?

by GLove39 Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:56 pm

Hmmm, it'll have to be a lot, lot better than their previous attempt. Yes the graphics looked semi decent but the gameplay was woeful. Wish EA Sports would pull their finger out and make a new version of Rugby 08 (now there was a game!).

by gboycottnut Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:03 pm

GLove39 wrote:Hmmm, it'll have to be a lot, lot better than their previous attempt. Yes the graphics looked semi decent but the gameplay was woeful. Wish EA Sports would pull their finger out and make a new version of Rugby 08 (now there was a game!).

Well for its time around 1997-1999, Jonah Lomu rugby was a good rugby game that was released out on the market. It was far better than all the other attempts at rugby games up to that point such as Audiogenic's World Class Rugby, Domark's International Rugby Challenge and Ea Sports Rugby 95.

by GoodinTightSpaces Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:16 pm

had such high hopes for the first one but was really let down by it.

it really highlighted how they view the NH standard down under. the majority of players in the NH were useless

by GLove39 Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:56 pm

gboycottnut wrote:
GLove39 wrote:Hmmm, it'll have to be a lot, lot better than their previous attempt. Yes the graphics looked semi decent but the gameplay was woeful. Wish EA Sports would pull their finger out and make a new version of Rugby 08 (now there was a game!).

Well for its time around 1997-1999, Jonah Lomu rugby was a good rugby game that was released out on the market. It was far better than all the other attempts at rugby games up to that point such as Audiogenic's World Class Rugby, Domark's International Rugby Challenge and Ea Sports Rugby 95.

I meant the Lomu rugby Challange produced by Sidhe, came out 2 years ago.

by youngguns6 Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:47 pm

Really?

They need to work on every aspect of the game. It needs far more depth and the game play needs to improve massively. Carer mode was a joke.

by dogtooth Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:15 am

i read it here first.

this is great. i still enjoy a bit of rugby challenge. it will be cool to have updated pro12 teams, and hopefully offical national teams too.

ive just told mrs tooth what to get me for my birthday.

by t1000advancedprototype Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:27 am

Does anyone have RWC 2011 on PS3?

Inbox me your user name I will give you a game

by beshocked Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:40 am

GoodinTightSpaces wrote:had such high hopes for the first one but was really let down by it.

it really highlighted how they view the NH standard down under. the majority of players in the NH were useless

I agree. Most of the stats in the NH were shocking.

Manu Tuilagi and Owen Farrell for example.

Sidhe should get some help in that area. I am sure they would get willing souls here.

It just tells you that the game was too focused on New Zealand with no thought on the potentially lucrative markets of Europe and even South Africa.

I could understand not getting the South Africa teams right because of the lack of licenses but with Pro12,Top 14 and AP licenses these leagues should have proper stats and likenesses.

by Bathman_in_London Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:36 am

I didn't even realise there was a new one, I thought this was talking about the 90s game!

Now there was a real rugby game, I always wondered how much the codemasters team was based on real people, and if so, who is the giant fullback with the killer handoff and who is the rapid midget?!

by Pete C (Kiwireddevil) Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:38 am

Bathman_in_London wrote:I didn't even realise there was a new one, I thought this was talking about the 90s game!

Now there was a real rugby game, I always wondered how much the codemasters team was based on real people, and if so, who is the giant fullback with the killer handoff and who is the rapid midget?!

I assumed the codemasters team was based on the programmers - with caricatured stats etc.

Edit: Courtesy of Wikipedia

UnlockablesPlaying through and completing all the various territories cups unlocks the "Special Cup", a tournament between the World XV, the Barbarians and the British Lions.

Upon completing and winning the special cup, the "Extra Cup" is unlocked. This extra tournament contains 3 teams these are...
Team Lomu: where every player is Jonah Lomu, the best in the game who can break almost every tackle
Rage All-Stars: containing Mather, the smallest and by far the fastest player in the game, McCabe, the player who can kick far further than anyone else in the game, and T Williams, an extremely large fullback who is about the only player who can stop Lomu 1-on-1 during a correctly timed hand-off
Codemasters: an average quality team in terms of skill compared to the other two teams in this tournament

by Bathman_in_London Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:13 am

Pete C (Kiwireddevil) wrote:
Bathman_in_London wrote:I didn't even realise there was a new one, I thought this was talking about the 90s game!

Now there was a real rugby game, I always wondered how much the codemasters team was based on real people, and if so, who is the giant fullback with the killer handoff and who is the rapid midget?!

I assumed the codemasters team was based on the programmers - with caricatured stats etc.

Edit: Courtesy of Wikipedia
UnlockablesPlaying through and completing all the various territories cups unlocks the "Special Cup", a tournament between the World XV, the Barbarians and the British Lions.

Upon completing and winning the special cup, the "Extra Cup" is unlocked. This extra tournament contains 3 teams these are...
Team Lomu: where every player is Jonah Lomu, the best in the game who can break almost every tackle
Rage All-Stars: containing Mather, the smallest and by far the fastest player in the game, McCabe, the player who can kick far further than anyone else in the game, and T Williams, an extremely large fullback who is about the only player who can stop Lomu 1-on-1 during a correctly timed hand-off
Codemasters: an average quality team in terms of skill compared to the other two teams in this tournament

Ah Rage All Stars, that was it.

I remember spending ages trying to finish the last challenge game, Japan vs NZ. From memory Japan's winger who could hand off was opposite Wilson and if you timed it right you could score past him.

by ScarletSpiderman Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:01 pm

Rugby Challenge 05 (or 06) on the ps2 was decenbt enough, but Lomu Rugby Challenge last year was not really much of an improvement.

Personally I really hope they have got the licencing for the NH international teams sorted out for this, as it was a real pain in the rump having to try and find patches/downloads and adjusting the ps3 save files etc, to make the squad full of real players as opposed to Shoemarks and Griffins etc.

by gleesonisgod Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:06 pm

Screw licensing

1.Gameplay
2.Career Mode
3.Features
4.Licensing

by ScarletSpiderman Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:44 pm

gleesonisgod wrote:Screw licensing

1.Gameplay
2.Career Mode
3.Features
4.Licensing

To be fair the gameplay was pretty good imo, the ai had flaws, but most sports game ai tends to seem flawed after playing it enough.

The career mode was dire, just going through the same games over and over, with no real need to change your side.

Features were ok, ability to train, mod players/leagues/teams etc.

The licence issues did cause me problems though. Not being able to transfer oht of the Rabo or top14 made it impossible to make a Lions team or a six nations dream team etc. and imo that cacked on the fact there was a club/country/custom team editor. However that should be the easiest fix, unless hb studios release a rival game again.

by wales606 Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:34 pm

Still no licensing for the NH teams :/

Still, this bit should make it an improvement

• Refined and expanded gameplay with the addition of quick taps, quick lineouts, mauls from lineouts, interceptions, contesting ball at the breakdown, removing players from the ruck, number 8 scrum pickups, and dynamic in game team strategies on both attack and defence

by gboycottnut Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:58 pm

Would like the option of playing under the old amateur rules in which lifting in the lineouts were illegal, as were the usage of substitutes and certain types of tackling made fashionable from the influence of Rugby League.

by Geordie Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:25 pm

I'd like to see a cracking management game come out. I appreciate unlike football there might not be a massive market for it, but you'd think somone would give it a shot.

by dogtooth Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:47 pm

rugby challenge 2006 was a great game but it lacked a squad. 22 players only. lomu rugby challenge introduced full squads and injury lay-offs. it wasnt perfect but it was a step forward.

im pretty sure the second game will improve on this, and im also sure itll include licensed nh teams.

by Guest Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:07 pm

t1000advancedprototype wrote:Does anyone have RWC 2011 on PS3?

Inbox me your user name I will give you a game

damn i have it on xbox!

by Fluxy Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:39 pm

CF I have it on xbox! if you fancy a game somewhen!

Geordie - I posted a topic on here a while back about a management game that was developed by a lad in the southern hemisphere. Its not too bad, obviously some of the player ratings are a little out, but for a non-profit thing was pretty good! And there is an up to date version you can download.

http://www.rugbyunionmanager.co.uk/Games.php

by Guest Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:27 pm

yup Flux im up for it!!

by Feckless Rogue Sat Mar 30, 2013 12:25 pm

Good news. Hopefully it'll become a regular bi-annual thing. Over time it'll get better. Very few sports games are actually any good in their first incarnation. But the ones that are released once a year tend to get better with each release until they're really good.

Why don't the IRB themsleves publish a rugby game every year. I think that's what the WWE wrestling does. If the game is good it'll get played by more than just rugby fans. Loads of people play the NFL games despite not being particularly interested in American Football. Because the games are good. And it introduces non-fans to the sport and its rules and teams.

I actually learned the rules of rugby by playing EA's rugby games in the mid 00's. I'd never actually played rugby myself.

by tomhughesnice Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:54 pm

t1000advancedprototype wrote:Does anyone have RWC 2011 on PS3?

Inbox me your user name I will give you a game

Keen, my psnId is tomhughesnice. But I will pull your pants down.

by tomhughesnice Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:14 pm

I hope this is a major improvement over the previous Rugby Challenge game. The gameplay was terrible and very slow, I still play RWC 2011 that has many flaws but the gameplay is faster and more exciting.

by ScarletSpiderman Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:05 pm

13th July release date, according to amazon, they have the screen shots on there, and IMO it doesn't really look too much different.

by ScarletSpiderman Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:17 pm

http://rugbychallengegame.com/ wrote:
SYDNEY, Australia – May 14, 2013 – Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty Ltd (HES) announced today that All Blacks Rugby Challenge 2 for PlayStation®3 and Microsoft Xbox 360® will be released worldwide on 13 June 2013. Developed by New Zealand based games developer Sidhe, the sequel includes the highly anticipated British and Irish Lions 2013 Tour of Australia as well as myriad new features, improvements and fresh content.
The game will be released as All Blacks Rugby Challenge 2 in New Zealand, Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge 2 in France and South Africa, and Rugby Challenge 2: The Lions Tour Edition in rest of world.
The features and content of Rugby Challenge 2: The Lions Tour Edition include:
• Play in Single Match Mode, multi-team Competition Mode, a vastly expanded multi-year Career Mode, Tutorial Mode, or compete in online multiplayer with support up to 4v4 via PlayStation®Network, Xbox LIVE®, or Steam
• Refined and expanded gameplay with the addition of quick taps, quick lineouts, mauls from lineouts, interceptions, contesting ball at the breakdown, removing players from the ruck, number 8 scrum pickups, and dynamic in game team strategies on both attack and defence
• 110+ teams and 50+ stadia from around the world featured including official team, competition, and special match licenses for the All Blacks, the Qantas Wallabies, the USA Eagles, Bledisloe Cup, British and Irish Lions 2013 Tour of Australia, Barbarians FC, Combined Country, Super Rugby teams, Aviva Premiership Rugby, TOP 14 Orange, Pro D2, RaboDirect PRO12, ITM Cup, and Ranfurly Shield
• More options to create or customise players, teams, and competitions, and change game rules and behaviour to shape the game to play how you want and keep the game fresh year after year
• Revamped sound and commentary systems, with real-time commentary from seasoned rugby commentators Grant Nisbett and former All Black turned commentator Justin Marshall, and French language commentary from Eric Bayle and Thomas Lombard
More information and ongoing updates about the game can be found at the official website www.rugbychallengegame.com

by Looseheaded Wed Jun 12, 2013 6:56 pm

I have less than £30 a week to live off at the moment
Ah screw it I can live without food for a week to buy this game

by Pete C (Kiwireddevil) Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:08 pm

ScarletSpiderman wrote:13th July release date, according to amazon, they have the screen shots on there, and IMO it doesn't really look too much different.

I read a review in the NZ media a couple of weeks back, apparently there's a few more teams licensed (but nowhere near exhaustive), and they've made offloading harder

by **Notch** Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:06 pm

Yes! In the last game you could literally run into a tackle with the nearest support player 20 yards away, take contact and then hit offload and the ball would fly into the nearest players arms! Very Happy

by doctor_grey Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:22 pm

Notch wrote:Yes! In the last game you could literally run into a tackle with the nearest support player 20 yards away, take contact and then hit offload and the ball would fly into the nearest players arms!

But, when I am on the pitch playing Rugby, this is exactly what happens. All my passes right out of contact always goes right to the hands of any player within 20 yeards? Why shoould the game not duplicate my intricate skill?

by Pete C (Kiwireddevil) Fri Jun 14, 2013 11:22 am

doctor_grey wrote:
Notch wrote:Yes! In the last game you could literally run into a tackle with the nearest support player 20 yards away, take contact and then hit offload and the ball would fly into the nearest players arms!
But, when I am on the pitch playing Rugby, this is exactly what happens. All my passes right out of contact always goes right to the hands of any player within 20 yeards? Why shoould the game not duplicate my intricate skill?

Sonny Bill Williams has gone back to league Doc, the makers obviously didn't realise you'd taught him the trick Wink

by red_stag Fri Jun 14, 2013 11:37 am

There is a massive challenge for the makers of any rugby games.

Some areas of the game - scrum, lineout and the breakdown are near impossible to get correct.

Its a mix of guaranteeing the team in possession to retain the ball or else button bashing.

What there should definitely and realistically could be is the chance to create your own backline moves. A previous FIFA soccer game allowed you to make different players run at different times and in different directions. This is something that could lead to great holes in the defence and set piece attacks. I'm pretty sure that the Madden NFL games allow this too.

The lineout would also be a good chance to create set pieces. Have your jumpers and lifters move to create a gap or force the opposition in to an early lift. Then allow for fast passing.

The AI can and should also be improved. It should not be hard to make front rows act differently to centres in their frequency joining rucks as well as their positioning in attack and defence. Give certain forwards a tendency to remain in the tight or on the wing. Have a talented winger who is programmed to run infield lines.

This is crucial to every game not being the same. Unlike soccer or american football you can not just change your formation. You need to ensure different teams offer different challenges.

So in short what I'm looking for in a rugby game is a strong emphasis on customised set pieces, different teams all programmed differently to achieve a unique challenge or opportunity for each opposition and a fast pace once we get into the running, tackling and passing.

by ScarletSpiderman Fri Jun 14, 2013 11:54 am

Stag - I think there was a way of adjusting the AI of each team on the last version, I think (not sure) there was an option to adjust the amount of times they kick away, run, pass, offload etc. But to really nail each team down to how they play it would take too long and end up killing the game for the majority of players (a bit like when you try to customise all the players teams to make how your rate players).

by XR Fri Jun 14, 2013 11:57 am

Yeah you could change the offload/break tackle rate in the first game. When is this released?

by red_stag Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:02 pm

I don't think it needs to be accurate as to how that team really plays nor do I think it should be something you can go into and adjust.

Just saying that when we have a lineout I'd like the ability to have my lifters move around to create a gap or force an early lift. When we have a lineout or scrum I'd like that I have created a set piece where my players are running in certain ways. its then upto me to make the right decision on how to run, kick or pass.

But when I am in control of a team and we have gone through a few phases and things have become static I'd like the game programmed so that the #8, #2 and #5 have been programmed to favour forming a pod in the midfield. Or the winger has been programmed to run infield on occasion as a passing option. Or the flyhalf is programmed to favour standing deeper or standing flatter.

Basically I want the players on different teams to provide me with a unique challenge every time and its up to me to get a feel for how the team is best played.

To me this is extremely basic planning for a team sports video game.

by Looseheaded Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:11 pm

does this game not have a demo available on PS3 because i rarely want to purchase rugby games without testing because they can be gotten so terribly wrong

by Driver Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:20 pm

gcBlues wrote:Yeah you could change the offload/break tackle rate in the first game. When is this released?

Yesterday - It's not that great tbh. Very similer to the other with a few tweaks i.e catch and drive at the line now. Can play as Lions but can't pick your own 39 players which is sad

by ScarletSpiderman Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:30 pm

Do the squads look about right? Or are the 6Ns teams full of make believe players again?

Just played the old one and noticed how outdated the team lineups are etc.

by Driver Fri Jun 14, 2013 9:02 pm

all make believe besides aus + nz and lions and clubs bar sa

by ScarletSpiderman Fri Jun 14, 2013 9:14 pm

Driver wrote:all make believe besides aus + nz and lions and clubs bar sa

Shame really, guess it will be a few nights of modding things then. Hopefully there will be another project novo type pre-modded download available after a month or so.

by ScarletSpiderman Sun Jun 16, 2013 3:17 pm

Stag - It seems like they dealt with some of the issues, you can adjust the line depth and supposedly call in player in from the left and adjust the pods, but it is a bit awkward remmbering to do it in the matches.

by **Notch** Tue Jun 25, 2013 11:29 pm

So- whats the verdict?

Worth the money or maybe just a rental job- or leave it altogether?

by ScarletSpiderman Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:43 am

Personally I like it, and think it is a decent enough improvement over Lomu Challenge to make buying it justifiable. That said, I would recommend renting it first just to make sure. Also put the commentary to the french option, or turn it off all together, otherwise Mr Marshall will end up on your 24hrs to live list!!

by **RDW** Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:49 am

Excellent - won a copy with the Rabbo Pro 12 competition! Had to name the MOTM from the Rabbo final - got an email saying I was one of the two winners! Yahoo

by ScarletSpiderman Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:10 am

RDW_Scotland wrote:Excellent - won a copy with the Rabbo Pro 12 competition! Had to name the MOTM from the Rabbo final - got an email saying I was one of the two winners!

by **RDW** Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:25 am

Anyone got any tips for retaining possession in rucks? I'm getting turned over all the time, and that's only on normal difficulty!

Also pet annoyance - when you do a chip kick the player stops running momentarily so you lose all momentum!

by ScarletSpiderman Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:47 am

In rucks try hitting light bind over and over, if it fails try hitting light bind over and over. That tends to work most the time. The other option is to keep pushing the 'compete for the ball' button until the ref shouts hands out, and a warning message appears on the screen.

by **RDW** Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:00 am

For some reason I either win the ball all game, or barely see the ball all game!

by ScarletSpiderman Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:33 am

RDW_Scotland wrote:For some reason I either win the ball all game, or barely see the ball all game!

Ah that will because you chose to either be Edinburgh or Scotland Whistle

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