Rugby Challenge 2 Announced

errlloyd · 19-03-2013 08:39PM #1

For fans of rugby video games, we have a new simulator. Seem to be focussing on the career mode, which I think any players of the old game will agree is key.

http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/playstation-3/news/1025041.20130320.All-Blacks-Rugby-Challenge-2-announced/

Sidhe is developing a sequel to All Blacks Rugby Challenge, Home Entertainment Suppliers has announced.

All Blacks Rugby Challenge 2 will feature a vastly expanded career mode, four-on-four multiplayer, and more than 110 teams and 50 stadiums.

It will also feature 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.

In addition, Sidhe has acquired special match licenses for the All Blacks, the Qantas Wallabies, the USA Eagles, the Bledisloe Cup, the British and Irish Lions 2013 Tour of Australia, Barbarians FC, Combined Country, Super Rugby teams, Aviva Premiership Rugby, TOP 14 Orange, Pro D2, the RaboDirect PRO12, the ITM Cup, and the Ranfurly Shield.

There will be more options when it comes to creating and customising players, teams, and competitions, as well as game rules and AI behaviour.

The sound and commentary systems have been revamped, 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.

“We have been very excited to build on the huge success of the original Rugby Challenge,” said HES managing director Sebastian Giompaolo.

“Brand new features, expanded and refined gameplay, more options, and additional licenses such as the British and Irish Lions bring this game franchise to a whole new level. This is the definitive rugby union videogame experience”.

“It has been a wonderful opportunity to build on the foundation we established with the original game to create a deeper, more engaging, and higher quality experience,” said Sidhe technical director Tyrone McAuley.

“Tighter controls, smoother animation, and smarter AI improve the title moment to moment, while additions such as significant new Northern Hemisphere content create a more global and well-rounded game.”

All Blacks Rugby Challenge 2 will release worldwide for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in the middle of this year.

Pudsy33 · 19-03-2013 08:40PM

Enjoyed the last game, although it was flawed. If they game make the gameplay more "structured" it'll be perfect.

errlloyd · 19-03-2013 08:45PM

Playstation 3

If career mode is anything like the old one we might be able to sign BOD three times, once in his "Leinster" form, again in his "Ireland" form and finally in his "Lions" form.

Wexfordboy89 · 19-03-2013 09:01PM

liked the last game still have it thought i wouldnt see another rugby game on sale again think the last game with club sides that i had was on the original xbox.any word on if any of the players have been licensed???

Teferi · 19-03-2013 09:01PM

Yeah it was a decent if flawed game first time around but it is a perfect base from which to build. Excited for this, hopefully people continue to buy it so it can become a regular thing.

Delighted to see they have expanded the licenses too.

Swan Curry · 19-03-2013 09:10PM

PC

Hopefully they can sort out set plays and offloads,having one massive backline with Sexton throwing a skip pass out to Mike Ross was infuriating at times,and as much of a ligind as John Hayes is,I don't think he could actually throw an offload behind him halfway across the pitch to a waiting winger.

errlloyd · 19-03-2013 09:22PM

Playstation 3

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

liked the last game still have it thought i wouldnt see another rugby game on sale again think the last game with club sides that i had was on the original xbox.any word on if any of the players have been licensed???

I think you can count on licenses for pretty much everything except 6n teams and South African and Argentina.

Now that doesn't mean you don't have BOD and Sexton ect. You do have all the Leinster lads when you play as Leinster, you just don't have them when you play as Ireland.

Stev_o · 19-03-2013 09:55PM

"
It will also feature 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."

Good. Though interceptions are going to drive people crazy if it's anything like Rugby League Live 2.

tolosenc · 19-03-2013 09:59PM

The general gameplay needs to improve. It was basically a league game with a few union peculiarities tacked on.

Stev_o · 19-03-2013 10:03PM

tolosenc wrote: »

The general gameplay needs to improve. It was basically a league game with a few union peculiarities tacked on.

Because it was all refactored code from their league games =p Still a very pretty game to look at though.

molloyjh · 19-03-2013 11:38PM

PC

Excellent. I really enjoyed the first one, despite the few issues. If they can build on it there's loads of potential for the series as a whole.

[Jackass] · 20-03-2013 12:19AM

Playstation 3

I was amazing at throwing a dummy slide thing....yeah, people didn't like that!

Really really enjoyed the last game though, can't wait for the new one!

wp_rathead · 20-03-2013 12:30AM

IMO:
Rugby: great sport but makes boring video games
American football: boring sport but makes great video games

The rugby games often just comes across as arcadey...
..mind you I will more than likely end up buying it at some stage ha

.ak · 20-03-2013 01:29PM

PC

The first game was the closest thing to making an enjoyable rugby game. But it was still fairly off the mark. Hopefully they improve it and iron it out. Then maybe Quade will like it.

clsmooth · 20-03-2013 01:36PM

Great presentation, but bottom line was the gameplay was sh1te. The RWC2011 game is much more enjoyable despite its numerous flaws.

.ak · 20-03-2013 01:49PM

PC

clsmooth wrote: »

Great presentation, but bottom line was the gameplay was sh1te. The RWC2011 game is much more enjoyable despite its numerous flaws.

Jaysus really? Thought the RWC2011 game was absolute muck.

ktulu123 · 20-03-2013 01:57PM

Loved the first one, even with all its flaws. The commentary was hilarious at times & it was missing some basic plays. But I had great fun with it. Can't wait for this

molloyjh · 20-03-2013 02:07PM

PC

clsmooth wrote: »

Great presentation, but bottom line was the gameplay was sh1te. The RWC2011 game is much more enjoyable despite its numerous flaws.

It was only ever intended to be a first stab at a rugby sim. And as long as you whacked the defence sliders up and the attack sliders down (along with the offload sliders) there was the bones of a good game there. I've certainly had plenty of fun with it. A few lads playing multiplayer after a few pints is always a lot of fun too.

crisco10 · 20-03-2013 02:39PM

The first edition was too glitchy to be taken seriously. Remember playing a big game it, desperate for a try, earned a 5m attacking scrum or lineout, but then randomly before anything else happened it was a penalty to the opposition on the halfway? I was raging at the time.

It was also far to close to rugby league, there was no such thing as beating a team up with tight drives really.

Be interested to see how much they learn. Part of the problem so far with rugby games has been different developers with each game, hopefully the same team develop this and iron out kinks first and foremost and don't get too bogged down in "new exciting features"..

Say Your Number · 20-03-2013 03:07PM

I liked the first one, but the lack of penalties made the scoring more like american football than rugby. If they keep making rugby games they will eventually make a great one.

molloyjh · 20-03-2013 03:14PM

PC

crisco10 wrote: »

The first edition was too glitchy to be taken seriously. Remember playing a big game it, desperate for a try, earned a 5m attacking scrum or lineout, but then randomly before anything else happened it was a penalty to the opposition on the halfway? I was raging at the time.

It was also far to close to rugby league, there was no such thing as beating a team up with tight drives really.

Be interested to see how much they learn. Part of the problem so far with rugby games has been different developers with each game, hopefully the same team develop this and iron out kinks first and foremost and don't get too bogged down in "new exciting features"..

I was looking at the developer forum when it came out originally and they admitted that it wasn't going to be perfect. They considered it a first draft and hoped people would like it enough to allow them to make a second. They actively used the forums then to get feedback from people as to what they needed to do to make it better. The big thing for me is set plays. It's the one area of game play where the RWC game was superior.

Swan Curry · 20-03-2013 03:22PM

PC

As far as official games go,RWC 2011 was embarrassingly bad.It was a slightly better looking Rugby 08 with a new rucking system.Wasn't Stephen Ferris black in the first release pictures of the game?

[Jackass] · 20-03-2013 03:36PM

Playstation 3

There is one MAJOR issue that I think needs to be resolved. I got pretty good at the game and it got to the stage where after the second, or even first try in online games, players would just quit. The the extent that I would get to finish about 1 in 5 games, if even.

I used to let players get a 2 or 3 try head start and then play catch up to make it more fun and try and get players to play.

They should make it so that if you quit mid game, you are blocked for 15 minutes from playing. So if you're quiting all the time after a try or two, you'll spend more time waiting to play than actually playing. You would be better off finishing a game you're losing than quitting and waiting...

I used to play it purely online, didn't like playing against the computer, it was too structured / one dimensional, there's no surprises or real game play to it I thought.

[Jackass] · 20-03-2013 03:43PM

Playstation 3

Also, I'm totally down with starting a Boards online tournament if you guys are?

Even doubles games / provincial championship!

clsmooth · 20-03-2013 05:06PM

.ak wrote: »

Jaysus really? Thought the RWC2011 game was absolute muck.

Swan Curry wrote: »

As far as official games go,RWC 2011 was embarrassingly bad.It was a slightly better looking Rugby 08 with a new rucking system.Wasn't Stephen Ferris black in the first release pictures of the game?

Yep, still more fun to play for me though. More variety with regards driving it up with the forwards, kicking to the corners or back line moves. You can win by taking all your penalties and taking drop goals or just running in tries. Theres still a lot of flaws in it, and they striped the game down from Rugby 08 but the fun is there in multiplayer if you look past them. Rugby Challenge didn't feel as hands on. And it was a matter of offloading all over the pitch. Loved the training bit before a game started though.

[Jackass] wrote: »

I used to play it purely online, didn't like playing against the computer, it was too structured / one dimensional, there's no surprises or real game play to it I thought.

I found online was impossible to play online as the scrums didn't seem to have their markers on so it was impossible to push up at the right time. Also the teams were levelled online also so it didn't matter if you were NZ or Japan. Just found the game a lot more frustrating to play really.

Chabals Beard · 20-03-2013 05:26PM

Playstation 3

Improvements I would want.. Realistic rucking, running good lines, realistic handling, realistic running motions of players, better kicking out of hand mechanism , no SH biased, good player likeness, better forward play ( setting up pods,pick and gos etc) all the proper team kits, names and stadiums, varied tackling motions.. i would love a Be A Pro game mode, first player I would make would be a 120 kg centre :P

ktulu123 · 20-03-2013 05:34PM

[Jackass] wrote: »

Also, I'm totally down with starting a Boards online tournament if you guys are?

Even doubles games / provincial championship!

On what platform?

clsmooth · 20-03-2013 05:47PM

Chabals Beard wrote: »

Improvements I would want.. Realistic rucking, running good lines, realistic handling, realistic running motions of players, better kicking out of hand mechanism , no SH biased, good player likeness, better forward play ( setting up pods,pick and gos etc) all the proper team kits, names and stadiums, varied tackling motions.. i would love a Be A Pro game mode, first player I would make would be a 120 kg centre :P

Flanker would be good. Nail the out half every time. Late hits allowed but penalized. Maybe citing commissioner too. Can't imagine TH prop would be much fun. Especially if the scrums aren't going to plan

molloyjh · 20-03-2013 05:55PM

PC

clsmooth wrote: »

Rugby Challenge didn't feel as hands on. And it was a matter of offloading all over the pitch. Loved the training bit before a game started though.

That's where the sliders come in handy. You can reduce the offload frequency and accuracy so your opponent doesn't do it too often and neither do you because it doesn't work most of the time. I found the game a completely different experience once I messed around with the settings a bit.

That said there are massive gaps around things like pick & gos and set plays all right. If they can iron these out I think it could be worth the few quid.

clsmooth · 20-03-2013 05:57PM

molloyjh wrote: »

That's where the sliders come in handy. You can reduce the offload frequency and accuracy so your opponent doesn't do it too often and neither do you because it doesn't work most of the time. I found the game a completely different experience once I messed around with the settings a bit.

That said there are massive gaps around things like pick & gos and set plays all right. If they can iron these out I think it could be worth the few quid.

The sliders were only offline though right?

petebricquette · 20-03-2013 05:58PM

Wasn't there an issue with the first one about licensing? I mean that you couldn't move players between leagues. It'd be incredible if they had a Fifa-esque updater that sorted out squads every time you went to play. It'd be a bit easier with rugby as well, given that there are far fewer teams than with the footie.

Rugby Challenge 2 Announced

What platform will you be buying RC2 on 62 votes

Comments