L
locksley
Guest
Hello fellas,
Just thought I'd share my thoughts with you on Rugby League 3, along with some new video footage.
VIDEO FOOTAGE
RL3 Warrington v Widnes 1
Warringtons Hicks makes a break
Injury, Good defence and a chance blown
Leeds v Saints last minutes grand final - can saints hit back? (This is quite large - 65mb)
RUGBY LEAGUE 3 PREVIEW
By Locksley
Ahhhh, 2003. Rugby League 1 on the ps2. Fond Memories. Not the perfect game by any means, but one that had it's charms and was essentially fun to play. Yes, the graphics were shoddy, yes, there were many frustrating flaws but it was Rugby League and Sidhe put themselves on the map with it's new baby.
After all the hype Rugby League 2 arrived in 2005. Sidhe had included almost everything the fans wanted for the sequel. Franchise mode? Check. Almost limitless customisation? Check. Online play? Check. Unfortunately, (in my opinion anyway) they left out the gameplay! It was slow, cumbersome and awful to play. The graphics were fine, the sound was good but the player control was abysmal. It felt like trying to steer an 18 wheeler around a car park, rather than a nimble Rugby player. Defending was a waste of time, as you could put your control pad down and the AI would never make a break. There were so many fundamental errors with it, you started to wonder if Sidhe actually started from scratch rather than build on Rugby League 1's successes. And so, despite all it's wealth of options, Rugby League 2 left me feeling so disappointed. Granted, lots of people liked it, but if the truth be known, they were probably forcing themselves to like it "cos it was Rugby League 2"
And so 2010 Rolls around, and Rugby League 3 will be unleashed in March on the nintendo Wii and thanks to Roger at Alternative Software, I got the chance to get to grips with the game, to see if Sidhe could lay my Rugby League 2 demons to rest. And did they succeed? Simple answer... YES
After a lengthy introduction through all the game features by Roger, (and I must say there are many!) along with him telling us we'd need a while to get used to the controls, Dan and I sat down to play. I had the nunchuck and wiimote combo, while Dan had the Gamecube controller. We dove straight in and had a Saints v Leeds match. Things didn't look good. I couldn't get the hang of passing, I couldn't make any kind of kick on the last play, and Dan was faring no better with his control setup. So we decided to read the instruction manual - kindly provided by Roger - to get used to the controls. Dan hates gamecube controllers with a passion, so we swapped around. Dan had the nunchuck/wiimote and I had the GC Controller. Needless to say, after around half an hour things were starting to gel, the controls became second nature and Rugby League 3 was under my skin.
Once I grasped the controls, the game became an absolute joy to play. It was paced exactly right. Not too quick, and not too slow. Spot on. The player control is 1000% improvement on RL2. You actually feel like you're controlling a rugby player this time around. For instance, you want to run left, you push left and it does it! Easy! Exactly how it should be. Also, if you make a break and the full back is coming across to bring you down, take your finger off the sprint button and you have lots of opportunity to evade a tackle. It really is brilliant!
Sidhe have also got it spot on with the forward/backs relationship. If a quick player makes a break, there's no way on earth a prop forward will chase him down. Again, exactly as it should be. And the opposite is also in effect if you try to make a tackle bust with a slightly built half back or winger you have virtually no chance, but if you run an 18 stone prop at speed into smaller players, they're gonna know about it. I really cannot stress just how much Sidhe have improved the game engine. My first thought was "Oh, it's RL2 slightly spruced up," but it's far far more than that. The more you play the game, the more you want to play the game, and that, in my opinon is what games are all about.
PASSING
Passing, again is a massive improvement over previous RL ***les. Although it’s not as slick as Rugby 2006, it actually feels more real. In other words, if you just hit the pass button over and over, the ball is going to go to ground and generally be a mess. You have actually got to play the game as if it was real Rugby League and time your passes. Suss this out, and you’ll love it.
In Rugby League 2, it used to feel as if there was any “elastic band†between AI defenders. By this, I mean that if you were to go through a gap, you wouldn’t actually go through it, but sort of run on the spot slightly until a defender tackled you. This is most definitely not the case with RL3. If there’s a hole in the defensive line and you breach it, then you’re away. This means that you’ve got to concentrate when defending to make sure you close those gaps. Again, Exactly how it should be.
DEFENDING
In defence, the game plays like a tighter controlled Rugby League 2. Yes, the AI still helps out, but you really have to be on your game with your tackling, cos the AI will exploit any mistakes to it’s advantage. This was particularly evident when I played a St Helens V Wigan match on Legend difficulty... and was thrashed 44-0! As soon as a gap appeared in the defence, the AI was through it. If you close the gap, the offloads will start to happen, but nowhere near as much as RL2. All in all, defending is a great improvement on RL2, and I actually made most of the tackles myself in a match, rather than change player then watch the AI tackle as I run past!
KICKING
Now, this for me is what REALLY sets Rugby League 3 far and above previous rugby ***les. As you all know, there are many types of kick in Rugby League. Bombs, Grubbers, Punts downfield, Drop Goals and chip kicks all feature in real life matches, and it’s no different here. What Sidhe have done with the kicking system in RL3 is nothing short of genius. There are only so many buttons on a controller, so it’s impossible to assign a different button to each kick, so Sidhe took a chance with a system that initially is confusing, but once mastered, will never be bettered. Like previous RL ***les, each kick has a “Slo mo†mode so you get chance to line up a great kick. By pressing “A†on the GC controller, you move the arrow ready for a kick downfield, then, when you’re ready to kick you push the “R†button and let it fly! There are different combinations for each kick, and it is slightly awkward at first, but as I said, once you master it, you’ll wonder how you played without it in previous games. This brings me onto my favourite kick â€" The chip kick. This works absolutely beautifully, and can easily catch out a defence if the full back and wingers have dropped back too early! There’s no better feeling than chipping over the defence on the last tackle, only to re-gather the ball and dive over for a brilliant individual try. A real punch the air moment, especially if it’s done on 80 minutes to decide the match.
CONCLUSION
There is absolutely loads of stuff I’ve not covered here, and if I were to cover it all this would be a 48 page essay. Things such as the “On the fly†strategies, which are superbly implemented and work far better than I thought they would. Switch to a cover defence and see your full back move just behind the defence ready to help out if there’s a break on. Switch to aggressive defence and the tacklers really get into the faces of the ball carrier, great if you want the ball back, but risky to pull off due to penalties. When using the strategy whilst attacking, it really works when you attack with a full line (Full back joins the line), or set a deep attack for some strong running onto the ball. It’s brilliant!
If you love match stats, team stats, player stats... in fact, if you are a stat head then this game has THE most in depth stats I’ve ever saw. Club records, biggest wins, heaviest defeats, metres made, missed tackles, it goes on and on and on and it is a credit to Sidhe how much work is going on behind the scenes while the game is in play.
We never had the chance to get to grips with the Franchise mode, but Roger took us through it briefly. This looks as though is easily surpasses the admittedly great franchise mode in RL2, and the fact that you can now buy and sell players from each hemisphere really adds that extra dimension that Franchise mode in RL2 was lacking.
Whilst there are some negative points, such as last seasons kits/squads etc , and dodgy player likenesses, this really doesn’t detract from what is a fantastic Rugby game for me, (And besides, who says that there won’t be updates available for download in the future?
) Sidhe have done themselves proud this time around. I will be the first to admit that I really had a chip on my shoulder over RL2. I was gutted that everything felt so wrong, and was disappointed with Sidhe for letting this happen. I didn’t expect much from RL3 and I was surprised to see I actually liked it. After an hours play I bloody LOVED it, and in the end Roger had to literally drag us off the Wii just as we were in the middle of a close State of Origin match.
So is Rugby League 3 any good? Well as I just said, we had to be dragged away from the game, and I’m absolutely itching to play it again. Now that to me says it all.
Lox
Just thought I'd share my thoughts with you on Rugby League 3, along with some new video footage.
VIDEO FOOTAGE
RL3 Warrington v Widnes 1
Warringtons Hicks makes a break
Injury, Good defence and a chance blown
Leeds v Saints last minutes grand final - can saints hit back? (This is quite large - 65mb)
RUGBY LEAGUE 3 PREVIEW
By Locksley
Ahhhh, 2003. Rugby League 1 on the ps2. Fond Memories. Not the perfect game by any means, but one that had it's charms and was essentially fun to play. Yes, the graphics were shoddy, yes, there were many frustrating flaws but it was Rugby League and Sidhe put themselves on the map with it's new baby.
After all the hype Rugby League 2 arrived in 2005. Sidhe had included almost everything the fans wanted for the sequel. Franchise mode? Check. Almost limitless customisation? Check. Online play? Check. Unfortunately, (in my opinion anyway) they left out the gameplay! It was slow, cumbersome and awful to play. The graphics were fine, the sound was good but the player control was abysmal. It felt like trying to steer an 18 wheeler around a car park, rather than a nimble Rugby player. Defending was a waste of time, as you could put your control pad down and the AI would never make a break. There were so many fundamental errors with it, you started to wonder if Sidhe actually started from scratch rather than build on Rugby League 1's successes. And so, despite all it's wealth of options, Rugby League 2 left me feeling so disappointed. Granted, lots of people liked it, but if the truth be known, they were probably forcing themselves to like it "cos it was Rugby League 2"
And so 2010 Rolls around, and Rugby League 3 will be unleashed in March on the nintendo Wii and thanks to Roger at Alternative Software, I got the chance to get to grips with the game, to see if Sidhe could lay my Rugby League 2 demons to rest. And did they succeed? Simple answer... YES
After a lengthy introduction through all the game features by Roger, (and I must say there are many!) along with him telling us we'd need a while to get used to the controls, Dan and I sat down to play. I had the nunchuck and wiimote combo, while Dan had the Gamecube controller. We dove straight in and had a Saints v Leeds match. Things didn't look good. I couldn't get the hang of passing, I couldn't make any kind of kick on the last play, and Dan was faring no better with his control setup. So we decided to read the instruction manual - kindly provided by Roger - to get used to the controls. Dan hates gamecube controllers with a passion, so we swapped around. Dan had the nunchuck/wiimote and I had the GC Controller. Needless to say, after around half an hour things were starting to gel, the controls became second nature and Rugby League 3 was under my skin.
Once I grasped the controls, the game became an absolute joy to play. It was paced exactly right. Not too quick, and not too slow. Spot on. The player control is 1000% improvement on RL2. You actually feel like you're controlling a rugby player this time around. For instance, you want to run left, you push left and it does it! Easy! Exactly how it should be. Also, if you make a break and the full back is coming across to bring you down, take your finger off the sprint button and you have lots of opportunity to evade a tackle. It really is brilliant!
Sidhe have also got it spot on with the forward/backs relationship. If a quick player makes a break, there's no way on earth a prop forward will chase him down. Again, exactly as it should be. And the opposite is also in effect if you try to make a tackle bust with a slightly built half back or winger you have virtually no chance, but if you run an 18 stone prop at speed into smaller players, they're gonna know about it. I really cannot stress just how much Sidhe have improved the game engine. My first thought was "Oh, it's RL2 slightly spruced up," but it's far far more than that. The more you play the game, the more you want to play the game, and that, in my opinon is what games are all about.
PASSING
Passing, again is a massive improvement over previous RL ***les. Although it’s not as slick as Rugby 2006, it actually feels more real. In other words, if you just hit the pass button over and over, the ball is going to go to ground and generally be a mess. You have actually got to play the game as if it was real Rugby League and time your passes. Suss this out, and you’ll love it.
In Rugby League 2, it used to feel as if there was any “elastic band†between AI defenders. By this, I mean that if you were to go through a gap, you wouldn’t actually go through it, but sort of run on the spot slightly until a defender tackled you. This is most definitely not the case with RL3. If there’s a hole in the defensive line and you breach it, then you’re away. This means that you’ve got to concentrate when defending to make sure you close those gaps. Again, Exactly how it should be.
DEFENDING
In defence, the game plays like a tighter controlled Rugby League 2. Yes, the AI still helps out, but you really have to be on your game with your tackling, cos the AI will exploit any mistakes to it’s advantage. This was particularly evident when I played a St Helens V Wigan match on Legend difficulty... and was thrashed 44-0! As soon as a gap appeared in the defence, the AI was through it. If you close the gap, the offloads will start to happen, but nowhere near as much as RL2. All in all, defending is a great improvement on RL2, and I actually made most of the tackles myself in a match, rather than change player then watch the AI tackle as I run past!
KICKING
Now, this for me is what REALLY sets Rugby League 3 far and above previous rugby ***les. As you all know, there are many types of kick in Rugby League. Bombs, Grubbers, Punts downfield, Drop Goals and chip kicks all feature in real life matches, and it’s no different here. What Sidhe have done with the kicking system in RL3 is nothing short of genius. There are only so many buttons on a controller, so it’s impossible to assign a different button to each kick, so Sidhe took a chance with a system that initially is confusing, but once mastered, will never be bettered. Like previous RL ***les, each kick has a “Slo mo†mode so you get chance to line up a great kick. By pressing “A†on the GC controller, you move the arrow ready for a kick downfield, then, when you’re ready to kick you push the “R†button and let it fly! There are different combinations for each kick, and it is slightly awkward at first, but as I said, once you master it, you’ll wonder how you played without it in previous games. This brings me onto my favourite kick â€" The chip kick. This works absolutely beautifully, and can easily catch out a defence if the full back and wingers have dropped back too early! There’s no better feeling than chipping over the defence on the last tackle, only to re-gather the ball and dive over for a brilliant individual try. A real punch the air moment, especially if it’s done on 80 minutes to decide the match.
CONCLUSION
There is absolutely loads of stuff I’ve not covered here, and if I were to cover it all this would be a 48 page essay. Things such as the “On the fly†strategies, which are superbly implemented and work far better than I thought they would. Switch to a cover defence and see your full back move just behind the defence ready to help out if there’s a break on. Switch to aggressive defence and the tacklers really get into the faces of the ball carrier, great if you want the ball back, but risky to pull off due to penalties. When using the strategy whilst attacking, it really works when you attack with a full line (Full back joins the line), or set a deep attack for some strong running onto the ball. It’s brilliant!
If you love match stats, team stats, player stats... in fact, if you are a stat head then this game has THE most in depth stats I’ve ever saw. Club records, biggest wins, heaviest defeats, metres made, missed tackles, it goes on and on and on and it is a credit to Sidhe how much work is going on behind the scenes while the game is in play.
We never had the chance to get to grips with the Franchise mode, but Roger took us through it briefly. This looks as though is easily surpasses the admittedly great franchise mode in RL2, and the fact that you can now buy and sell players from each hemisphere really adds that extra dimension that Franchise mode in RL2 was lacking.
Whilst there are some negative points, such as last seasons kits/squads etc , and dodgy player likenesses, this really doesn’t detract from what is a fantastic Rugby game for me, (And besides, who says that there won’t be updates available for download in the future?
) Sidhe have done themselves proud this time around. I will be the first to admit that I really had a chip on my shoulder over RL2. I was gutted that everything felt so wrong, and was disappointed with Sidhe for letting this happen. I didn’t expect much from RL3 and I was surprised to see I actually liked it. After an hours play I bloody LOVED it, and in the end Roger had to literally drag us off the Wii just as we were in the middle of a close State of Origin match. So is Rugby League 3 any good? Well as I just said, we had to be dragged away from the game, and I’m absolutely itching to play it again. Now that to me says it all.
Lox
