Rugby challenge 2: The lions tour edition announced

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

This is fantastic news. From the fact that its a full game with expanded career mode, as many teams as before and all that, it's clear that they just wanted another go to get things right, rather than it just being about the lions tour. I'm very glad they got the chance.

Honestly, the first game had some flaws that have made it impossible for me to keep playing, but I always thought that with a sequel they could really nail it.

For me the key things are:

1) Making passing less completely mental. E.g where a player can throw the ball accross the entire pitch.
2) Making movement smoother. In the original, a player could literally do a 90 degree turn without losing speed, making it impossible to line up and tackle.
3) Features such as the option to pick and go.
4) Making it so that players actually have to kick it; on the original they didnt seem to have the kicking moton graphic down at all, so even if you tackled the player before he woudl have time to kick, the ball would magically fly down the other end of the pitch.
5) Fewer obstructions to player movement. In the original the national sides seemed to be treated as a club destination, so it wasn't just as simple as picking whoever you want for your national team. Only the players already in the wider national squads.
6) Making scrums more complex.

In general, I think the game would be hugely improved by slowing it down and making it more controlled, smoother.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Maybe tone down the offloads too.

A smoother more structured game is what I'd love and if Career mode had a proper transfer system and the ability to change clubs then I'd be sorted for a long long time.

A different kicking mechanism and different range abilities for different kickers would be nice too.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Maybe tone down the offloads too.

Jesus can't believe I forgot that one...Even when the patch introduced a slider to determine how many offloads could be pulled off, it was still mental. You could offload your way up the whole pitch.

And yep, good point re career mode. As I remember, you didn't even have to exchange money in order to do transfers. You just took anyone you wanted from any club, provided it was a straight swap for another player. Which slightly defeated the point of a transfer system, making it feel a rather empty victory when you replaced Nicky Robinson for Nick Evans at fly half (as one does )

Just saw this on the website:

New feature: "contesting ball at the breakdown,"

This has made my day! One of the main things I wanted from a sequel

 

[Milla]

Rugby Challenge 2 is coming. No pranks

 

[TrueSlawter]

Sounds good just hope the gameplay flows a bit better and they put as much time into the NH as they did the SH last time round.

 

[Groundhog]

Rugby Challenge 2 is coming. No pranks

Poseidon be praised!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Looking forward to this, was hooked as soon as the Lions and Barbarians were mentioned. Hopefully SA, Wales, England etc licenses might be obtained before the game release, here's hoping.

 

[Conal]

all glory to Zeus


prepare the animal sacrifices!
TO THE STEAK HOUSE

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Great news. Love the paragraph in the press release stating the new gameplay features that just proves how inept the old game was. Yet, for some reason, I finished all 13 seasons on career mode. I'm a sucker, really.

 

[Thingimubob]

Great news. Love the paragraph in the press release stating the new gameplay features that just proves how inept the old game was. Yet, for some reason, I finished all 13 seasons on career mode. I'm a sucker, really.

I salute you sir! Could never get past the 4th or 5th personally!

 

[Groundhog]

Great news. Love the paragraph in the press release stating the new gameplay features that just proves how inept the old game was. Yet, for some reason, I finished all 13 seasons on career mode. I'm a sucker, really.

Now that's endurance.... what happens at the end?

 

[Draggs]

Proper career mode sounds exciting. I loved bastardising teams in R08.
Please please please put players in their proper field positions. I am sick of forwards being on the wing (except if it is Croft) when I have an overlap and wings hanging around rucks.

 

[admartian]

Proper career mode sounds exciting. I loved bastardising teams in R08.
Please please please put players in their proper field positions. I am sick of forwards being on the wing (except if it is Croft) when I have an overlap and wings hanging around rucks.

Whut? Forwards on the wing is used by a few international team, fairly regularly. AB teams of years past used to do this a lot (I presume to help with the breakdown and get quick ball out).

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

all glory to Zeus


prepare the animal sacrifices!
TO THE STEAK HOUSE

 

[esoj]

great news and presumably a release in june/july to tie in with the lions tour so maybe it's not too far away

 

[Draggs]

Whut? Forwards on the wing is used by a few international team, fairly regularly. AB teams of years past used to do this a lot (I presume to help with the breakdown and get quick ball out).

I suppose I should say props and locks in midfield and outside constantly.

 

[dudeabides]

I will buy it I'm a sucker for rugby games. I hope the matches don't freeze up when the ball goes into touch like in the first game when you use their customization feature.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I suppose I should say props and locks in midfield and outside constantly.

Oh, like Victor Matfield?

 

[nickdnz]

Looking forward to this - as others have mentioned - the few things that would really sell this to me as a good game is a few more unique faces, especially for NH players. Also as others mentioned, passing got mental, especially when they would pass backwards regardless of which way the player was facing, so a player runs right, gets tackled and then does an amazing skip pass left in a way that is virtually impossible.

I'd also like to see some of the faces they've already made kept, so just because Rokocoko now plays in the Top 14, I'd be gutten to lose his face. More unique high quality faces the better in my opinion! - maybe just cause I lack an imagination and have a hard time seeing the players as their some-what likenesses. Really looking forward to this.

EDIT: Also, I'd love to see the goal kicking system a bit closer to HB's Rugby 08. It seemed a little more tricky but you had more control of where exactly the ball would go, rather than 'if you get it in the red, it'll go where you aim it'. Anyway - even without this but the other features, I'd buy it.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Most important to me is improving the gameplay. As a Kiwi, I'm pretty happy with the team selection etc. (naturally), and to be honest I much preferred the gameplay of RWC11. If we could have the two games combined, that would be a dream come true.