The Review Thread of RWC 2011

[Mikedebull]

What went wrong!

It really saddens me.
This game should have been awesome, instead it is really worse than 08 except for the graphics. Firstly the team management sucks where is the list of players you can choose from? I would like to change Ruan Pienaar with Francoise Hougard.where's the list like in 08. Secondly. No franchise teams creates a very short game! And last but not 'LEAST' the camera angels are very bad and you can only choose from two. I really hope the guys from HB read this thread and by any luck creates a new game very soon. O and please make it for PC aswell. Thanks

 

[gingergenius]

At the end of the day, i don't think RWC11 is or was ever going to deliver on the hype that a gaming community that's waited 4 years would expect. It's that way because it's a tiny gaming market, so we just have to deal with it.

I enjoy the game. Just because it hasn't got great reviews, doesn't mean it's a bad game. After all, have you ever seen a review by a rugby fan on one of those places? They don't have a clue usually.

I agree, the longetivity is not going to lasting. The game could be polished more. It could have more features, and has a few bugs, but i hear this about nearly all sports games i play. Fifa 12 will get bagged for the same thing i'd expect.

I would say that i'm disappointed there are less camera options than in 08, so i'm struggling a bit online, and of course the player editor is missing (for skintone, create a player etc) but overall, i'd give RWC11 a 7/10.

You can see they have tried in places, and done what they could do on a budget in others. I'm sure this game will be a hit, just not amongst rugby gaming fans, as we do kind of feel it's a bit of a re-hashed cash-in to be fair. But, i'm not going to diss a game because i've found fault with it. Games cost £40 mostly, and i'm sure RC will be more expensive than that, and i'm hearing that's not the godlike gaming experience we've been bludgeoned by RC fanboys with for the last 6 weeks.

Take this game for what it's worth. It's a fun knock around game, for a tournament, and i'll enjoy it. The game isn't easy now either, so that's good. I just don't get gamers who buy a game, and see it as a personal insult when they take the day off work (i mean, seriously wtf) and spend all day playing it to collect the achievements and complete it, and then complain it hasn't lasted long enough, when they've spent 18 hours on it that day. It's like eating too many sweets and then saying sweets are **** because you've got stomach ache.

So, i'm going to ignore all the overly negative comments pass and let the game impress me and play it casually with people who appreciate this game is fun, and it's a decent rugby game.

1) Rugby Challenge is retailing for £35-£40, even less on PC.

2) The disappointment people feel from this effort is the fact that it falls so desperately short of everyone's expectations when the new 'Rugby 2012' was announced. If HB had said a year ago, "we're going to release a RWC game", maybe the reaction wouldn't be so bad. But up until a month or so ago , all rugby gaming fans thought they were getting Rugby 2012, imagining it to be an improved version of Rugby 08. This is why people are disappointed, and this is why, no matter what its flaws are, Rugby Challenge will get higher review scores and please consumers more. Because it is the game most similar to what people wanted 'Rugby 2012' to be.

3) Any game that can be completed in 18 hours should not cost more than £20. It's nothing more than an an expansion pack. On my laptop, I have GTA IV; Tiger Woods Golf; Medieval II Total War; Football Manager; FIFA 11; Rugby 08. All of these games take ages to complete, to win the world league on Rugby 08 requires a minimum of 47 league matches. Compare that to RWC 11 and tell me its worth the same price.

 

[riegs000]

When I wrote my piece I did not want to sound like or be a whinger. I am extremely happy that there are 2 rugby games this year, and the fact that we actually have a game to play. I played rugby 08 for hours and hours, even though I thought it was average. I wish I could have enjoyed it like some of you guys are, but gingergenius has captured my feelings perfectly.

Even if its graphics were average I would have been satisfied if its gameplay replicated real rugby and wasn't the hashed, buggy affair it is. This is evident that there already releasing a patch for fix up problems. Even almighty FIFA still isn’t perfect. But there is a certain level where you can say, yep this game does a great job. I feel like this game falls below that. I wasn't expecting FIFA levels. Only an idiot would expect that. But I expect basic things to be taken care of, making the game solid.

I don't think IGN and gamespot even feel our pain as they are probably plain shooter fans, as opposed to us die hard rugby fans. BUT every other sports ***le excels at one area or another, with FIFA the benchmark. Madden has solid gameplay, nhl has stunning graphics, fifa the whole package..hell even ricky ponting 2010 cricket did alright. I didn't want a game that fun to play with just mates because it was a laugh. Otherwise I may as well get rugby 08 out again and not spend $100 (BTW games are $100 - $120 (65 -75 pounds) over here in Aus, so we aren't as lucky as you poms). I wanted something that was solid, even pushed the envelope a bit maybe.

I feel the tiny market is the way it is bc the games leave people disappointed. Rugby is actually quite a popular sport, (nowhere near as much as football or the American sports). And if they made a great game then that would increase the market, rather than say well the the market is small as an excuse. Had they released a great game that didn't garner shite reviews maybe Ea sports and FIFA would have taken heed. Look at nhl, which has a relatively small market. It produced the best sports game 2009 and 2010, beating FIFA.

Take FIFA for example. It was an average game (check IGN and gamespot’s reviews if you don’t believe me) up until 08/09. I played every FIFA game from 1999 till 2011. Up until 08 it would get mediocre 7/10 reviews and wasn't as popular as Madden, (NBA live is going through the same thing now) and it wasn't even that much more popular than pro evo. I remember thinking when will they release a good soccer game. Then with the stellar release of 09 it catapulted FIFA into what the game is today, with its crowning glory being '11. People play it because it is an amazing game which is on par with the great RPGs and shooters, sometimes even outselling them. After some poor releases from konami, pro evo has slided, and now even pro evo players have jumped ship. HB studios missed a great opportunity. They released a poor game and this will equal poor sales. Already RC pre orders have outsold RWC by 10:1 in NZ

I won't hop on the rugby challenge bandwagon either. If their game sucks then I will be ****** at that too. In one week hopefully we will know. It just seems to me that RC has taken more care with their product. I just hope gingergenius is correct and that is the product we were hoping RWC 11 should have been. Fingers crossed

This article describes it well http://www.hookedgamers.com/ps3/rugby_world_cup_2011/review/article-770-2.html
HB take note, there shouldn't be all this rubbish to complain about. And it ****** me off I have to sit here and sound like im just complaining.
Id much rather be saying all the stuff I like. But as this review explains, HB's efforts just aren't up to scratch.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Okay, okay okay. We've all heard all this for the last month or so non-stop. Just don't buy it. I have both and believe me Rugby Challenge is beautiful, but I can't wait till you get your hands on it. I wish it'd been released first or had a demo released.

It needs serious tweaking and if done right it could be the best game ever. Right now it's beautiful, unstructured and error-ridden and I play it without trying to be flamboyant. Wait till the UK gets it's hands-on.

I hate RWC's graphics, I really do and I love RC's. Modern society, style over substance.


By the way, most of those reviews ain't played RC. Still I suspect that red faces and beautiful graphics and licenses will cause some scores to be a shade or two higher than what's quite necessary.

I say all this as a fan of both. I know RC can release a patch to make things more playable.

 

[riegs000]

Like I said I didn't want to come across as a whinger, but I felt I had some valid things that should be said. I already bought it in the anticipation that the "the next generation of rugby game is here" as HB put it. Maybe some poor bloke who is tossing up whether to buy it or not reads my piece and can get something from it, if not possibly save himself $100. Thats the last I will have to say on RWC11.

What I am interested in is what you mean by you can't wait till I get you hands on it, do you mean that in a postive way. In so far as I will be satisfied. From what I gather from your post, RC does have some major flaws, as expected but there is real potential. I think real potential is very very important. Its something RWC doesnt have.

I just have 3 questions.
How is RC's animations (are they lifelike) and how is its gameplay (playability and replicating real rugby)? Also what are things that could be fixed by the patch?

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Like I said I didn't want to come across as a whinger, but I felt I had some valid things that should be said. I already bought it in the anticipation that the "the next generation of rugby game is here" as HB put it. Maybe some poor bloke who is tossing up whether to buy it or not reads my piece and can get something from it, if not possibly save himself $100. Thats the last I will have to say on RWC11.

What I am interested in is what you mean by you can't wait till I get you hands on it, do you mean that in a postive way. In so far as I will be satisfied. From what I gather from your post, RC does have some major flaws, as expected but there is real potential. I think real potential is very very important. Its something RWC doesnt have.

I just have 3 questions.
How is RC's animations (are they lifelike) and how is its gameplay (playability and replicating real rugby)? Also what are things that could be fixed by the patch?

People advertise. If everything that wasn't as glorious as the advert got a hard time the world would be full of complaints and angry people. You should've tried (via hiring) before you buyed.

That's how things have been with most products for since.......forever.


As for RC, I'm actually quite wary about speaking out and p'ing people off by saying it plays awkwardly and that it's full of errant crazy passes that you never asked for. But it is. If patched, as I keep saying, it could be the greatest thing Rugby ever had coming to it.

It's pretty no doubt. Playing it for several hours it gets better, but it's got a fair few nasty bugs. Not average bugs, but bad ass big bugs!

Why haven't I said this yesterday? Because I'd be an instant RWC fanboy as usual.

I think RC is the most effort I've ever seen a dev team put into Rugby and it deserves a sequel and to get better. Right now it's fantastic for a first effort. It's just that though. A first effort.

I think I'm doing them a favour, speaking like this will be the second coming of rugby gaming will only bring it bad press in the UK. It deserves better than that, the guys only need to tweak a few things and we'll have the best rugby game ever.

 

[big ginger 8]

Irish Times gave it 4 outta 5.

 

[gingergenius]

effort

this is, for me anyway, what it comes down to. I won't get a Lil' Wayne album because its effortless music designed to cash in on a market. I will get another Jehst album because I know he's put his blood, sweat and tears into it in order to showcase his creativity. This analogy works for the two rugby games in question, I fear...

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

this is, for me anyway, what it comes down to. I won't get a Lil' Wayne album because its effortless music designed to cash in on a market. I will get another Jehst album because I know he's put his blood, sweat and tears into it in order to showcase his creativity. This analogy works for the two rugby games in question, I fear...

That's up to you. Effort is not always a reflection of attainment. I hope RC has been patched with several bug fixes and a few alterations to make it play better as it's got a lot going for it. I have both of them and it's not as simple to dismiss either ***le as people would like to think. They both do completely different things well and poorly.

 

[joeyboy07]

The RWC Review Thread

Have you got a review for RWC'11? If so then post them in here.

Thanks
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Hey so I'm going to be doing a little review of Rugby World Cup 2011. I'll be going over mainly everything in the game as I have played all of it.

Menus and modes:
The menus in the game are very good, very slick and clean. A nice touch is The Word In Union tune playing in the background, giving the menus a very patriotic type of feel. There are 5 different modes, all very fun, and I'm sure you know what they are.
International Test.
Full Tournament.
Online.
Warm-up Tour.
Place-kick shootout.

Playing the Game:
Intros:
The intro's to the games are pretty good, but they need something extra. Its always the same scene of your players walking out, then huddling together, and then taking their position, it just randomizes the players to show. Lack of national anthems is a big miss. Before any international test one expects to hear a national anthem, but none are featured in this game. Also you do not see the players line up on the pitch before the anthems, something which rugby 08 featured and is a nice touch.

Gameplay:

When it comes to playing the game, this is where the game is the best. Some of you will be disappointed with the similarities to 08, but others like me, that were just glad to get a rugby game, will find the play very fun and easy to pick up. Also something which has been addressed is the difficulty, playing on hard, against a semi good team, is actually hard, I learnt that by only beating Tonga 12-10 with England in a warm-up tour. By far the best thing is playing with or against a friend. Playing against one another, you get to test each others ability, and rivalries start, with massive tackles flying in everywhere, and its just a bunch of fun. Playing together on the same team, is at first messy, as it should be. This becomes hilarious at times, but when you get it right, you feel like gods of rugby. Yes HB could have done abit more with the gameplay, but its still fun, and I enjoy it, and I'm sure some of you do aswell for those who have played it.

Online

Now for online. I've only played one game online, and to my surprise it was very fun, but laggy. I've heard that they are fixing online bugs, and so they should, cos there are quite a few. But when you find someone with just as good a connection as you, you have a great game of rugby.

Graphics and Likenesses:

The graphics have been put down alot in this game. The graphics are good, but somewhat average for this day and age, but they do the job pretty well, with the grass, post pads, and the stands all looking very good. The worst part about the graphics is probably the crowd. You'll say "wow the crowd we only see it from far away", wrong. After scoring, you will be zoomed into a camera which is behind the crowd, and it doesn't look very good, the game could have done without it.
As for likenesses, some are really good, and some pretty bad. My favorite team being England, I've seen them the most, with players such as Sheridan, Croft, Easter, Palmer, Foden, Youngs, Hape, Cole, Hartley, Thompson, Wilkinson and others looking good, but not perfect. But there are some such as Banahan, looking nothing like the real life counter part, one reason being that his tattoos are not in the game, as no tattoos of players are in the game. Likenesses on the whole are not bad, but they could have been better. One thing which I would have liked would be body shape difference, Courtney Lawes looks like any other lock with a bulky body, not his wide shoulders and small waist.

Conclusion:

On the whole, Rugby World Cup 2011 has its pros, and its cons. Its fun game that will give you hours of fun on your own, and even more with friends. Having only 20 teams and 10 licensed does hurt the game abit, but I'm happy with what HB have done, and that they have brought back rugby to the gaming world where it has been missed by loyal fans.
Final Score: 7/10

 

[dakkadakka]

Hey so I'm going to be doing a little review of Rugby World Cup 2011. I'll be going over mainly everything in the game as I have played all of it.

You just did. ????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[joeyboy07]

just did what?

 

[Sixesandsevens]

Heres my review. Dont waste your money like I did! 4/10. Lazy, the teams they actually had licensed werent even able to use kits in any of the modes except world cup. The player models are awful, if you dont agree look at any player wearing a head guard and notice how weird it looks. And necks...Since when was James Haskell an actual giraffe.

 

[jack6161]

Heres my review. Dont waste your money like I did! 4/10. Lazy, the teams they actually had licensed werent even able to use kits in any of the modes except world cup. The player models are awful, if you dont agree look at any player wearing a head guard and notice how weird it looks. And necks...Since when was James Haskell an actual giraffe.

Couldn't agree more. Waste of money, waste of time. Fun game i'll admit, but its fun just like Rugby 08 although if you get 08 you get much more game modes, more licenses etc and it is a lot cheaper. If they make another one next year I will be surprised because with this effort it seems like they are just leeching off the World Cup logo and brand.

 

[Leinster+]

Cost me â'¬50!!!! Lucky I can get a refund before 7 days. Wow people really oversold it 0.5/10 for me, and that's me being generous.

 

[chuckwalrus]

agree with the latter two comments here. some of the players look nothing like the real ones which i admit would've been tough but still - Stephen Ferris is black in my game for chrissake?! anyone else have the same issue? there's lazy and there's downright stupid. another stupid thing I've found playing as Ireland (only played a few games) is that Ronan O'Gara can also play at Full Back as a secondary position. In this position he is actually better than known full backs in the Irish team and probably the rest of the game - he gets around a 92 rating or something if memory serves...

The game is basically exactly the same as the last rugby game on Playstation 2 (I've got Xbox 360 version) only less competitions, obviously. HB Studios are obviously just cashing in on the RWC 2011 franchise but this seems to be a rushed job. The graphics don't seem that great and the commentary is repetitive.

think i'll take mine back and get Jonah Lomu rugby challenge instead.

 

[jaffka]

why does Wilkinson have a great big boil on the back of his neck?

 

[Butterytingz]

why does Wilkinson have a great big boil on the back of his neck?

pic???

 

[Sunia Vulaono]

that was very generous!
i give it 4/10

1- for switching the box cover from rugby 08 to "The Official RWC Game 2011"
2- chip kick
3- taking out the "twitch glitch" from lineouts
4- i'll get beck to you on this one.....

 

[187]

Also something which has been addressed is the difficulty, playing on hard, against a semi good team, is actually hard, I learnt that by only beating Tonga 12-10 with England in a warm-up tour.

What you mean? Tonga is a good team haha. Cheers for the review and other guys feedback. I'm glad I didn't get this. Awaiting my copy of Rugby Challenge to arrive in the mail!!