My 2 cents

[couldabeenanything]

First of all, I liked r2005 and could see that there was definite potential if things were smartened up and a couple of new options were available (ie quick taps). Load times seemed kind of long and it was too easy to score in general. I traded it when madden 06 came out and although I had a brief flirtation with RL2, I have pretty much smashed Madden the last few months.

Got to say though, I am really into this game. there is a definite learning curve and a definite way in which to play it. Despite that, even on medium difficulty, you can still get rolled from to time if you stray too far away from a sensible game plan. Just spinning it wide at all opportunities doesn't work too well and although the gap at outside centre is still there, the AI seems better at cover defending than previously.

Graphically is pretty solid and although I prefer Murray Mexted, Grant Fox is decent enough as a commentator.

So far have played a Super 14 season (went 10-3-1 regular season, lost final 27-12 to brumbies) and a world cup, as Australia where I lost the 4th place play off to Argentina, admittedly I did use a second string side and tried to play too expansive.

I would probably give this game 8 out of 10 so far.

 

[BigTen]

I agree with most of what you have written but when I play this game I get the feeling that I am still playing '05. The game does look better and some of the new touches are much better. Off-loading is a bit hit-and-miss. The quick penalties and line-outs are okay but I hardly ever use them. I have already found a couple of easy ways to score tries - the mark return wide attack always seems to work.

I do find that if you start to play an expansive game at the inappropriate time then you will get rolled but on Pro level unless you are playing a team that is much, much better then you shouldn't be too hard pressed to win. Most people who have played '05 could play a couple of quick games on Pro level and then just move it up to the hardest level.

As a stand-alone game then 8/10 is probably a fair score. But this is the third version (I am just counting 04, 05 and 06 here because Rugby 2001 had a hurried recode for PS2) and I would have expected a lot more for my money at this level.

I think a score of 6/10 is more realistic. Too similar to 2005.

 

[CeeJay]

Its a shame you feel that way about it, but yor not alone. Some people think its too similar to 05. I guess its true in a sense of look and feel, but its just been fine tuned to the point where its so much fun to play. Lots of little things they have added make this a momentus step forward in rugby gaming for me. i dont hav any major complaints at all.

 

[mark_shaw]

next year every1 will say ohh its 2 much like 06..arnt they going to stick with this game body? madden has been the same since like 2001 no1 cries about that.

 

[CeeJay]

Thats true, once they find a good foundation they should keep building on it, and thats exactly what theyve done.

 

[esoj]

elite level is apparently quite good in the game. and most of us I think will proabbly be on that diffculty easily as we have played 05 and other rugby games.

of course it would seem like 05 they've developed this in about nine months or something. nearly every ea game builds on from the year before fifa and madden are prime examples. nobody complains about them looking the same as the year before. gameplay is what counts and from what i have heard it is a lot better than rugby 05. they can tweak the graphics even more for the next game. hopefully they will also add more to the gameplay as well.

 

[morris]

I started playing on Elite level as wales against Uruguay....good way to learn, hardest level against crappy teams. I played 05 so knew how to play the game, won my first few games easily on elite, against much weaker opposition, but then went into a 6 nations and got battered by england 64-30, beat scotland 37-29 (was quite similar to the real match, winning comfortably but they scored a few in the last few minutes and brought it to 30-29 in the last minute but I sneaked a try) then got beat by ireland 40-25. beat italy but was getting so hammered by france I decided to stop after 60 minutes because they were averaging a point a minute!!!!!
All those score lines are on 20 minute halfs too which I was quite impressed with, a whole forty minutes of play on a computer game you end up with realistic scores, if you did 40 minute games on Fifa you'd end up at 12-12!

 

[QKXV]

Originally posted by BigTen@Feb 17 2006, 03:55 AM
Most people who have played '05 could play a couple of quick games on Pro level and then just move it up to the hardest level.

Well written couldabeenanything and welcome to the forum


I understand what you mean big ten. Althoug I don't feel like I am necessarily playing 05 it does feel the game is too easy. I'm 6 matches into a world league on Elite and have yet to loose a match. I've also somehow made it into the quarters of the knockout cup, knocking out a top team from the first division (although it was a drop goal difference). I feel that as a "R06 beginner" playing on elite against a div1 squad (with a div3) I should have got smashed. To me that means after a couple of months of playing the game will be too easy - not much value for my money. I'm not negative about the game, I really enjoy the matches. What does get on my t*ts is the couple of bugs that are spoiling it for me. The rolling maul in classic view bug. The Penalty kick bug where the AI just stands there waiting for you to pick up the ball before they move and several other