• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

My preview of the PS2 demo!!! by Locksley

L

locksley

Guest
And so cometh the day… After waiting for what seems like an age, I finally got my chance to get to grips, for around an hour and a half with EA RUGBY 2005!!

To cut the story short, I was expecting to get my hands on a preview version of the full xbox game, however, due to changes at EA HQ, that didn’t happen! Instead, I had to make do with the PS2 demo version! So I was a touch disappointed, but at least I’d know how the game played at long last. Obviously the demo has lots of omissions that will appear in the full game, so this preview applies to the demo only! Not only that, I couldn’t find any instructions anywhere, so I had to “feel†my way through a couple of games first!

Like you, I’ve been dying to know loads of things about Rugby 2005, especially after seeing those stunning screenshots and viewing the teaser trailers! Asking questions like “Is it better than 2004?â€, “What are the sidesteps like?â€, “Is the passing/tackling/kicking any good?â€, and most important of all, “Have HB Studios redeemed themselves after the travesty that was Rugby 2004?â€

The answer…. “You bet your arse they have†

When Rugby 2005 first boots up, you can tell straight away that HB have really gone to town on this! The graphics are nothing short of amazing! Player detail is superb etc, but you know that! You’ve seen the screenshots and movies, so I won’t dwell on this aspect of the game, I’ll stick to the gameplay, and boy oh boy, this has gameplay in spades!

The default view for the demo is like the “Side cam†view from Rugby 2004, so it’s pretty easy to see where everything is right away! The two teams (England & Australia) stride out onto the pitch to a HUGE reception. The crowd’s buzzing and the sound is awesome! Then they line up together as each national anthem is played. I swear to God, the goosebumps on my arms as this was happening were amazing! As I watched, I just KNEW HB Studios wouldn’t let us down a second time! They really have done a great “Build up†sequence to the matches!


Ok, Whistle's blown and the game kicks off. What next? You get a little frustrated because it’s slightly hard to get to grips with. I don’t usually play with this camera angle, so I had to get used to it! More often than not, when I’d secured the ball from a ruck, I passed to ground. However, I realised I wasn’t picking a set play and that was why! Once that was sussed, I was well on my way!

What should you do then? Well I'll tell you, pause the game, go and gather Rugby 2001, Rugby 2004, World Championship Rugby, NRL and, yes, Jonah Lomu Rugby, hold them in your arms and drop them into the nearest bin because I swear down, once you've played this, there's no going back to ANY of those games!?.EVER! Everything you remember from Rugby 2004 that gave you nightmares has gone. The animation is super smooth, the passing is responsive and crisp, the tackling is varied and completely spot on and the speed of the game is pinpoint perfect!


In order to give you a clearer view on how it plays, I've set out the rest
of this preview as a Question & Answer list!

1. Passing, how's it controlled, what's it like? Cut out passes?

L1 & R1 - if you hold it down u miss a man

2. Tackling, any good?

Amazing, the variations in tackles, and the inertia of the tackles being made are a joy to behold! Not only that, time it right with the Right analog and WHACK…. BIG HIT!!!

3. What's this "On the fly" business all about?

When you have secured ball in a ruck you can press up, down, left or right
D-pad button to set up classic, pivot, pocket etc. It works surprisingly well.


4. Is the kicking any good?

Kicking is like 2001 - square, circle, x and triangle all do diff kicks.
grubber, punt, drop goal , up & under


5. Step... any good and what's it like?

The step is class! The way you can run across the line, then tap the analogue stick to slip through a gap is totally superb! Brilliant addition


6. Fend... any good and what's it like?

If a tackler is coming into you, push the right analog stick into the attacker and you fend. These work great if you’re a bigger man!!!!



7. Scrums and lineouts.... work okay?

Lineouts are similar to 2004, but a lot less fiddly!!! You’ll see more clearly on the vids. Scrums are far better than 2004, similar system, just a lot slicker


8. Goalkicking, any better than last time?

Goalkicking has a tiger woods like bar - bit easy as the bar goes slow!


The thing that amazed me the most was the sheer fluidity of the game! You can tell instantly that’s it’s using the fifa engine, there’s no question of that! But the animation is out of this world! Players dive into tackles, ankle tap, grab one leg, crunch tackle, hit head high and so on and so on! The whole game feels how a Rugby union game should feel. Breathtaking.
.

So there you have it! The demo version of Rugby 2005 in a nutshell! HB & EA have totally redeemed themselves! Rugby 2004 should never have been released, and by the quality of this ***le, even the demo version, HB & EA know this! They really have put the effort in, and after playing it, I can now see why they’re having training camps etc! They’ve got a sure fire hit on their hands with Rugby 2005! It would’ve sold thousands of copies anyway, but it makes it soooooo much sweeter knowing that RUGBY 2005 is a game that deserves this accolade! I personally cannot wait now for the full version, and I’m really disappointed that I only managed an hour and a half on the demo! I wish I had the damn game here now, because sleep would go out the window!!!!!!

Sidhe and Swordfish, the gauntlet has been well and truly thrown down…. Over to you!!!!!
<




By the way, As soon as I sort out my VCR problem, I'll have some gameplay footage for you. This will more than likely be in the next 48 hours! I can't do anything now, cos everywhere's closed over here!!!!
<
 
Brilliant - thanks a load for this. i'm not sure many of us were expecting such a positive review.

I really can't wait to see the fluidity of the in-game animation - i'm still haunted by calling a 2-man lineout in R2004 and my front jumper only ever having one leg!
 
Thanks a lot Locks! Entertaining read.

Can we put to death yet the comments made in another thread about '****ling' issues with passing etc? Did you encounter any of them?

And most importantly, is the lord god our father Bill McLaren in the demo?
 
oh my god i'm going to cum myself!

The answer…. “You bet your arse they haveâ€... that phrase there gave me multiple orgasms... haha jks

man, locks u r the man! 2 months seems so bloody far away now... i cant wait now to smash the all blacks with tonga...

oh by the way 1 more question... how up to date were the teams?
 
Wow, sounds great.

Another question set for the Q&A...

How do rucks work? Do you have to add players manually? If there is one guy by himself and he gets isolated will the ball get ripped away?

And did L2/R2 do anything?

Edit - And Thank You!
 
L2 im guessing is sprint

You add players with X and the first player there normally wins it
 
great stuff ... I agree with robbinho, was not expecting this positive a review - through JLR in the bin, isn't that sacralige? ... and the PS2 is the best, boo to xbox!

have a few questions about the preview/game that maybe you (or others) can answer... (I'll try and keep them to a minimum!)

Can we put to bed the rumour of a terrible passing system that needs a complete overhaul and therfore major delay? ... does the game need any major fixing that you found?

Gameplay:
1) are there jumps in the game?
2) what is the blocking/charge downs like?
3) how frequent/do they exist, are the knock-ons/misdemeanors in a match?
4) did you enjoy the CONTROL over the rucks/scrums?
5) what are mauls like in the game?

and for anyone else who can answer this... I've forgotten how tackling was implemented in the last game (R2004) ... could someone tell me how it worked again? (was it just different buttons for different tackles?) and locksley, does this version implemetn the same system

I can now go to bed (its 12:40am) quite happily having read this preview, cheers dude!

(I'll have to go buy WCR again until this comes out - I need a rugby fix!)

EDIT: Look at the amount of members online in the forum at the minute... there hasn't been this many at once for while now has there?... your travels fast locks, "and his word is true"
 
1. Nope
2. -
3. -
4. -
5. There are in-play mauls this time

Kickoffs and bombs are contestable though
 
Originally posted by captainamerica@Jan 27 2005, 12:28 PM
Thanks a lot Locks! Entertaining read.

Can we put to death yet the comments made in another thread about '****ling' issues with passing etc? Did you encounter any of them?

And most importantly, is the lord god our father Bill McLaren in the demo?
There are some slight issues with the passing, but only if you don't use your "Set play" players!

Also, no commentary in the Demo
 
Originally posted by umosay@Jan 27 2005, 12:40 PM
1. Nope
2. -
3. -
4. -
5. There are in-play mauls this time

Kickoffs and bombs are contestable though
good stuff about the contestable kick-offs and bombs! ... so the jump screenshots we've seen are just pre-scripted animation is that right?

... and what all else do you know umo? can we start firing questions at you?

... AND what about the "delay/major passing problem" rumour?
 
Thanks Locksley, Im actually getting my hopes up about this game
 
throw it straight Thompson !!!

cool pic, where and how did you nab that from? and any chance of more?

EDIT: the previous post had not loaded fully for some reason so please excuse the where and how questions...
 
aaaaaaaaaah im dribbling, cant wait for the footage! aaaaah, my god, think how spot on locks was last time, going on this im so excited.
can i just ask
the predefined moves (on the fly) is this good and are you involved or is it like 2004 shitty it just does it itself.
cheers
 
Originally posted by locksley+Jan 27 2005, 12:43 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (locksley @ Jan 27 2005, 12:43 PM)</div>
<!--QuoteBegin-captainamerica
@Jan 27 2005, 12:28 PM
Thanks a lot Locks!  Entertaining read.

Can we put to death yet the comments made in another thread about '****ling' issues with passing etc?  Did you encounter any of them?

And most importantly, is the lord god our father Bill McLaren in the demo?
There are some slight issues with the passing, but only if you don't use your "Set play" players!

Also, no commentary in the Demo [/b]
Cheers.

I take it by 'set play' players, you can't pass left to your inside centre who you've just sent right on a switch pattern (or something similar) -- or is that once you've 'requested' a set play, you cannot deviate from it, as in the computer has taken control?

More questions (there are always gonna be more):

1. Did you score a try? If so, how were the animations/celebrations?

2. How were the sprint bursts, if they are bursts?

3. Uh, wait, I see that JJ is posting a picture. More later.
 
Originally posted by raziel_eire@Jan 27 2005, 02:08 PM
EDIT: the previous post had not loaded fully for some reason so please excuse the where and how questions...
Yeah, I was editing as you were posting.
<
 
Originally posted by JJ-+Jan 27 2005, 01:14 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (-JJ- @ Jan 27 2005, 01:14 PM)</div>
<!--QuoteBegin-raziel_eire
@Jan 27 2005, 02:08 PM
EDIT: the previous post had not loaded fully for some reason so please excuse the where and how questions...
Yeah, I was editing as you were posting.
<
[/b]
sound JJ ...

... right, I'm away to bed, happy and content that March fast approaches and a good rugby game is going to be released, Ireland have a great chance of the six nations and the Lions (should be a strong Irish contingent too) will have a good series in NZ

everyone's ones a winner, me; rugby union; fans in general; HB/EA (tho hopefully not any of the other home nations or NZ!!!)
 
Yep, although I hope that some footage does come soon, I'm definitely satisfied...

Anyone up for croquet?

No?
 
God Bless!!!!! now I am getting excited, before I was thinking this is going to be another dang version but it certainly sounds promising!
 

Latest posts

Top