J
jgough
Guest
Well well well...
So I have just come back from the EA SPORTS Rugby 2005 launch in Christchurch at the Heritage Hotel.
EA had sent me the invite saying that it was from 8-9pm, yet when I arrived it looked like it had been going for ages. (Apparently started at 6.30pm).
So I missed the presentation.
Luckily though, a lot of people had left so I got consols a plenty to myself - I wasn't there to make friends, I just wanted some Rugby 2005!!!
Turned out, people that worked in the media were supposed to turn up at 8 (which was me, although I'm only a very part time writer for my mag).
The rest were people that worked at the game stores that were going to be promoting the game. EB Games, Gamesman, Central Park etc etc etc.
Okay, I'm not trying to build myself up here too much or anything but most people there were straight out FREAKS. All those freaky strange people that every knows that you see around town... well they were there! I was pretty much the only normal person.
I'll try and give an example, they had two selections of free alcohol, CD or Stellar, when I arrived almost all the CD was gone, and the Stellar wasn't touched (At all! Not one glass taken!). I would sooner eat my own scrotum than take a sip of that crap CD. Luckily, Stellar, my drink of choice was in grand supply.
All the freaky people there were in there little groups, with their untra baggy jeans and death metal tee shirts. I was the only person that was there under the invite for the 'media' as well. I was also the only person NOT wearing cargo pants (at least half of them were camo cargos too). They were speaking about NZ Idol and what High Five chick was the hottest. Okay, they were total losers.
Annnnnnyway, and nonetheless - Rugby 2005.
I still didn't quite get to have the game time I wanted but let me say this...
It is worth the wait.
Everyone here looking forward to the game should be, because it is very good.
I think I have a fairly universal approach to games, so what I like, you'll like, I think my views will be similar to yours...
Heres a few things I had to check out - as far as comps go, you have World Cup, 6 Nats, Tri-Nats, and a thing called "10 Nats" which is 6 Nats + 3 Nats + Argentina, it's not a real tourny but it makes it look like they have more to offer. It is stupid that it is there. They should have just had a "Create a Tournament" instead - which it doesn't. + World League (which I didn't get to try)
I don't know why I am getting onto stuff like that though now, I have things that should be covered before that.
Quick Play allows you to play as either a country vs country, or Super 12, or Euro or Rep (Barr Barrs, PI, Aus A & NZ Maori).
New Zealand All Blacks have a Haka (as you know), the NZ Maori DO NOT have their haka. I didn't get a chance to see if other pacific island teams have their hakas or not, but we gotta leave something for you
Hmmm, I'm trying to think of the best way to explain this... Rugby 2005 has everything (as far as options go) that Rugby 2004 had. But they have done it better. You can still pick your WORLD CUP SQUADS!!! Except you can't seem to see individual player rankings?! It just says their position, height and weight. Plus you can pick the format of tornys, for example, your the World Cup the sched can be for either 1999, 2003, 2007 (??, yeh I know!) or RANDOM, as for Super 12 it can be 2005 or random.
I guess... It is a very much improved Rugby 2004. It is the game that Rugby 2004 should have been.
It looks crisp and sharp. And the gameplay is great (I'll go into that a little bit later).
One thing I did notice that you might find interesting, the XBOX version has a hell of a lot better graphics than the PS2. I don't own an XBOX, so I'll buy the PS2 version, but XBOX looks a tad better. (You'll notice it, for sure).
PS2 edges look a little rougher, but all in all thats about it.
Gameplay is good. You'll like it alot. We used 'Boardcast View' at the event and nobody else wanted to change from that. It looked cool tho. AI seems quite good, and I was stoked when I finally got some time to play it by myself.
Graphics are pretty good.
I went out for a drink with a friend afterwards so I'm a bit tidley to keep on track here, ergh.
In sum up, I can't wait to buy it.
It isn't outstanding - it is just, hmm, how should I put it... It is everthing Rugby 2004 SHOULD have been, they could have done a bit better with more options, or career stuff, or more stats, but all in all, it's a good game.
When you run to the side that isn't the near side (on the broadcast view) the players seem to run EXTREMELY fast, but that could just be the view. The replays also seem to speed up for some reason which is a bit strange.
It's got its good points, but it doesn't have bad points, it has points that could be improved.
All in all, and I mean it... It is a good game.
It is worth buying & you will like it.
It is better than the vids show.
Ohhh I can't wait to have it
When I'm a tad more sober tomorrow I'll try and answer any more I can.
Hope this helps some people. I liked it, and I don't think anyone will be dissapointed. It is good, not great, but a good game.
Best rugby game we have ever seen (but I don't know if that does it justice).
Cheers guys.
Jamie Gough
So I have just come back from the EA SPORTS Rugby 2005 launch in Christchurch at the Heritage Hotel.
EA had sent me the invite saying that it was from 8-9pm, yet when I arrived it looked like it had been going for ages. (Apparently started at 6.30pm).
So I missed the presentation.
Luckily though, a lot of people had left so I got consols a plenty to myself - I wasn't there to make friends, I just wanted some Rugby 2005!!!
Turned out, people that worked in the media were supposed to turn up at 8 (which was me, although I'm only a very part time writer for my mag).
The rest were people that worked at the game stores that were going to be promoting the game. EB Games, Gamesman, Central Park etc etc etc.
Okay, I'm not trying to build myself up here too much or anything but most people there were straight out FREAKS. All those freaky strange people that every knows that you see around town... well they were there! I was pretty much the only normal person.
I'll try and give an example, they had two selections of free alcohol, CD or Stellar, when I arrived almost all the CD was gone, and the Stellar wasn't touched (At all! Not one glass taken!). I would sooner eat my own scrotum than take a sip of that crap CD. Luckily, Stellar, my drink of choice was in grand supply.
All the freaky people there were in there little groups, with their untra baggy jeans and death metal tee shirts. I was the only person that was there under the invite for the 'media' as well. I was also the only person NOT wearing cargo pants (at least half of them were camo cargos too). They were speaking about NZ Idol and what High Five chick was the hottest. Okay, they were total losers.
Annnnnnyway, and nonetheless - Rugby 2005.
I still didn't quite get to have the game time I wanted but let me say this...
It is worth the wait.
Everyone here looking forward to the game should be, because it is very good.
I think I have a fairly universal approach to games, so what I like, you'll like, I think my views will be similar to yours...
Heres a few things I had to check out - as far as comps go, you have World Cup, 6 Nats, Tri-Nats, and a thing called "10 Nats" which is 6 Nats + 3 Nats + Argentina, it's not a real tourny but it makes it look like they have more to offer. It is stupid that it is there. They should have just had a "Create a Tournament" instead - which it doesn't. + World League (which I didn't get to try)
I don't know why I am getting onto stuff like that though now, I have things that should be covered before that.
Quick Play allows you to play as either a country vs country, or Super 12, or Euro or Rep (Barr Barrs, PI, Aus A & NZ Maori).
New Zealand All Blacks have a Haka (as you know), the NZ Maori DO NOT have their haka. I didn't get a chance to see if other pacific island teams have their hakas or not, but we gotta leave something for you
Hmmm, I'm trying to think of the best way to explain this... Rugby 2005 has everything (as far as options go) that Rugby 2004 had. But they have done it better. You can still pick your WORLD CUP SQUADS!!! Except you can't seem to see individual player rankings?! It just says their position, height and weight. Plus you can pick the format of tornys, for example, your the World Cup the sched can be for either 1999, 2003, 2007 (??, yeh I know!) or RANDOM, as for Super 12 it can be 2005 or random.
I guess... It is a very much improved Rugby 2004. It is the game that Rugby 2004 should have been.
It looks crisp and sharp. And the gameplay is great (I'll go into that a little bit later).
One thing I did notice that you might find interesting, the XBOX version has a hell of a lot better graphics than the PS2. I don't own an XBOX, so I'll buy the PS2 version, but XBOX looks a tad better. (You'll notice it, for sure).
PS2 edges look a little rougher, but all in all thats about it.
Gameplay is good. You'll like it alot. We used 'Boardcast View' at the event and nobody else wanted to change from that. It looked cool tho. AI seems quite good, and I was stoked when I finally got some time to play it by myself.
Graphics are pretty good.
I went out for a drink with a friend afterwards so I'm a bit tidley to keep on track here, ergh.
In sum up, I can't wait to buy it.
It isn't outstanding - it is just, hmm, how should I put it... It is everthing Rugby 2004 SHOULD have been, they could have done a bit better with more options, or career stuff, or more stats, but all in all, it's a good game.
When you run to the side that isn't the near side (on the broadcast view) the players seem to run EXTREMELY fast, but that could just be the view. The replays also seem to speed up for some reason which is a bit strange.
It's got its good points, but it doesn't have bad points, it has points that could be improved.
All in all, and I mean it... It is a good game.
It is worth buying & you will like it.
It is better than the vids show.
Ohhh I can't wait to have it
When I'm a tad more sober tomorrow I'll try and answer any more I can.
Hope this helps some people. I liked it, and I don't think anyone will be dissapointed. It is good, not great, but a good game.
Best rugby game we have ever seen (but I don't know if that does it justice).
Cheers guys.
Jamie Gough
