By deciding not to release Rugby League games annually (so far), Sidhe Interactive has given them the opportunity to produce substantial improvements from each iteration of the game to the next. From a look at the list of features, one could determine that Sidhe certainly keep their eyes and ears open when fans talk about what they would have liked to see in the game. Arguably the most notable new feature in Rugby League 2 is the inclusion of a fleshed out franchise mode, similar to the sort of thing you'd expect to see in the American sports titles. Franchise mode spans multiple years, and will have you doing all sorts of little micro-management tasks like maintaining player contracts, tweaking player lineups when players are injured, disciplined by the judiciary or called up for representative duties. All of the major teams and championships will be available, from regular seasons like the NRL and Super League to representative events like City vs. Country and the State of Origin.
Better AI should ensure that line breaks aren't as easy
Measures have been taken to improve the flow of gameplay and increase the intelligence of the computer opponents. New techniques such as ball stripping, contesting the high ball, diving on/kicking the loose ball and passing to the play maker will help to improve the general flow of play, which was already one of the best aspects of Rugby League. The game's AI has been improved around the board, and is fully customizable with a slider system, similar to what is seen in the NFL/NBA/NHL 2K series. If you get tired of taking on computer opponents, you can take your team online and seek out human opponents. With statistics tracking and a rankings system, Rugby League 2 could be one of the biggest games on Xbox Live in Australia.
Rugby League 2 packs a much more realistic look than its predecessor
One of our biggest issues with Rugby League were the graphics - low detail models and floaty animation gave the game a rather low budget look and feel. Sidhe Interactive have really put a lot of effort into improving this area of the game for the sequel, with over 500 players being individually modeled for the most realistic experience possible. The New Zealand studio has employed the services of WETA Digital (the house behind the special effects of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) for motion capture to ensure much more lifelike animation. More than 40 different stadiums from across the world will be available to host your matches. Andrew Voss will return to produce commentary, and we are assured by Sidhe that the in-game TV-style presentation will be a lot slicker than the previous title.
With around about 4 months to go until release, Sidhe Interactive have enough time to give Rugby League 2 a good spit and polish, although we must admit that we are very excited about the additions and improvements that have been added since the last game. Rugby League 2 is currently due for release on October 30th, for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. PALGN will keep you up to date with any developments, and deliver a full review upon release.
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