Multiplat AFL 26 - Releasing May 8th

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

A reminder before this game's alleged release.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
​

Hello. Perhaps you've been here before. Perhaps you haven't. If you haven't, here's what you need to know: these threads have a long history of being dumpster fires. For that reason, we take a much stricter approach to moderation than we otherwise do.


What is okay:

• Heated debate / disagreement​
• Criticising the game / developers​
• Praising the game / developers​
• General shit talk​

What is not okay:

• Personal attacks / name calling / abuse / criticising the person rather than the argument / game
• Repeating the same thing over and over and over and over (and over) to push an agenda or attempt to dominate the thread

We will not hesitate to permanently thread ban you if you are taking too much of our time.

In the wise, wise words of Jasper Beardsley:

 

[Treehill23]

Imagine this, players cramping during games. Pickle juice packs in proteam. You have to manage your pickle juice rations throughout a game/season. Fatigue bars on players, if energy is low more chance of cramps. If you run out of pickle juice, you gotta sub them out.

I’d put my money on getting GTA 7 before we get pickle juice in an AFL game

 

[FearTheBeard13]

Improvements I’d like to see

Fixes to gameplay -
Tackling (Including gang tackles!)
Marking
Contested footy
AI running patterns
Kick out tactics working

Management mode needs cleaning up in every aspect possible

Crowd noise during different periods of the game

Overall immersion. Felt like AFL23 was very dull and unrewarding

All this is spot on to me. The other big thing is the Interchange logic and the ability for us to assign secondary player positions to assist with said interchange logic.

 

[ptrg]

So we can be on the lookout for biased reviews and “testers”, who were the clear shills last time round?
I remember distinctly there were a few who got early versions and piled on the praise, only to turn around and claim that they must have tested a “different version” - one that we never actually got.

 

[Xtreme]

The career in Cricket 24 is still so bare bones and they have been building on that since 2014. I don't expect to much other than just being a single player on the field which would be a bit boring. Will definitely be waiting for reviews for this. Last time I bought the PS5 digital version and played for about 5 hours. Couldn't then trade the game or get a refund!

It's fine in games like NHL, NBA, FIFA and even Madden with a small playing arena.

But I found the solo player aspect a bit dull in AFL Evolution. Tried back and forward, ended up being a midfielder who hogged the ball EVERYWHERE lol.

 

[SugarShane]

Considering it’s M rated. No excuse to leave out injuries and suspensions. And tummy punches. I want to see the blood rule imposed, HIAs and pickle juice.

You ever play Blitz The League on PS3? Elite game. Wasn't NFL licensed so they went hard with the over the top stuff. Injuring other players was encouraged and a genuine game mechanic, and if your guys got injured you could choose whether to treat the injury or juice/jab them up and get them back out there. Think Port doctors V Melbourne doctors. Such a fun game.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

So we can be on the lookout for biased reviews and “testers”, who were the clear shills last time round?
I remember distinctly there were a few who got early versions and piled on the praise, only to turn around and claim that they must have tested a “different version” - one that we never actually got.

Good call. That shit was infuriating.

 

[CraigMc24]

For me, the contested part of the game is the thing I want to see worked on the most. We haven’t really had an AFL game with good contested play as of yet. Evo 2 has probably been the best of the lost but that’s not saying much.
In AFL 23, if there’s a ball up inside forward 50 it’s either tackle after tackle or random quick kick to the other side of the 50 cause the clearance kick is completely random. Doesn’t ever feel rewarding to kick a goal out of these situations and the tackle after tackle is quite boring as it’s 1v1 with the rest of the players standing around just watching
A quick chain of handballs in congestion with players running into space for the outlet pass would be nice to see too

Oh 100% agree with this. Too much congestion in the fwd at times and then AI not moving around enough to be come an option leading tackle after tackle, ball up after ball up drives me nuts. Would love to see ruck/stoppage tactics be added to the game so we can, with the right timing, be able tap the ball down to say one of your small forwards. Imagine Draper taping the ball at the feet of Kako who snaps it for a goal. Or even a ruckman like Draper being able to grab the ball out of the ruck and kicking it towards goal himself.

And agree on the handballs too.

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

If they implement actual AFL structures for stoppage, kick ins and motion running patterns, the game could damn near be AFL 23.2 and still be enjoyable to play.

It felt like every team in 23 was the same with the exception of dominant rucks and marking players.

The gameplay got stale, there was little to no point playing the next game knowing its going to feel exactly like the last, especially when the core gameplay itself lacked any depth.

 

[SugarShane]

It's fine in games like NHL, NBA, FIFA and even Madden with a small playing arena.

But I found the solo player aspect a bit dull in AFL Evolution. Tried back and forward, ended up being a midfielder who hogged the ball EVERYWHERE lol.

Yeah I feel like those that were insistent on getting that game mode didn't really think it through. I did the same in being a forward in Evo because I wanted to kick bags, but found it way too boring because all you'd do was press mark then kick a goal. Then also changed to a mid where it just becomes a hog fest. It doesn't really suit AFL but hey, it's in so I guess we'll see how they manage it.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Ok, So this is a thing...

Ok...

Last time I was massively hyped, This time I have no hype at all and I'm even hesitant to even bother pre-ordering this time.

I'll be honest, I really struggled to get enjoyment out of AFL 23 and that's something I've managed to get out of even some of the really bad AFL games of the past. That's how broken at launch it was and how that sour taste lingered any time I tried to give it another go after the updates.

Who knows, maybe my rock-bottom expectations mean this game might be alright. That or all copies of AFL 26 end up lost at sea, Nacon goes into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, and someone decides to do a runner to Majorca Christopher Skase style to avoid the mess. Knowing my luck with predicting stuff, It's probably the latter. XD

23 was an unfinished broken mess, it made national news for how chaotically glitched it was, they never fixed it, they were literally still developing the game, after it was released. If 26 isn't broken and actually playable, they should give it to those who bought 23 for nothing, since 23 was a total shovelware scam.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

If they do it like FIFA where you can play as only yourself or as the entire team (which just happens to have you in it), it'll work. I always do it like that where I play as the whole team but I just happen to be the star striker.

 

[Nicho50]

Ultimately for the love our sports in AFL and Cricket I want these games to be successful.

I’ve buried my head in the sand regarding pro team / ultimate team / my teams whatever these modes are on specific games but I think that’s where the bread and butter is going to be for any sports hame going forward. I’ve never spent a real dollar on NBA or WWE versions of these games I’ve had some fun in doing them when you play vs the AI but as soon as you go in the online modes and go up against real people who have spent hundreds if not thousands of real money to get certain cards is deflating.

It will never change, management modes in all these games now are basically bare bones and really not that enjoyable. Even career modes now are aimed at you spending real money to purchase shitty gimmick items like Nike shoes or certain street wear just to walk around in the game when your not on the court/ ring/ field etc.

I actually think pro team from what I saw of the cards and the premise of it looks okay and I do enjoy some aspects of the nba version but man it’s over whelming when you see how much grinding you have to do just to keep up with the game mode objectives.

Love GTA5 online my go to game all the time but even that and others similar are all geared towards people spending real money.

As I’ve gotten older and had less free time to game I haven’t really touched game styles I used to love like Resident Evil but I have a feeling those style games are just going to slowly disappear and everything eventually will be in the pay to win/ upgrade style.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

For me, the contested part of the game is the thing I want to see worked on the most. We haven’t really had an AFL game with good contested play as of yet. Evo 2 has probably been the best of the lost but that’s not saying much.
In AFL 23, if there’s a ball up inside forward 50 it’s either tackle after tackle or random quick kick to the other side of the 50 cause the clearance kick is completely random. Doesn’t ever feel rewarding to kick a goal out of these situations and the tackle after tackle is quite boring as it’s 1v1 with the rest of the players standing around just watching
A quick chain of handballs in congestion with players running into space for the outlet pass would be nice to see too

Custom formations/player instructions I think as much as advanced contested play are the 2 most important things, if they managed to at least make the game playable with the basic movement/user commands.

 

[REDSTONE MJJ]

It 100% wouldn't be in there but I'd love to have some kind of fixture creator for use in custom seasons. Would add an extra layer to playing with custom teams

 

[GoldbergsGold]

I'm also confused as to why only 4 and a half months ago, they tweeted that 23 was getting an updated 2025 roster. Are they still doing that? That doesn't make sense if they're releasing a new AFL game. Or, did they change plans, and decide to throw together AFL 26 really quickly?

 

[carn tigez]

If they implement actual AFL structures for stoppage, kick ins and motion running patterns, the game could damn near be AFL 23.2 and still be enjoyable to play.

It felt like every team in 23 was the same with the exception of dominant rucks and marking players.

The gameplay got stale, there was little to no point playing the next game knowing its going to feel exactly like the last, especially when the core gameplay itself lacked any depth.

Yeah this is it. The gameplay wasn't exactly bad, it just had no replay value. Teams felt the same and there was no atmosphere, and no depth in any offline modes

 

[Quivorir]

I'm also confused as to why only 4 and a half months ago, they tweeted that 23 was getting an updated 2025 roster. Are they still doing that? That doesn't make sense if they're releasing a new AFL game. Or, did they change plans, and decide to throw together AFL 26 really quickly?
View attachment 2277154

This update actually came out last week. Unsure why they don't use twitter to announce shit.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

This update actually came out last week. Unsure why they don't use twitter to announce shit.

I wonder why they did that if they're releasing a new game.

 

[FearTheBeard13]

The other thing I’d like to see is parts of the gameplay sped up a little. It felt a bit slow at times and even at a PES-level speed where say, a wing chasedown was way slower than should be and not as excitable. Not comparing, but Evo 2 nailed the movement/command speeds for me.

 

[Andonis1997]

I do agree injuries and suspensions are a must, one of the many ridiculous omissions from AFL 23, but it's rated M for gambling.

Yeah, make the most of the M rating.
Show concussions, dislocated shoulders, broken bones.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Yeah, make the most of the M rating.
Show concussions, dislocated shoulders, broken bones.

Clayton Oliver's face, the works.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

This update actually came out last week. Unsure why they don't use twitter to announce shit.

Communication is a whole other thing but surely SURELY patch notes aren't too much to ask for

 

[lmaohelp]

So literally no communication from the con artist Ross on AFL26?

Have they been releasing patches for 23 recently ?

How on earth have they found the time to develop an entirely new game ?

Something is seriously off with this. I all but guarantee AFL26 is literally a new patch. No real improvements to game play and mechanics.

 

[mickelboy182]

Truly a shovelware dev, pumping out iterative broken releases and surviving purely out of licensing agreements.

 

[Quivorir]

I wonder why they did that if they're releasing a new game.

No idea considering they didn't even add the draftees. They just did the player movement of existing players.