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Rugby 2005

Score: 71%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: HB Studios
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 4
Genre: Sports (Rugby)

Graphics & Sound:

For years, I’ve been waiting for EA Sports to take the Rugby series’ graphics seriously, and I think they’re finally starting to get the idea. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a long way to go, but it’s a step in the right direction. Never mind the pictures you see in this review; they’re a ruse (a cunning attempt to trick you). If you’ve played the FIFA series at all, imagine those type of graphics for Rugby 2005. It’s more of a wide field with several players on the screen at the same time, which is a mix of good and bad. The good: the graphics show realistic animations with the players. The bad: tackling is a bit tough since your players are so small.

Despite the farther-away look of Rugby 2005, there are some zoomed-in shots. However, that’s generally when you’re throwing in or kicking the ball. Those graphics are much better simply because there’s more detail to look at when dealing with a bigger character.

The audio needs more work, especially the commentary. It’s nice having an international flavor when they call the match, but would it kill them to sound a little more excited about the game? Besides that, the other sounds of rugby are there... barely. Crowd noise leaves something to be desired. The lone bright spot of this section are the tackling sounds, which are reminiscent of Madden tackles... only with rugby players.


Gameplay:

If you like playing rugby, Rugby 2005 is for you. However, that’s about all the game has to offer. Rugby 2005 has two main modes: Tournaments and World League. There’s also a Practice mode to go over basic training, scrimmage situations, and the like... but that’s it. Other features offered are the abilities to create a player and to check your rugby stats, but that’s hardly worth mentioning.

There isn’t an Online mode for Rugby 2005, which makes sense. No way is there a following for the Rugby series like there is for Madden. The only people I could see online would be die-hards and everyone else outside the U.S. (rugby is much bigger in Europe and Australia, you see...).

Something I think Rugby 2005 could have really benefited from would have been mini-games. I’m not sure what, but something that could help improve your skills for the actual matches would have been great. Perhaps passing or tackling drills of some sort... even kicking. Just something more to increase the number of game modes.

The game of rugby itself depends on how well you know the rules of the game. Make sure to work on your passing, scrum techniques, and tackles, because that’s the core of the game. I mentioned earlier the difficulty in tackling, but that’s really because your players are so much smaller than they are in Madden. You really have to be lined up next to the guy to put a lick on ‘em.


Difficulty:

One of the best features I like about Rugby 2005 is the fact that it won’t let a new profile play the game until they complete an interactive tutorial. I’m sure there are a few people out there who already understand the game of Rugby, but it’s still nice to learn what buttons do what. And with this tutorial, you pretty much go through the main scenarios of the game.

There are three difficulty levels for Rugby 2005: Easy, Normal, and Hard. I’ve played the Rugby series before, so I figured I’d start on Normal. Big mistake... especially with the American team. I got waxed in two games. Therefore, I suggest starting on Easy... or just avoid the American squad.


Game Mechanics:

Despite the tutorial, plan on learning the controller configuration for a little bit. Passing is the name of the game in Rugby 2005, as you have buttons for both directions (left and right). Once you learn them, you should have an easier time running your offense. However, it’s the fact that it took me a while to get accustomed to left AND right passing buttons, which is why I’m giving you all a warning now.

The controller configuration is the biggest worry for this section, however. Like other sports games by EA, load times and memory blocks are a breeze.

Like I said before, Rugby 2005 is a step in the right direction. However, I recommend renting it first for those who aren’t rugby die-hards.


-Red Dawg, GameVortex Communications
AKA Alex Redmann

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