EA SPORTS Rugby 2005 – XB – Review

Okay, so it has
taken a long while for American sports fans to warm up to the international
sport of soccer. Well, some still won’t embrace the sport no matter how many
soccer moms there are in the States. Let’s face it, America has a long and loyal
love affair with the NFL, MLB and the NBA and, to some extent, NASCAR. Yet the
legion of fans out there that enjoy all sports will tell you that the sport of
rugby is the most hard-hitting contact sport around. Rugby 2005 has finally come
to the Xbox and while it might not be as popular here as it is in – say – the
UK, this is rugby at its finest.

Don’t know what
rugby is or how it’s played? That’s understandable considering the fact that not
everyone comes from England (like yours truly) or other parts of Europe where
the game is popular, and not everyone played it as a scruffy lad at school (like
yours truly). What the game promises is funny headgear, a misshapen ball and
plenty of rough tackles and truly the most intense action you’ll find in a sport
outside of NFL football. The rules are complex, but luckily EA Sports was kind
enough to include Rugby 101, which is basically a coaching video that covers all
the basics. If that weren’t enough, you’ll be forced to play a series of
exercises geared at learning the game’s controls and other basics like
scrummaging or rucking.

For those of you
who are familiar with the sport or have seen it televised on cable, this is the
15 players per team version of the game. You’ll find plenty of international
teams such as Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, South Africa and even the
USA. To keep these teams company you’ll even find the Super 12 teams like the
Sharks or the Chiefs and European teams like Newport Gwent or Leicester. There’s
even an International list of teams from Japan to Argentina. In short, there are
enough teams here to satisfy any fan of the sport and that’s a good thing
considering the game features many of the usual tournaments including the Lions
Tour.

The tournaments
included in the game are World Championship, Tri-Nations, Six Nations, and Super
12, Ten Nations, European Trophy, World League and the Lions Tour. Unfortunately
there is no Xbox Live support so don’t expect an online multiplayer mode. Yet
with this nice assortment of tournaments you’ll be more than busy playing
through weeks of fixtures using your favorite teams. Among the most
entertaining, the Super 12 tournament steals the show.

As for how the
game plays, Rugby 2005 has decided on a more simplistic control scheme and thus
makes all the basics easy to pull off without much trouble. The is a good thing,
especially for gamers new to the sport, and something long-time fans will
appreciate as well. Whether you’re engaging in a scrum (that’s players locking
heads or attempting to score a try (worth five points to your team) the game
still gives you plenty of pointers even after completing the exercises. Thanks
to this simplicity of the controls and the Practice mode gamers will quickly
learn how to keep the opposition from forcing a turnover by binding a ruck
(pressing the A button will call in more teammates).

The problem is
that winning rucks isn’t easy in the game and you’ll be called offside just one
too many times in one match. To top it all off, kicking isn’t exactly a precise
action due to the fact that the camera angle for kicks doesn’t offer a fair view
of the playing field. Of course, these are hurdles that – with practice – can be
ignored once you’ve gotten the hang of the game’s flow. For fans that know the
rules and have become accustomed to the controls, the computer-controlled
opposition offers quite a challenge and often times makes some pretty great
plays if you drop your guard or allow them to control the field.

Visually
speaking, Rugby 2005 looks very good. The player models are detailed enough that
you’ll notice how dirty the player uniforms can get as the match goes on. There
are also plenty of facial expressions and a pleasant assortment of player
animations that never become too annoyingly repetitive. Even the tackles look
amazing, although sometimes the camera doesn’t quite follow the action –
particularly during kicks – as well as it should. The fans still look way too
pixilated, but the stadiums look delightfully authentic.

Listening to the
fans sing and chant or hearing the other players shout words of encouragement as
your teammates are forcing a turnover will bring to mind those excellent
televised matches. Top this off with authentic-sounding tackles and the sounds
of bodies colliding with brute force and you have a game that brings the sport
to life. Ian Robertson is magnificent as the Rugby 101 coach and does an even
better job commentating on the matches with his equally insightful partner. The
EA Trax is filled with alternative rock bands like The Cops, The Libertines or
28 Days. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea but they do compliment the menu
screens.

It’s great to
see a hard-hitting sport like rugby on the Xbox and even better when it’s done
right. Rugby 2005 is an excellent introduction to the sport and, by far, the
best rugby game EA Sports has produced thus far. While its rules might come off
as too complex to American audiences unfamiliar with the game, it’s
easy-to-get-into controls should be able to satisfy any sports fan willing to
give it a shot.

#Review Scoring Details for Rugby  2005

Gameplay: 8.0
The controls
just feel right and the game moves along at a smooth pace. In short, this is a
game easy to get into whether or not you’re new to the sport. While kicking is
an aspect of the game that could have been handled a tad better the game plays
better than last year’s PS2 exclusive. 

Graphics: 8.5
The dive
tackles look so brutal that you’ll be apologizing to the other team’s player for
slamming into him at that speed. The player models are also quite stunning and
watching their uniforms get real dirty is a nice touch indeed. Even the
stadiums, especially the one in Glasgow looks accurate.

Sound: 9.0
You’ll want to
play this one with a great sound system because during matches you’ll be
surrounded by a wall of sounds that range from players getting psyched up to
referees calling out penalties. When players collide you will really hear it and
even kicks are heard perfectly. I do love the commentary but the soundtrack – in
my opinion, anyway – just isn’t all that great.

Difficulty:
Med/Hard
The opposing
team AI might not be as good as Madden NFL 2005 but they’re able to come up with
some pretty brilliant plays. Going up against the much stronger teams like New
Zealand will really have you sweating during line-outs. If you’re new to the
sport just make sure to check out Rugby 101 first.

Concept: 8.0
True happiness
is finding a game with all the familiar teams you’ve cheered for since you were
a wee lad so imagine my delight in finding good old New Castle. If that weren’t
enough there’s plenty of tournaments like the Super 12 and even the Ten Nations
tournaments. Even the team lineup is current and the Create A Player is
wonderfully deep. What more can we ask for except for Xbox Live support, of
course?

Multiplayer:
7.0
Up to four
players can get into the action and that’s not bad at all. What is bad, however,
is the fact that the game has no online multiplayer action. EA Sports, we love
the fact that many of your titles have Xbox Live support, but if soccer has a
loyal following in the US then surely there are rugby fans just dying to play
against other fans.

Overall: 8.2
Rugby 2005 on
the Xbox has all the right goods to make this one a worthwhile game for fans new
and old. For gamers unfamiliar with the sport the complex rules might be a bit
of a turn off but then again its head-butting, shoulder-mashing action should
attract fans of American football. For longtime fans – like myself – the
controls make it easy enough to make this a rucking good time.