Rugby 08 – PS2 – Review

Leave it to EA
Sports to cover a number of sporting events from PGA golf to NCAA football and,
of course, the sport of rugby. Being a fan of the sport – I am, after all, a
Briton – I’ve seen EA Sports’ Rugby series go from good to better and, finally,
the great. Whether you’re a fan of the All Blacks or root for the Wallabies,
Rugby 08 for the PlayStation 2 is the best edition to come out this year and a
great introduction to the game for those who are new to rugby.

When EA Sports
released Rugby 06, the overall presentation wasn’t bad at all but the gameplay
elements were a bit complex for those who aren’t familiar with the rules of the
game. It’s not that it didn’t try to give newcomers a crash course in the rules
as well as the controls, but the 06 edition felt right at home for those who are
very familiar with the sport. Rugby 08 also has a tutorial and, while it’s brief
and lightly touches on the basics such as passing or how to make a proper
lineout throw-in, it’s the controls and difficulty setting options that make
this edition comfortable enough for returning as well as new gamers. This is
certainly a small part of what makes Rugby 08 one of the best games in the
franchise so far. The second, of course, are the controls.

The basic
controls allow you to make passes quickly and dive on a loose ball with ease
while the more complex attacking and defending moves are responsive and easy to
learn. You’ll also be binding a ruck or how to collapse a scrum in no time
thanks to the new control features. For example, you can now drive the scrum up
field by pressing the left analog stick in a specific direction and you can even
wheel the scrum by pressing the same analog stick in a 90-degree angle. Taking
total control over these specific set pieces makes a major difference in your
gameplay style. Even the new kicking meter just feels more precise and easier to
score than last year’s edition.

A new addition
to the game is the Authentic Defense Formations feature that allows you to
adjust your defensive strategy on the fly. This works beautifully when you find
yourself going up against teams that makes appropriate changes to their defense
or powerful teams such as France or South Africa. Being able to make changes to
your defense and offense quickly makes the difference between getting trampled
by the likes of the Brumbies or getting the upper hand when things are about to
turn ugly for your team. This year’s game has you going up against some
challenging opponents since the AI sees a slight improvement. The good news is
that no matter what difficulty setting you pick your opponent is still able to
make realistic mistakes and play the way you would expect your favorite team to
play.

Once again, the
game allows you to quickly jump into the action in the game’s exhibition mode or
head directly to the Rugby World Cup, which does a great job of recreating the
World Cup matches in their entirety. There’s also a Tournament mode, which can
be set up anyway you like it but the best addition comes in the form of
Challenge Mode, a game mode that allows you to recreate World Cup matches or
change the course of history by completing a set of objectives. The challenges
cover past World Cups such as the 1995 Pool A match that pit South Africa
against Australia. You can change the outcome of the 2003 Pool A match against
Argentina and Ireland (a classic match with surprising results). This is not
only a good distraction from Tournament and Rugby World Cup mode but it’s also a
challenging good time. Really, the only thing missing is online multiplayer.

Another
noticeable improvement comes in the form of the graphics. Visually speaking,
Rugby 08 is a vast improvement over past games in the series and you will
certainly know it when you look at the player models and how they move. Even the
clipping problems of the past games are less noticeable in this game. The
overall presentation is also a lot slicker this year and the stadiums look
realistic enough and the fans look decent enough.

There is a
collection of interesting music in the game that might not come from
recognizable artists but the music isn’t bad at all. What doesn’t quite work is
the two-man commentary team that repeats themselves constantly throughout their
coverage and aren’t always quick to point out the weaknesses in your defense or
offense. Perhaps this is me being nitpicky but many of the televised matches I
have watched have commentators that are far more enthusiastic than this so why
do we get this droll commentary? At least the stadium sounds are excellent and
World Cup matches feature national anthems.

EA Sports
delivers a rugby game that fans – and those just interested in trying a
different sport that doesn’t involve the NBA or the NFL brand – could really
sink their teeth into and enjoy. Rugby 08 is a great addition to the franchise
and an improvement that makes this one a truly enjoyable rugby game fit for your
PS2. The series is still missing an online multiplayer mode but aside from this
fault, the game is the rugby game you will want to buy right away.

Review Scoring Details for Rugby 08

Gameplay: 8.5
The
pick-up-and-play controls work wonderfully to the point that those new to the
sport will know enough to perform a good drop kick or master a scrum. The AI
sees some major improvements and that’s a very good thing and World Cup
Challenge Mode will be a true fan favorite.

Graphics: 8.9
The game’s
graphics are a major improvement and even on the PS2, the level of detail will
not fail to impress. The player models move realistically and the faces look
more natural now than last year’s edition. Of course, the stadiums look great as
well but it’s the new truck and zoom visual feature that is the star of the
show.

Sound: 8.5
There are some
pretty decent tunes in this game and the stadium sounds give the impression that
you’re watching a televised match. The two-man commentary team still lacks
enthusiasm and the ability to call the plays right.

Difficulty:
Medium
The AI has
improved greatly so expect your opponents to put up a surprisingly decent
defense as well as make some intelligent plays that will make the game
challenging no matter what difficulty setting you play.

Concept: 8.5
All the major
rugby teams and players are available and reliving classic World Cup matches (or
altering World Cup history) make this one of the best editions yet. The gameplay
changes are a great addition to the game but where’s the online multiplayer
mode?

Multiplayer:
7.0
The lack of
online play will be a major turn-off to rugby fans looking to challenge
likeminded fans of the game. Here’s hoping the PS3 will bring online play next
year.

Overall: 8.5
Rugby 08 for
the PS2 is, by far, the best edition of this franchise yet. Fans of the sport
will find everything from the controls to the graphics has improved greatly and
while it’s not a major leap forward, it is a big leap in the right direction.
Rugby fans will certainly get a kick out of this one.