Rugby 2004

"I write this review so that others do not have to suffer like I have..."

Introduction

Ok, so Rugby is always going to be hard game to turn into a computer game. The rules are complicated, and even the commentators are often left scratching their heads at some decisions. The ball is often hidden from view, surrounded by a 16 man bundle. So how do EA fare on this attempt?

Presentation

This does not start well. The start-up screens look awful, in a hideously low resolution, with the menus being in some 1980's ZX spectrum style script. How difficult is it to draw a picture of a rugby ball with the logo ''Rugby 2004'' in a resolution greater than 300*200. Too hard for this development team, it would seem.

Graphics

Average. Much, much worse than you'd expect from EA. Tea boy stuff in fact. The figures on their own don't look to bad, but once more than a few are on the screen together the animation drops to the level of 1980's John Madden games, with players milling about randomly.

Gameplay

I cannot quite get over to you in words quite how poor this is. It's just so hard to influence what happens, and you spend ages just waiting for the next thing to happen. Sure, there are buttons for pass L/R, three different kicks, hand-off etc, but dont get too hopeful about actually being allowed to use them. Its very hard to select a player near the ball, making tacking difficult, unless you just let the computer controlled players do all the work. The very worst bit is still to come however, and is reserved for when you get tackled. The simulation of the breakdown is just pitiful to behold. Players from either side mill around somewhere vaguely near the ball, looking as though they've momentarily forgotten where they are, or why. You have no influence over what happens in the ruck (mauls don't exist), and just have to wait until the ball comes back. Or doesn't. At random.
This is bad enough when you're on the attack, but when the opposition has the ball, its completely unforgivable, as its cup of tea time until they kick or infringe.

Other problems

Jerky animation
It's far too easy
No decent introduction if you dont already know the rules
Stilted commentary and forgettable sound

Good points

Er... struggling here... it does have a very large number of teams, all of them rendered equally badly.

Overall

It's an old joke, but this game was not released, it escaped. It doesn't need a review, just an autopsy. Their crime is not simplifying the game until it's meaningless, their crime is simplifying the game until its meaningless AND making it no fun to play. All the its of the game that are diffcult to simulate they've just avoided letting you have any influence at all. The bits that you do get to play are repetitive and dull.
People may defend it by saying it's the best rugby game around, but I don't feel that's enough to save what is a badly done, tedious waste of time that you'll be hard pushed to get any fun out of at all.

Reviewer's Score: 1/10, Originally Posted: 10/15/03