Rugby 06

"Scores but fails to convert for the maximum points!"

Rugby 06 is the latest in a long line of rugby games. Every series has always been a must have for me, a diehard rugby fan, so I rushed to my local game shop to buy this latest version. I was very worried however that this game would become an overcomplicated slow paced waste of money however I found this fear to be false.

Graphics: 8/10

Graphics have never been the strong point of any rugby game so far however 06 does go someway to turning this around. The players share good similarities to their real life models however are not brilliantly detailed. On the other hand this is not very important because the match is not played close to the players and on the cut scenes showing close ups it is clear which player is which. The one problem I have with this game is animation. Most of the time it works well but occasionally when a player is catching a kick you sense the ball is on a string attached to the player's hands as it flies in to him. I once had a player a good few feet from the ball and it just flew sideways in to his hands. It does give you an advantage from more space but I find it very annoying. Another problem I have is when a player dives for a try but is tackled. All of a sudden the player is standing up again and then falls over from the tackle. Now I am not a physics teacher but I know that when you are in mid dive with a weight on top of you, you can not just stand up like that.

Despite these animation moans I find the game is pleasing on the eye if not particularly spectacular but for the game it does the job well and so is not too much of a problem.

Sound: 8/10

I have split sound in to sections in order to make it clearer to review.

In game music: N/A
The in game music like any sports game is really a marmite issue. You either love it or you hate it. I personally like the choice of bands and songs but I am sure many people do not. Personally I would just put some other music on if you do not like the music and that way it is not a problem.

Commentary: 8/10

The commentary and in game sounds are effective but is not perfect. A lot of the commentary is a repeat from last year which shows to me laziness on the makers part and I would have liked to seen more new phrases and originality. However the commentary is well done and on time and so you do feel you are playing a rugby match. There are some occasional problems such as when a quick throw by a full back is a well executed lineout by the hooker but I find this more amusing then any particular problems. I do like hearing all the players call for the ball and the tackles also sounds bone crunching. The crowd will sing at times and I find this a nice touch. The one problem I have with the sound is the referee. His occasional comments are generally unhelpful and the voices of the referees in the game are incredibly annoying. You may find this different but to me they are very annoying.

Controls: 10/10

The games controls are very effective and work well. While they may seem scary to a new player, once the player has played a few games the controls will get easier and easier until you wonder what was wrong in the first place. Experienced players will be relived to know that nothing has been changed so you do not have to worry about learning several new controls for the basic moves.

Gameplay: 9/10

The game of rugby is well replicated in this game but there are some slight problems that reduce the score here.

Nothing has really changed from the last game which I am for one very happy with. Instead EA has smartly added new features to improve the game. You can now take quick tap penalties and lineouts which are brilliant as they give a whole new tactical edge to the game. No longer do you have to lose the advantage by being unable to take a quick throw to yourself following a long punt. Also the run move on penalties can actually be used as the quick tap gives you that split second advantage to catch the defence off guard. A very good feature is the new offload system. Far too often in the last game I waited two long and a player would be tackled with support players with a clear run. Not any more! You can now use an offload in the tackle and so release the new player. This feature seems strange at first but once you get used to using it you will wonder why EA never put it in despite its clear use. Another new addition is the Impact players. These players have small stars above their heads and their abilities are much higher than other players. All of the world's big names are impact players like Brian O'Driscoll, Dan Carter and Schalk Burger. Like the other new features this gives the game a new edge as you now have to learn to deal with and also utilize these players abilities.

The game play is slightly slower than 05 but this is a good thing. This is because the computer gives penalties away far more often. One problem I have had with previous games is that unlike a real game of rugby, penalties never seem to occur.

The game however is still played at a good pace and is very easy to play. One problem is that the very good tutorials from the last game have been cut down. This will not cause a problem to those than know rugby but if are new to the game it is fairly difficult to get used to.

The set plays have now been expanded and are now much more prominent. For fellow England supporters the big play, the cross field kick is now an option and also several others to experiment with. It takes some practise but once you find you four favourite plays you will be using them with ease and will be cutting up the opposition! I would like to see some more selection on the defence and most importantly the lineout. At the moment the lineout is quick and easy which is a good thing but is to luck based and almost too simple as you only ever get three options- front jumper maul, second jumper to scrum half and number 8 over the top run.

The biggest problem with this game however is the ruck. A key part of the game but EA has really let us down with it. On the lower difficulties it is not as much of a problem but on the higher ones rucks seem pre selected. I have had a player tackled with no one around but I lost the ball what made it worse was my players where there first but just stood around. Rucks seem more a group of players standing and then pausing to suddenly ruck instead of diving in and pushing forward like a proper ruck.

Lifespan: 10/10

This game is massive. There are a lot of tournaments to play including at long last the Guinness Premiership. The domestic tournaments are the premiership, the Super 14s and the European Trophy as well as the big international tournaments like the World Cup, 6 Nations and Tri Nations. The one flaw is the lack of Celtic League, Top 14 and Npc which would increase the lifespan and also allow more people to play as their favourite clubs.

The one area that really draws you in is the World League. Very similar to the Master League on Pro Evolution Soccer 5, you take a team of no hopers and attempt to make them the champions of the Elite League. The mode has been changed from the last game. Firstly there is a new league in the Elite League that is now the top one so there are 4 Leagues to work up in total. Also you can no longer simply sign star players. You are given a list of players who wish to join you so your team is now built up slower and steadier stopping you from filling a team with the world's best and breezing through the game.

The multiplayer is brilliant as you can play together or against any of the worlds best clubs and there is an incredibly wide selection to choose from. The matches are very easy to set up and are very addictive to play.

The game has a very large create a player mode but I do not personally use it so I can not review it.

Plus points:

Massive game full of teams and players
New features add a good new dimension to game
Controls very effective once learnt
World League as addictive as ever

Negative Points:

Referee is badly scripted and annoying
Rucks seem decided before players get there
Animations unnatural at times

In all I gave this game 9/10. It is a must have for all rugby fans and I would highly recommend it to sport fans. However I would recommend you try the game first because you may not agree with my opinions and I would also recommend new players to rugby in general to find information on the game of rugby because rugby itself is a difficult game to get the hand of at first. Once you know the basics of rugby however you will find this game very enjoyable and a worth while purchase. My last point is to thank you for reading this review and I hope it was useful to you.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/02/06, Updated 11/30/99