billservo's Full Review: Rugby 2002 for PlayStation 2
I've only recently become something of a sports fan. So when I got a copy of EA's Rugby 2002 I knew I'd have a tough job ahead of me. Like most Americans I didn't know quid about the sport, which kind of had me wondering what EA was thinking bringing that game to us.
For gamers already into Rugby, the game's an easy sell. There's not much competition and you can always count on EA Sports for at least a competent rendition of any sport. But for the rest of us EA's got to make us Rugby fans first then sell us on their game. And that's a tall order. Nonetheless I decided to give it a go.
GAMEPLAY:
As I've said before gameplay makes or breaks a sports game. While EA's Rugby isn't perfect, it plays solidly, capturing the manic feel of the game well.
Playing a running game is especially rewarding here thanks to accurate passing and generous wide-angle camera work. The lofty camera lets you see holes in the defense as well as players for you to pass to. And where hockey and soccer games fail, Rugby succeeds: passing. When you have multiple teammates to pass to Rugby uses a "multitap" method to specify the receiver. If the guy you want to pass to is a couple men behind you, tap pass twice. Viable receivers have a marker under them indicating how many time you'll have to tap to pass to them in case it's not obvious. The draw here is that there's no quick, throw-away pass since a pass does take some time to complete. But the in-depth passing system also allows for fakes, so there's more good in this than bad.
The kicking game, while unarguably more boring, is handled well, too. Line-outs are setup a little slowly, which kills the pace of the game for players who like to stay in the action. The game allows you to kick just about anywhere you want. This is good since it's realistic, but bad since it allows you to punt a ball in the wrong direction. However, players with a good enough kick game will be treated to absolutely nerve-racking games. Scrums and line-outs by the goal are as exciting as any 4th and goal play in Madden.
The only physical aspects of the game that don't feel right are scrums and mauls. Not that either are really to exciting, though. Both are performed by just pushing either up or down to gain ground and trying to rake the ball back to a player. The gameplay mechanics of this task remind me of fighting in the NHL games. But this game has nothing over hockey when it comes to hits. Sad for as notoriously violent as the game is, too. Players almost feel like they flop to the ground after a hit and you'll never get that big hit feeling or satisfaction.
EA purists will feel robbed of some of the extras we've gotten used to. No create-a-player at all, nothing to unlock, and only 2 player support. But the biggest problem with the game is the inherit learning curve most will have with it. As I write this I have to constantly double check my terminology. But I did manage to get the game down, and I have to admit, the game is actually pretty fun now that I know what I'm doing.
GRAPHICS:
With that said, Rugby isn't as polished or pretty as most EA Sports titles. From the game's intro clips it's obvious. Some of the scenes in the intro are rendered with the game's engine, and they look good. Other scenes look like they were done with the engine, but then recorded as video and played back- these look bloody awful.
Then on to the menuing screens. While not awful, they're totally devoid of any character. There's only the faintest hint of some sort of music in the background and there's almost no colour at all.
But nobody plays a game for the menus. In game graphics are nowhere near as horrid, but not as smooth as FIFA or Madden. Jaggies make an appearance accompanied by a bit of clipping. The stand-offish camera hides a lot of the clipping, but it's there.
The worst part is the character models. They all look essentially the same. I didn't know that Japan had a rugby team, but it was a marvelous surprise to see that Japanese rugby players look like British guys.
The graphics aren't horrible. Terrain effects are cool, and night games display a generous amount of colour blending: orange-purple sunsets, spotlights, lens flare and the whole bit.
A couple of cool gimmicks are the reversed replay (the game doesn't cut-away to the replay, but rather instantly starts playing everything backward to the replay point), and the forced slo-mo on line-outs. The forced slow-mo is really more of a gimmick since it helps you get your bearings on the toss.
Overall the graphics are good, but look pre-Madden. Definitely good enough for the first in the series (if there ever is a Rug by 2003).
SOUND:
Unfortunately sound is a little more disappointing than graphics. There just isn't much to help carry the game. No background music in the menus or even in the game itself. Since I haven't watched a professional Rugby game I don't know if this is normal, but at least in a video game it helps rev things up.
Sound effects are OK except when it comes to hits. There's no audio telling you how good of a hit you just had. No crunching as players fall to the ground. The physical game falls a little flat because of all this.
Commentary is also a bit of a let down. Surely, it's mostly due to cultural differences. The British delivery is expectedly subdued. Not that the commentary content is bad, but just not suited to American tastes. There's a couple things that'll probably give you a chuckle, but they're unintentional like when the guy says you're playing "Champagne rugby."
CONTROL:
Like gameplay, control is accurate. I'll get it out of the way quickly: there's no analog support at all. That being the case, the game still controls well.
Because actions in Rugby are a little more deliberate and animations are a little longer you have time to relay intensity information through press duration- the way we used to do it in the old days. A cool side-effect of this is that you can interrupt certain moves, like passing, in mid-execution. You can press the right pass button, start your pass thus losing a pursuer then hit the left pass and hang on to the ball.
What's included is good, but the game left me wanting a little more on offense. There's not enough options for getting away with the ball. No high-stepping, or jukes, etc. Maybe these aren't typical rugby tactics, but I'm sure you could give it a try.
Like I said, though, what the game offers is executed well and I rarely question mistakes I make. Considering that most players will be learning the game as they play, stable control is essential.
OVERALL:
While Rugby is a well done game, I have to give it a cautious recommendation. If you're not already a Rugby fan or simply a die-hard sports fan you probably won't enjoy having to learn the sport then learn the game. If you are a Rugby enthusiast though, this is probably the game you've been waiting for.
It may well be the toughest sport the world has ever known, and now it?s a top-notch game for the PlayStation 2. If it happens on the Rugby field, it ...More at GameQuest Direct. com
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