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Xbox | Sports | Rugby 2005

Boxart for Rugby 2005
Rugby 2005 6 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 3.5
  • SOUND: 3.5
  • CONTROL: 4.0
  • FUN FACTOR 3.5
  • AVG USER SCORE n/a
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 3.5

Review: Rugby 2005

Review by cheatmonkey | 03/25/2005 | 14:56:07 PM PST

Rugby may not be America's sport, but Rugby 2005 makes it a good game anyway.

Maybe it's from being out of touch with the world, or maybe it's just being American, but rugby is one of those Rodney Dangerfield sports that gets no respect on this side of the Atlantic. It's a Euro game that's actually popular in U.S. colleges; and it's kind of a cross between soccer, football, and a riot. You run with the ball, make multiple lateral passes, and kick the ball to teammates. Defense is all about bone-jarring tackles, and after every one there's a mass shoving match (called the ruck) for possession of the ball.

Ruck and Roll
Rugby 2005's animation and controls herd this frenetic action in workmanlike fashion. The PS2 controller seems to favor field sports and that's true here, too. The game's in constant motion, and with 15 players per team the field gets crowded. The skill is in knowing when to pass the ball, and the controls do a worthy job of placing short and long passes as well as kicks on the run at your fingertips.

Rugby 2005 gets the full treatment as an EA Sports show, and both the Xbox and PS2 handle things well. Visual presentation sports a look for cut scenes, player close-ups, and stadium longviews that are reminiscent of the FIFA soccer and Madden football games. The player models show good detail, although the accuracy of the faces will be lost on American audiences unfamiliar with the stars. The sounds draw juice from rip-rocking music and lively commentators that seem to know what they're talking about.

Rudimentary Rugby
For fans of the sport, Rugby 2005 is packed with international leagues and multiple nation tournaments. There's not too much here for armchair coaches beyond making key substitutions, but you can build a player.

Rugby 2005 captures all the basics of this fast-paced game. The fun for a non-rugby fan will be in learning about the sport, and Rugby 2005 just might win a few converts.