Rugby 06 Review

With Swordfish Studios' Rugby Challenge 2006 already out at retail, it's the turn of Electronic Arts to bring their interpretation of rugby union to gamers. Having promised to continue developing the franchise, EA has implemented a number of new features that aim to do just that, but does it make grand enough strides for rugby-loving gamers?

As you'd expect from an EA title, Rugby 06 oozes licenses with the RBS 6 Nations, Guinness English Premiership, and the British Lions all represented, with non-official versions of the real-world European and World Cups offering a packed rugby tournament schedule. Teams from around the world both international and domestic are of course part of that, with subtle differences to the teams making up the unofficial tournaments. A series of short tutorials are also on offer to bring newcomers up to speed with the general controls of the game, which are nigh-on identical to previous iterations, and then it's the inevitable step onto the pitch that awaits.

An important element in modern rugby, and one that's never been properly conveyed in a videogame of the sport, are the quick and open passages of play. Traditionally rugby adaptations have followed a similar template of getting the ball, getting tackled, and if you're lucky, eventually score a try. They've never captured the fluidity of the sport, the frenetic and sometimes desperate passing of the ball between team members on the offensive, and the general high tempo pace of open rugby. Thankfully it seems that somebody at EA Sports has been listening, and as a result Rugby 06 comes with a number of techniques that succeed in increasing the pace of the experience.

By far the most important is the implementation of offloading the ball in a tackle. Whereas in previous rugby games (including Swordfish's Rugby Challenge 2006), play slows down to a snail's pace while a ruck or maul is executed, using the offload means that exciting attacking rugby can continue. Of course the option isn't available at every opportunity, and rucks or mauls will inevitably occur throughout the course of the game, but the fact is that by introducing such a simple concept as the offload EA has already succeeded in taking rugby adaptations to the next level. The other two tactics introduced in the game in order to speed up proceedings are the Quick Penalties and Quick Line-outs; like the offload in the tackle these real-world abilities inject a faster pace into the player experience, something that will definitely be appreciated by gamers longing for a realistic rugby title.

In addition, tactical decisions made from the set-pieces include the option to select a number of set plays that can help to open up the opposition's defensive line. These are selected with the d-pad, and can be swapped around with a catalogue of other plays in the run up to the match itself. Although used in some of the more bogged down areas of matches, the plays also help to add an extra level of depth to player experience, and continue to evolve Rugby 06 into the primary example of a rugby union videogame to date.

Besides the preset tournaments, gamers can also participate in a Career mode called the 'World League', splitting clubs from the Guinness Premiership, Super 14, French Premier, and the unofficial equivalents from Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, giving players the chance to take a team at the bottom of League 3 and eventually making it to the top of the Elite League. It's a nice idea that closely follows the career modes seen in the last couple of FIFA instalments, and offers a little bit more in the way of strategic management that the usual substitution decisions bring.

Although below the sort of visuals seen in most other EA Sports titles, there's been an improvement over previous years, and at least know the key players (such as Wales' Gavin Henson and Gethin Jenkins) do look more like their real-world counterparts that before. With a prospective fan base below the global levels of football, perhaps it's too much to expect that the same level of detail will be made to their rugby franchise, but like every other aspect of Rugby 06 the graphics are a definite step in the right direction. The stadiums used in the game such as Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium of course look very much like the real thing, although it has to be said that the atmosphere is found lagging somewhat thanks to a crowd that sound more like they're at a football match than a rugby game - but considering the jump made in terms of gameplay, this is a minor matter that could be easily rectified by the time a Rugby 07 hits retail in twelve months time.

If Rugby 06 is anything to go by, then future iterations of the franchise will only continue to get stronger and better, since this is by far the best rugby game to date. The flow of the game is more realistic than ever before, with the introduction of offloads, and quick penalties/line-outs working together to bring the game closer to the modern sport of rugby. True enough the visuals aren't as strong as in any of EA's other sports titles, but even so, they remain an improvement over previous years. There's still work to be done but Rugby 06 is a definite step in the right direction and for rugby fans this really should be the title of choice.