Rugby 08

Published and developed by gaming behemoth Electronic Arts, Rugby 08 allows players to tackle Rugby at the helm of some of the best and most traditional nations to play the game. The game of course focuses on a very specific niche of gamers who are also fans of the sport. Released in 2007 for the Playstation 2 and Windows the game had surprisingly advanced visual graphics for the time, which left fans satisfied.

Scrum For All

The title albeit focused on a dedicated and passionate set of gamers, who love the rugby game and saw this title as a prequel to the awaited World Cup that occurred in France in 2007, is also a friendly introduction to the uninitiated. Personally, for me as someone who has minimal experience with the game, trial, and error, accessible and friendly plays were very enjoyable, and helped me grasp the essence of the game more in-depth.

That being said as someone who occasionally watched games, and had some previous knowledge of the sport, the game itself looks and feels very distant from the real thing. I guess some of the realism, was exchanged for a more arcade-y feeling, which certainly helped the unfamiliar enjoy the game as well.

Trial and Glory

Rugby 08 has multiple game modes for players to enjoy such as the aforementioned Rugby World Cup, as well as Tri Nations, Six Nations, Guinness Premiership, and Super 14. Some of the best nations to compete in the game such as New Zealand, Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, and the United Kingdom are available for players.

Even while sustaining an arcade-style, the game has tried to add realism to the game by new lineouts, defense formations, and offensive plays. Professional commentary by ex-athlete Grant Fox, and Ian Robertson as well as the birds-eye view camera style, add to the immersion which grants a certain degree of realism to the title.

Much like every single sports game, competing against NPC’s becomes tiresome quickly, so enjoying the game with an inexperienced friend, or someone who can help you navigate the intricacies of the game quickly is way more fun. However, multiplayer fun wasn’t enough to satisfy the fans completely since the game suffers from multiple glitches, bugs, quirky user interface, and menus, and finally little improvement over the previous version of the game

Final Try (Conclusion)

Rugby 08, is not a groundbreaking title and is definitely able to deliver multiple improvements in future titles (as it has). Suffering from the curse of sports games, of having difficulty providing a consistent and considerable improvement over its antecessors Rugby 08, was severely compared and seen as a lesser version of Rugby 06. For new players experiencing the title with friends is very fun, and entertaining, the game feels natural and progression is fluid. Offering multiple game modes helps with the game’s replayability, but ultimately the game has a lot of flaws, glitches, and design decisions that make it ordinary at best.

PROS:

• Beginner Friendly
• Camera Work
• Commentary
• Easy to Learn

CONS:

• Glitches
• Bugs
• Similar to Older Versions
• Weird User Interface Decisions