Rugby 20 review | The Good, The Ok And The Ugly - Ruck

Rugby 20 review | The Good, The Ok And The Ugly

The rugby game franchise is back with its latest release. Rugby 20 will be available worldwide on the 23rd January 2020 (TODAY!), but we’ve had it in our hands on a beta code for a few months now.

Rugby’s had a turbulent history with video games to say the least, and with publisher Bigben Interactive’s last two attempts (Rugby 15, Rugby World Cup 2015 and Rugby 18) getting utterly battered by critics, the French company has taken a couple of years off and come back with Rugby 20.

RUCK are happy to report that the office has actually had a lot of fun playing the game, something I cannot say about previous instalments. As passionate rugby fans, we forgive the missing licences for a game you can actually enjoy after years of hardship.

Also, the improvement since we first played the game back in October is staggering, which hopefully is a good sign moving forward.

CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF THE BEST RUGBY GAMES…EVER!

RUGBY 20 REVIEW

THE GOOD:

  • Passing – Shifting the ball from left to right feels like a breeze
  • Tackling – Feels very realistic, with hard-hitting challenges giving off that true feeling of impact
  • My Squad – In this mode, you create your squad in the colours of your choice! Very much like Ultimate Team on Fifa.
  • Game modes – Single and multiplayer (online and local)
  • Placekicking – All kicking: penalties, conversion as well kicking on the run, is very well done and intuitive

THE OK:

  • Defending – It’s difficult to track the opposition, and you cannot rely on your AI teammate to make tackles, or even set up in a correct defensive line.
  • Graphics – Compared side-by-side of the fantastic-looking sports games put out by the likes of EA every year, it feels a little lacklustre but it doesn’t take away from the gameplay.
  • Updated commentary – In the previous game it stuttered and didn’t line up with the action. Much better here.

THE BAD:

  • Scrums – Far too simple, with simple button commands ensuring you get the advantage, and a very easy mini-game involving keeping the cursor in a circle to ensure that possession is won
  • Licenses – Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji and Uruguay–aren’t licensed. It’s a shame, but a small price to pay for depth elsewhere.
  • Complicated controls – Without dedication to the tutorial, you’ll be completely lost
  • Glitches – Every so often you players will slingshot across the pitch

CONCLUSION

Does Rugby 20 kick the ball through those goal posts? Not quite, but almost.

Rugby 20 is as close to the sport as you can get without getting covered in mud, but it would be very difficult for a casual fan to pick up and play due to very complicated controls.

Comment with your own Rugby 20 review below…

Rugby 20 is available from today for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.