Rugby World Cup 2011 Review
Developer: HB Studios
Publisher: 505 Games
FIFA games have made lots of progress over the last few years. It is perhaps the luxury of trial and error brought with an annual franchise that has allowed the kings of the video game footballing world to sculpt and hone their masterpiece into such a fantastic game. Unfortunately for rugby fans, the annual release isn’t something that they have been afforded and it may be because of this that Rugby Wold Cup 2011 hits shelves lacking in many key areas.
Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC) is, on the face of it, fun. Controls are responsive, the matches generally flow well and the tension racked up in close matches as your opponents push towards the try line are honestly up there with the battles in its footballing counterparts.
World cup mode is well designed. The set up allow players to play with friends or on their own. The added features of playing either with the authentic group draws or random selection will help to bring players back for more and the game also comes with tour matches, allowing gamers to take their country on international tours in preparation for their world cup campaign.
Sadly for those excited for the game this is where the good points end. RWC is by no means ugly, but it’s certainly not a looker. If it were to be standing at a bar having a drink, it would likely be the one you’d walk straight past not even noticing as you made your way towards their better looking friend. Unfortunately for the poor thing, it’s also a little simple. FIFA is not only gifted with regards to looks, it also has more layers and game modes than a trifle. RWC on the other hand is more like an apple. Tastes and looks ok on the outside, but take a bite and you’ll see that it’s the same all the way through, and if you don’t eat it straight away, it will quickly begin to turn brown.
As has already been said, the world cup campaign is fun, but the lack of further game modes, such as a league or career mode, rapidly make the game feel stale. You won’t have to play the game for very long to notice problems with the AI, as they often run offside, giving away penalties in dangerous positions and should you get hold of a fast player then it’s all too easy to tear even the best defences apart and sprint towards the try line.
Playing a team with lower ratings than your own can lead to devastating victories, but even during those times, the crowd and commentators still sound bored. Even as early as the second game, it became obvious that little to no effort had been put into the commentary. This would have been alright if the game had been brimming with features, but lacking even those, it begs the question as to what they were actually doing whilst the game was in development.
Initially fun, but it’s short lived. RWC can offer some light entertainment, however this quickly gives way to frustration and boredom after only a short amount of time. There is enough in the game to give hope to an annual rugby franchise, however like other rugby games, it is likely that we will have to wait another four years to see the next iteration and given the quality shown in this title, that may be too soon. Only rugby fans will find any fun in this game, but even then it is probably best to wait and see if something better comes along.
3 GOOD POINTS
- Main menu music will put you in the mood for the sport.
- The fans in the stadium look quite good.
- Close matches can be exciting.
3 BAD POINTS
- For the most part looks no better than a PS2 game.
- No depth.
- No lasting Appeal.
| Breakdown | Score |
| Graphics:No better looking than an HD classic version of a PS2 game. Unacceptable at this stage of the console life cycle. | 4/10 |
| Gameplay:Initially fun, but lacking in depth. The poor AI will lead to more frustration than enjoyment in the long term. | 6/10 |
| Story:Creates the feeling of the world cup atmosphere but no added features makes the tournament fell dull and uninspiring too quickly | 4/10 |
| Replayability:Are you a rugby fan? Do you have friends to play with? Answer any of these questions with a no, then it’s likely you wont play for very long. | 5/10 |
| Value For Money At:Feels like there’s been little effort put into the game, so there is little reason why you, the consumer, should offer much money to play the game. | £10 |
| Overall:Aspects of the game are enjoyable, and the first hour of play will be fun for those with an interest in the sport. Play any longer or dig any deeper then its frailties will quickly come to the fore. | 4/10 Not Good |
