XBox 360 Review: RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011

By Simon Gallagher / September 8, 2011

Rugby World Cup 2011 - it isn't a downright terrible game by any means, but rather frustratingly it is an obviously half-baked attempt at cashing in on the tournament's huge fanbase. But then calling RWC11 an officially licensed game is something of a fallacy, because only half of the teams are actually licensed, and two of the biggest draws, Australia and New Zealand are both absent in their licensed guises at least. Elsewhere the makers have gone the ISS Pro Evo route and made up names for those they couldn't feature for real (though there aren't the same tongue-in-cheek comic touches), and unlicensed kits are replaced by generic, same-coloured variants. Now, these are all editable characteristics, but forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe anyone should have to pay full whack for a game that requires them to then programme some of the detail themselves, unless it's Football Manager and the transfer window is open. There's something quite cynical in the way the game has been built, because rather than a ground-up rebuild -which fans might have been forgiven for expecting, given the four year gap since the last rugby game - what we have here is that self-same last release (Rugby 08) dressed up in slightly different clothing. And not better clothing either - because RWC11 has stripped away most of the better features, including obviously 08's range of tournaments and teams - and the "improvements" are difficult to pin-point even after extended playing. There has obviously been some HD graphical work done on the pre-existing visuals, but it is bare at best, and much scrutiny makes it pale by comparison with most sports games released in the past four years. The gameplay is as unchallenging as it comes: passing is governed by the shoulder buttons, and is frankly unrealistically accurate (I played rugby for years, and it was never this easy), but that does lay the bias towards the attacking team, which will at least appeal to those who prefer quick, entertaining games. Unfortunately, with no tutorial system or training area, some areas of the game are difficult to work out immediately, and having to toggle back to the Controls Menu is infuriating in a modern game, so the temptation to wing it in rucks and scrums invariably over-rules pragmatism. There are some grave problems though. I remember during the early days of Fifa being incredibly frustrated at the empty-headed AI that made defenders run away when not under player control, as if positional duty superseded common sense in the moment, and somewhat amazingly, the problem is still showing its ugly face in RWC11. While on the attack, defenders run away from the ball carrier, which is all well and good if all you value is scoring easy points (and the same goes for the defensive inadequacies at rucks) but it compromises realism badly, and the lesson learned from top-level sports titles like NHL and Fifa is that the experience quality increases with greater difficulty. And ultimately that inspires a more rewarding experience overall. It seems the bias is firmly in the hands of the attackers, thanks to the simple passing mechanic and that problematic AI, which also conspires to select the wrong player when the defending player tries to close out an attack, choosing a less obvious defender and costing precious time in which territory can be eaten up by quicker attackers with the ball. Not only that but in a player v CPU game, there is an obvious glitch that means running diagonally towards the defensive line makes them open up quite catastrophically, and allows the player to cut through like a knife in warm butter. Not even my own ill-fated team Newcastle Falcons achieve such recklessness, and they verge on embarrassing these days. The simplicity, and speed with which a novice will be able to pick up all of the necessary skills needed to play (albeit with a few bits of research needed) do mean that the game works as a disposable playing experience, suited to dipping in and out for single games or multiplayer tournaments, which is probably the game's biggest area of appeal. And it would seem the tactical engine has been devised with simple usability in mind, because there are only eight attacking set pieces - with four available at a time - and again that will definitely lend itself to the multiplayer experience quite well. Particularly for those rugby fans who may have had a few beers before playing. It can't compete with the might of the EA stable, which isn't surprising, but it is difficult to forgive HB Studios and new-boys 505 Games for porting over so much of Rugby 08, fiddling with it to the bare minimum and releasing it as a whole new game. That might have flown if the gameplay had been remodelled and overhauled to make up for the four years rugby gaming fans have had to endure without anything new, but that was never on the cards either. Yes it is accessible, and realism takes a back-seat to ease and the fun factor, but it isn't for anyone who has bought a rugby game before, which is difficult given that a significant proportion of the game's market will be wiped out because of the decision to make it so accessible. And that accessibility looks slightly odd next to the decision to remove Rugby 08's tutorial mode, because it seems the game is on the one hand opening itself to more casual gamers through shallow gameplay and simplicity but then robbing them of the necessary way-in to the often impenetrable minefield of rules that are part and parcel of the game. It is a crucial misjudgement that suggests that HB Studios and 505 believe players will spend enough time playing alone to fathom out the rules, as well as their unexplained mechanics (especially in the ruck, which will be impossible to fathom out for almost everyone), despite the game offering little in terms of substance and reward to keep them engaged. The lack of modes is criminal, even despite the obvious limitations of this being a one tournament tie-in, but there must surely have been some scope to introduce Challenge Modes, or a Historical Reenactment Mode that challenges the player to recreate infamous rugby world cup moments (a la NBA 2k11's Jordan Challenge mode). But all we get is the tournament itself, as well as one-off International Tests and the opportunity to set up a warm-up tour, and the replay factor will dry up very, very quickly. Had 505 taken a leaf out of the Madden and NHL playbooks and gone whole hog, catering precisely for their demographic we might have been looking at a far better release, but there is such a fundamental lack of attention to detail (including in the poor button lay-out) that RWC11 can't be considered anything other than mediocre. It might fill the gaping hole created by the four year drought in rugby games, but not with much satisfaction, and regular rugby game fans will wish for something meatier and more precise. Hopeful eyes must now turn to the Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge release which dives over the try line in a months time. And given the pedigree behind that title, you'd have to imagine a better result than this.

Rugby World Cup 2011 is available to buy now on Xbox 360 and PS3.