*This review is for the xbox one version of the game.
Lots of mixed feelings about this game. It is really exciting to finally have a licensed Rugby game again, but this game has some pretty obvious bugs and flaws that can and hopefully will be corrected. While it has issues, I think the game deserves more than a real review and not just being called "rubbish" based on what others say.*This review is for the xbox one version of the game.
Lots of mixed feelings about this game. It is really exciting to finally have a licensed Rugby game again, but this game has some pretty obvious bugs and flaws that can and hopefully will be corrected. While it has issues, I think the game deserves more than a real review and not just being called "rubbish" based on what others say.
The good:
-Many teams to choose from - including six nations.
-Textures are smooth and flow well.
-All kicking: penalties, conversion as well kicking on the run, is very well done and intuitive.
-Set pieces and mauls work well, are fun, and can be challenging.
-The game modes are exceptionally fun. Career mode could be fantastic except for one bug.
The Bad:
-Commentator voice over is often trigger erroneously. It is most obvious during scrums, where the announce will declare that one team has won the scrum, but the scrum is not even halfway over yet.
-Penalties seem to be inconsistent. Offsides is especially bad, you can sometimes tackle players from an offsides position, penalty free. Obstruction is never called. Knock-ons are OK though.
-High tackles in or around the opposing try area should result in a penalty try, but does now.
-The computer AI never grounds the ball in their own try area unless tackled.
-If the player is called for offsides and the computer AI kicks for touch, there is a very high chance that one of the AI players will be called for intentional offsides after.
-Your friendly AI players do not get back onside quick enough, and often have trouble doing so when a ruck is formed(sometimes they circle the ruck).
-If you throw the ball weak-side from a scrum, the opposing AI will often be retreating and ignore the advancing opposition, leaving room for a huge break away. EVERY TIME.
-Speed stats seem inconsistent. Locks and Props sprint down wingers?
-This is a big one: The career mode doesn't seem to save your team. This is a mode-breaking bug in my opinion and reduces my rating by at least a point.
-The tackling hit boxes are wonky. You can be near an opposing player, facing their direction, hit the tackle button and your player just fumbles about inexplicably.
-Players can sometimes ignore the ball on the ground
-Players can sometimes back-peddle when an opposing player runs past with the ball, instead of turning and chasing.
-Rucking can be inconsistent. You can have a ruck advantage based on the colored bar, send your scrum half in to get the ball, and by the time he gets there if the opposing team sends another rucker then you will be forced to sit there and not retrieve the ball until the opposing player retrieves the ball.
So as you can see there are some problems, and several bugs/defects in the game. These bugs are not necessarily game breaking and don't turn the game into an unplayable piece of junk, but they definitely deserve some scrutiny. They can also be fixed with updates and patches, which is an important distinction.
When on offense, attacking can sometimes be frustrating, but I think this has become an early echo chamber for people dissatisfied with the game and possibly do not understand high level rugby tactics. When attacking, you need to crash the ball out of the ruck a few times, in order to pull defenders away from the outside. In professional rugby, the tackle is almost instantaneous. Secondly, the attacking line is often flatter than you would see in lower division rugby, which sort of mirrors the pros. You can get the ball down the line with regular quick passes and switches. But there are some issues here: tackling being inconsistent on the defensive side of the ball, and tacklers sometimes 'teleporting' to your location.
in all, most of the bugs detract from the overall 'flow' and 'smoothness' of the game. The only major bug found so far is the lack of persistence in career mode. The game itself is still fun and satisfying and with a few patches could easily be a 7 or 8 out of 10.… Expand
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