Rugby seems to be one of the sports that gaming has forgot. For whatever reason, it simply does not have the same kind of attention giving to it that the likes of football (both US and the rest of the world) and basketball get.
It is why the latest Rugby 22 title from developer EKO Software is so disappointing – showing incremental improvements on a franchise that still looks like it was designed for the PS2 heyday.
I know that sounds rather harsh, but given the fact that 857 million people tuned into the 2019 Rugby World Cup (which the Springboks lifted by the way), this game is simply not up to par.
As Squidge Rugby, which is a channel we highly recommend subscribing to, points out, paraphrasing former player Agustín Pichot, if rugby is indeed going to modernise, it needs to look to gaming to create a franchise akin to FIFA or Madden.
It is why the R899 asking price on PS5 for this game is a tad insulting.
The good, the bad, the ugly
While the overall offering is severely lacking, there are still some solid elements at play here. As such, with our bashing in this quasi-review done, let’s actually get down to the elements that Rugby 22 excels at and has a lot more work to do.
Let’s start with licensing. It is the bedrock that FIFA has built its gaming empire on and why PES will always be lagging behind. On this front, EKO Software and publisher NACON have done a solid job, roping in a handful of international teams to get official jerseys, emblems and player faces, along with a number of European Leagues and teams catered for.
There are some oddities, however, with the Springboks not wearing the trademark Green and Gold, which is peculiar given we are the current world champions, number one ranked team in the world and top rated side in the game. No luck for England or Argentina either, which too are notable rugby playing nations.
It gets weirder still, with some local provincial teams officially represented via the URC tournament, so you can play as the Lions, Sharks, Bulls and Stormers, as well as have access to the official roster of players. Head over the Springboks team though, and it’s a bunch of fictional players.
This is quite weird considering Cheslin Kolbe, who is one of the cover athletes for Rugby 22, does not appear in the Boks team.
We were able to lay that frustration to rest though and persevere with our playthrough.
Once you have gone through a thorough tutorial teaching you the game controls and mechanics, you quickly realise that nothing much has changed from previous years, with the gameplay very much resembling what we experienced in Rugby 20.
While some might call that consistency, given how poor the gameplay was in that title, it is far from a compliment.
In terms of actual in-game action, there is a crudeness and rigidity to it that makes it feel like you’re playing a mobile game. In fact, that might be the only compliment we have for this game, as the gameplay is quick and punchy enough that you can find yourself an hour deep without realising it.
If you are wanting a realistic rugby game though, this is not it.
This as the passing mechanics boggle the mind, the support lines and general player AI in open play is out right confusing and the lineouts in particular are a mess, with timing all off.
There are a few glimmers of hope though, with the scrum being one of them. We are quite fond of the button timing needed for the crouch, touch, pause and engage. The kicking off the tee is also quite solid and it is genuinely gratifying when you nail a conversation when the elements are against you.
Kicking out of hand, however, is quite frustrating and you’re better off just holding onto the ball.
In its current guise, Rugby 22 simply is not worth picking up, even for the most ardent of rugby fan. If you are still morbidly curious, we can only recommend picking it up once the price comes down a lot.
FULL DISCLOSURE: RUGBY 22 WAS REVIEWED ON THE PS5 WITH A CODE PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.
