Rugby 20

“As the world starts to come out of hibernation, and sport is slowly returning to the screens, it felt like the right time to turn my hand to Rugby 20. Being a fan of the game – playing it – and admittedly a dedicated follower of major tournament rugby only, I was all too eager to get my hands on the game. I am always partial to a sports game and was lucky enough to review NHL 20 for this site earlier in the year. But how does rugby translate from the pitch to the console? Does it score a try, or should it be relegated to the sin bin quicker than Saracens during a salary audit? Keep reading this Rapid Review to find out.”

“The Six Nations Championship brings fresh hope that we might finally get a great rugby game, but this engaging effort fails to convert where it counts.”

“Rugby 20 is not a bad. For one of the very few rugby video games out there, I firmly believe the game has enough on offer to justify a purchase – even more so if you are a Rugby fan. The game is not perfect, but it ticks most of the right boxes and, at the end of the day, that is what matters.”

“Rugby 20 has a passable foundation for rugby gameplay, but repetitive and barebones modes make it last much shorter than its potential.”

“The title does a good job of simulating the territorial battles that occur in real-world rugby matches, but it’s generally clumsy and there’s no real consistency to the way players move.”

“If you desperately need a new Rugby game to fill the void, you might still consider picking Rugby 20 up, but even then you might be better off going back to Rugby Challenge and playing that with some of the new community squads.”

“Rugby 20 has some good things going for it, but it’s just not quite ready to be a major player in the sports gaming market.”

“Rugby 20 promised great technical improvements, the addition of new tactical options and a good batch of official licenses. A game plan respected by Eko Software whose limited means do not allow this title to compete with the best sports simulations. But given that he remains the ONLY one to fight on the field, and that he stands rather well on his legs with his farandole of diagrams and his accessible gameplay, he could satisfy lovers of the oval ball. On the condition of not being too greedy on the technical level.”

“Hard-hitting tackles, tense build-up play and tactical tweaks make Rugby 20 a must-play for any fan, as long as they’re willing to overlook its shortcomings. ”

“Rugby 20 is like a Northern Hemisphere team's World Cup campaign. It's full of big ideas and good intentions, but a shock defeat here and an expected loss to the South's big boys there, and it soon comes off the rails. There's some fun to be had, but it's often at the expense of the game, not because of it.”