DJ Eberle is a student/athlete at Western New England University. He is an offensive tackle, built like his dad; a rugby Prop. Track him on Twitter @Ebstide52
SLACKERSVILLE, USA – Whether we like it or not, Video Games play a significant role in a person’s lifestyle/leisure time, especially as a college student. In fact, they play such a significant role in my life, that my Xbox 360 broke over my holiday break and I asked for a new one for my birthday last week. I’m still waiting for Johnathan Wicklow Barberie or Delcan Yeats to send it…
Now, I’m not some hardcore gamer – school does come first. Then it’s football and various other things… like girls. But I can guarantee you, that at whatever level of use, there is either an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 in every male college dorm room across America. That being said, I recently obtained a copy of Rugby World Cup 2011 for Xbox 360, and decided to give it go.
I’m not gonna lie, I enjoyed it. And to justify the time spent so I feel less guilty, I’ve reviewed the gam for you, splitting it up into three categories; Creativity, Game Play, and Graphics.
Creativity: 3 of 5 Stars
This has to do with the game mode options and their variety. Sadly, these were lacking in Rugby World Cup 2011. When you come to the home screen of Rugby World Cup 2011 you have only a few options of game modes to play; Full Tournament, International Test, Warm-Up Tour, and Place-Kick Shootout. Full Tournament mode is the Rugby World Cup mode – this is where you choose the country you want to be in your quest for the Webb-Ellis Cup. International Test is this game’s version of a “quick game,” where you can choose any team that participates in the RWC and face another team from the Cup. Warm-Up Tour mode is when you choose a tour to travel in a region of the world and play against participating teams. The final mode is Place-Kick Shootout mode, which is where you pick a team to face off against another in a goal kicking shootout. Personally, my favorite mode is the Full Tournament mode because this is closest to a Franchise mode in Madden or the Association mode in NBA 2K12. These types of game modes take the longest to complete, which usually makes them most fun because you can follow them throughout the tournament or season. Two main reasons I feel that the Creativity is lacking in this game is because there is “My Player” mode and no way to play as or against teams outside of the RWC circuit. The “My Player” mode is popular in almost any sports video game and allows you to follow your created player/team through their career. As far as not being able to play as or against non-circuit teams, it’s likely because it’s meant to strictly be the World Cup tournament and nothing else.
Game Play: 4 of 5 Stars
Game Play can be broken down into two categories, Controls and Game Effects. The Controls in Rugby World Cup 2011 are actually very simple, considering how difficult the game can seem to an amateur’s eye. (All buttons mentioned will be for the Xbox 360). There are ways to pass the ball to the right (right bumper) and left (left bumper) while sprinting, though it is much easier to pass the ball to your left without self-consciously taking your finger off the sprint button (right trigger button). The way to down the ball during a try once you reach the in-goal is also quite simple, and even keeps the button the same whether you want to down the ball by diving or simply placing it on the ground while still standing (which is the A button). The one control that is difficult to complete is to switch from one player to another while on defense. The button is the left trigger to complete this move, but on almost any other sports video game the button to complete this action is A; so this can get confusing and you might not switch players when you want to. As far as the game effects go, the only real problem is the kicking for place-kicks. When place-kicking you use the A button to start the kicking gauge and stop it with A at the power and accuracy areas, but the problem with this is the reactions are delayed, causing missed kicks to take place. This can really ruin the momentum of the game for one team and completely change the outcome. Aside from that, the effects are very good and make the game exciting and pretty intense. Not gonna lie.
Graphics: 5 of 5 Stars
The Graphics in Rugby World Cup 2011 are very, very good. The players have a very clear picture and form very fine figures. The stadiums used in the game are very fine and technical. The Graphics compare to EA Sports’ FIFA video game series for soccer. Both games have similar play to them and have graphics that match. I found nothing wrong with the Graphics and felt that they were the strongest component to the game.
Overall: 4 out of 5 Stars
I enjoyed Rugby World Cup 2011 a great deal. It had the potential to be a 5-Star game if it were not for the flawed kicking and lack of creativity. I hope reading my review has convinced you to try out the game for yourself. You will not be disappointed! If you do find yourself disappointed with the game, you can blame me.
