Rugby 2004 Demo

Although it is very similar to American football, rugby differs in key aspects and it certainly appears to be more violent and brutal, maybe due to the lack of protective equipment for the players. Other than that, the game rules are mostly the same and the matches can get pretty gruesome most of the time, due to the techniques the players are allowed to employ out on the field.

Rugby 2004 is EA SPORTS’ attempt at providing the fans of the sport with a realistic simulation, although they did not quite manage to do that entirely. While there are plenty of official teams to choose from, a variety of stadiums and more than enough game modes to enjoy, the gameplay and the graphics are quite disappointing and they seriously hurt the overall experience.

Speaking of which, you can choose to play in a variety of game modes, each one of which comes with a certain difficulty level and requires more or less of your time. Thus, in case you just want to join in for a quick match, you have the possibility to do just that by choosing the Play Now options. On the other hand, you can also participate in competitions and tournaments, such as the World Cup and the Six Nations Championship.

The most annoying aspect of the game is the fact that the mechanics are very tricky and dysfunctional at times, which means that you cannot really enjoy the matches as much as you would. Various tactics and plays can be applied on the pitch, but you do not really have too much control over them and the players usually just automatically repeat certain tasks without providing you with the possibility to actively control them.

Once you do get the ball, it is pretty difficult to make something with it, especially since the controls are atrocious on the keyboard and not very responsive even if you somehow figure them out. The same goes for the quality of the graphics engine, since it looks rugged and blocky, even when you consider the release date.

All things considered, the developers surely could have managed much more than this with Rugby 2004, but they somehow did not care enough to do so. Thus, you are left with a very difficult to enjoy game, which can only serve as entertainment if you are a really big fan of the sport.