Rugby 22 Critic Reviews

Unfortunately, the closer these games get to quality, the more those little issues stand out, and off the pitch this is still an unsatisfactory package lacking modes, licences and polish. If graphics, the English or South African rugby union team, or long term commitment are important to you, Rugby 22 isn’t going to deliver. If you’ve been hanging out since the PS2 era to just have some fun with a rugby union game, you might just find it in Rugby 22.

Rugby 22 takes the oval and charges head down. There are several interesting ideas and a lot of work to do: the fluidity of the game reminded us in some situations of two timeless classics such as Jonah Lomu Rugby and Rugby 08 but the AI must absolutely be improved.

Rugby 22 is a slight improvement from Rugby 20 and is clearly the best choice for a simulation of the sport that’s recent, but it won’t compare to the FIFA’s, NHL or NBA games in any way for realism, though I doubt developers Eko Software had anywhere near the same budget to be fair. With some friends to play against, Rugby 22 could have some shelf life, but for others, the serious lack of licensing makes it feel stuck in a ruck.

Rugby 22 may be the best presented rugby union game available, but it is still a world away from the upper echelons of sports simulation titles.

Rugby 22 is probably the only rugby game out there, so there is little to compete with. That being said you can tell they have put a lot of effort into it and with it being a tough game to simulate to begin with, they have done all the right things. A few things need fleshing out, but once you’ve got your head around it, you will be having lots of fun.

Eko Software promotes Rugby 22 as the first modern rugby game to grace new generation platforms, but this is far from that. While the new and improved tactics feature is a welcome addition, Rugby 22 feels like a game stuck in the early 2000s with a lack of modern-day features expected of titles in the sports genre.