Things can look a tad messy at times, and the AI can be painfully slow to react to a ruck, but in terms of managing these situations within the confines of a video game, Rugby Challenge 3 does a relatively good job of delivering the experience without letting some of the more complex laws of the game get in the way of the action.
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rolling mauls etc, but for the most part, inputs are kept relatively simplistic and pleasingly standardised. Sure, there are different prompts for different situations i.e. Whether it be a maul or a ruck, keeping possession is relatively simplistic with the main issue being one of managing the players committed to the breakdown and knowing when to release the ball.
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On the ground, things are bit more straight forward. It takes some getting used to, but it certainly makes you think more about building your attacks and keeping offensive players spare to provide additional offensive options. Equally, throw the ball out of hand without care, and you’ll soon be giving up turnovers and loosing possession cheaply.
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If you don’t let your runners get into position before release, you will often find them in traffic and under immediate pressure. Passing itself is as easy as pressing or holding the shoulder buttons (holding if you want to skip a player), but actually getting it to a member of your team, and more specifically, getting it to a member of your team who will subsequently be able to get over the gain line is another matter entirely. Passing, while crisp, is arguably one of the more simulation-heavy aspects of the game. Rather than being bogged down by a commitment to simulation, Rugby Challenge 3 (like its predecessors), opts for a balance between arcade and simulation gameplay, putting fun first without ever compromising on the rules and subtleties that make the game essentially what it is. The core gameplay itself, despite its technical issues, is mostly sound and, at its core, you could certainly make an argument for, Rugby Challenge 3 being amongst the finest rugby video games released since Codemaster’s PlayStation One classic.
#Wicked witch software rugby challenge 3 series
In fairness, Tru Blu Entertainment and Wicked Witch Software’s, Rugby Challenge series is certainly one of the better ones, but as always, it finds itself stuck somewhere between simulation and arcade gameplay and, while undoubtedly excelling at recreating certain aspects of the sport, it still falls somewhat short in others. There have been a handful of enjoyable alternatives in the years since, but none have come close to providing a definitive virtual representation of the sport. There have been a handful of decent attempts at bringing this undoubtedly multifaceted sport to the world of video games, but the fact that it is generally accepted that no game has managed to surpass, Codemasters’, Jonah Lomu Rugby from 1997 really says it all. You only need to watch a scrum in action to know just how much can go wrong….throw AI into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for, well, if not disaster, at the very least undue complication. Whether it be a scrum, a ruck, a maul, a lineout, competing on the ground or chasing a kick, nearly every action requires a unique set of mechanics and nearly all of them involve a huge number of the players from each team. In rugby, you can’t simply get away with decent passing or running – there are simply too many moving parts. Rugby though? There are so many caveats, so many different ways that the game can pan out.
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Chances are, there will only be one pass (if any), and while each player on the field is certainly in action throughout the entire play, for video game purposes, the emphasis is moved to a much more confined event i.e. Of course, American football can see a host of players challenging for the same ball, but the sport itself is broken up by plays, and despite the complexities that occur before the snap, once in motion, things do become relatively straightforward. Sadly, while it is fantastic to play, and arguable even better to watch, it doesn’t necessarily lend itself all that well to video games.ĭespite the basic premise of attempting to get the ball over the try line or kicking for goal being relatively straightforward, rugby is an undeniably complex sport, and while the same could certainly be said of its US-based counterpart, American football (or just, ‘football’ if you’re from the States), it doesn’t benefit from the more structured approach that makes the NFL such a perfect fit for videogames. Yes, being Welsh, I’m almost obliged to say that, but despite / because of its complexities, rugby is one of the most engaging sports on the planet.