It has been a while since gamers have seen a good quality game focusing on Non-American or Non-Japanese sports. Such games usually turn out to be something of cult hits in PAL countries. For example the fabled Jonah Lomu Rugby on the old PS1 managed to gather a large devoted fan base that was committed to playing it well into the time-period of the next-generation consoles. Generally speaking EA Sports first two efforts in producing next gen Rugby titles have fallen by the wayside in a few critical areas. Rugby 2005 though, is an improvement on previous attempts more than anyone could have expected.

The most notable improvement in Rugby 2005 arises from the enormously improved graphical models. After numerous requests from gamers, EA Sports have finally set a precedent in porting graphical engines from one title to another. Seemingly this is the logical way to improve titles which have inferior resources compared to titles like Madden and FIFA that must get the larger development budgets. The new FIFA engine is now used in Rugby 2005 and has enabled a higher graphical standard and increased the complexity and fluidity of animations. It's actually quite hard to remember a title which has improved as much from one year to the next as this.

Of primary concern with Rugby 2004 was the slow and sometime deplorable speed of critical animations such as passing. Consequently the flow of the game was destroyed and everything spiralled into one big exercise of frustration in attempting to battle with the control system. Happily in the new incarnation we can now perform bullet passes along the backline and players move at normal speeds rather than the Grandmother with a broken ankle levels seen in 2004. Ruck animations have also been improved and it's now possible to get quick ball and string together multiple phases in a believable fashion.

Thanks to the improved graphics it is now also possible to differentiate between George Smith and George Gregan as player faces are nicely accurate and detailed. The graphical engine as previously mentioned has received improvements that place it way above Rugby 2004, but still below the levels seen in flagship titles such as Madden 2005. Close up action, including players and the playing field are the graphical highpoints, however stadiums are less detailed than could be expected, mostly looking undefined and sometimes washed out.

The litmus test of any aspiring simulation sport game is whether or not it faithfully recreates the feeling of the chosen sport and you could safely say Rugby 2005 is about 75% there. One of the most pleasing aspects in this regard is the relative lack of any sweet spot where scoring becomes routine. Because of this you are forced to conservatively use a mix of multiple phase forward play, and then use the Backs when the opportunity arises. Simply farming the ball out to a speedster like Doug Howlett isn't going to cut the mustard, plus you're likely to become isolated and lose possession. This multifaceted gameplay is something that Rugby fans have been yearning for and something that hasn't been faithfully recreated in Rugby since now. Unfortunately things are let down a little by the kicking game. Mostly due to a limited amount of camera angles, kicking becomes largely a hit and miss affair, which is disappointing considering the large role it plays in the game. With no rear camera angle aiming it is very difficult, so expect Stephen Larkham to kick like Matt Dunning and Matt Dunning to kick like' well don't try to kick with him.

Added to the gameplay for Rugby 2005 are some intuitive set pieces for ruck and mauls. Now with the pressing of the d-pad gamers can assign the backline to perform pre-determined moves that work well against mates but not so well against the AI. On the highest difficulty level the AI can basically read these moves like a children's book, so use them sparingly. Another aspect which has been improved is the momentum meter. This dictates the side which is considered to be on top at a particular stage of the game. Having a full or fullish bar will translate into an increased chance of maintaining possession and achieving multiple phases of play. The feature is flawed slightly in that turnovers become a little too infrequent but gives the game more of an 'arcade edge' that some people may appreciate.

The difficulty of Rugby 2005, like most sport titles depends mostly on your teams of selection. Playing the US against England is likely to translate into consistent hidings, whilst playing any second tier team on hard is difficult. All things considered, it would be wise to put the setting on normal for the most part. Easy is too easy, whilst hard leaves you feeling like the AI is cheating you every five seconds with yet another turnover or another try.

The commentary of Rugby 2005 certainly beats the dreary comment of Gordon Bray in 2004, but doesn't really scale to any great heights and mostly limiting itself to emotionless banter, rather than speaking with any great enthusiasm or passion. Sound effects come off a little better in this regard with some powerful jolts and bone-crunching hits sounding particularly forceful.

Unfortunately, like just about every other EA Sports game that we've reviewed recently, Rugby 2005 is not Xbox Live compatible. Replayability thus comes in the form of using the career mode which models itself on Pro Evolution Soccer's master league. The differentiation from 2004 in this feature is mostly nil, you can still buy and sell players and develop up a team of superstars that crushes all comers, but beyond that there is little to keep you coming back. None of the intricacies of PES, such as player development or any more 'sim' options are featured in Rugby 2005's career mode.