r eview

Rugby fans have had something of a rough deal when it comes to video games. The popularity and more widespread appeal of sports such as football, golf, tennis, motorsport, and the NFL, means that developers and publishers have largely concentrated on these when it comes to creating titles for people to play. Whether it is running your own team in the likes of Football Manager or jumping straight into the action in ultra realistic simulations as is the case with Madden, there is something to keep most sports fans happy. That isn’t the case for either code of rugby, though, as there have been few quality titles to feature the oval ball in recent times. Unfortunately, those that have released for modern platforms have more often than not been noted for their lack of quality rather than stellar gameplay. The question is whether Eko Software has been able to right these wrongs. In short, the answer is a definitive no. While Rugby 18 is better than many of its most