New Zealand based develoer Sidhe have been long running patrons of the Rugby League series. While the last games featured on the Xbox and Playstation 2, the third iteration makes it’s jump onto the Wii, but is Rugby League 3 worth a try? (Lame pun joke included).
While South Africans are more accustomed to the rules of rugby union, rugby league is extremely popular down under and across parts of Europe, and it’s definitely worth getting familiar with. To discuss the rules may slightly vear from the review, but the basic rundown is that there are only 13 players on the field, and you have 5 tackles to make something happen, with all the other features of rugby thrown in here and there.
Ok, to the game. Rugby League 3’s gameplay is an incredible step-up from it’s predecessors. The overall feel and control of the game has been tightened up in just the right places, to allow for a more realistic, yet fluid game. Passing feels more precise and diverse, while the running aspects, such as sidesteps, fends and dummies, are much more organic which cut the game free of pre-canned animations and dull physics. The game also features a wealth of competitions, ranging from the NRL, Superleague, Toyota Cup and a deep and immersive Franchise mode, where you’ll take your team and manage them through seasons, injuries, training and transfers.
Tactically, Rugby League 3 requires some attention in order to score some crowd pleasing trys and defend some dangerous line breaks. Teams will have playmakers, defending specialists, kickers and flyers (wingers) and players will need to utilise their team accordingly in order to get an edge on the competition. The game also features on-the-fly defence and attack patterns, whereby with the touch of a button you can call your fullback to join the line, initiate some cover defence or just boost the aggressiveness of the tackles. This all adds a refreshing aspect to the often one-dimensional attacking schemes we’ve seen in previous rugby games.
Rugby League 3 features three different control schemes: the wiimote alone (held horizontally), the wiimote and nunchuck, and the GameCube controller. Our advise would be to try and pick up a GameCube controller as it is by far the most superior and responsive control scheme, and although we appreciate the pysical aspect Sidhe included with the motion controls, the GameCube controller just fits best.
Now, it’s not the best looking game out there, but RL3’s visuals are quite impressive for the Wii. The player detail, animations and the overall look is great, and it’s excellently highlighted through some great cameras, post-try cutscenes and awesome menu layout. Just try not look at the crowd up close.
The entire rugby community has been dying for a new sports title and Rugby League 3 does not dissapoint. Don’t be intimidated by the different rules, and if you’re already a fan, you’ll love the game. Rugby League 3 is by far the best in the series, and with improved gameplay, features and visuals, RL 3 is definately taking a step in the right direction.
