Rugby Nations 2010 Review
- Publisher: Distinctive Developments Ltd
- Genre: Sports
- Released: 22 Oct, 2010
- Size: 40.9 MB
- Price: $4.99
PROS
- Clever use of indicators to make passing easier.
- Intuitive flick-based kicking.
- Multiple competitions to test your favorite teams in.
CONS
- Control scheme that punishes anything less than super-human reflexes.
- Washed out 3D visuals.
VERDICT
Rugby Nations 2010 is an improvement on last year's title, but more innovation or tightening up the controls would help to clinch this as a true leader in rugby-based sports titles.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
Some sports just don't seem to quite make the transition to video games well and while Rugby Nations 2010 by Distinctive Developments tries hard to capture the non-stop action of Rugby, the flow of the game feels jilted and it's hard to feel like you're completely in control.
Rugby is a hectic game at the best of times and it can be hard to keep track of what is happening to each player at every moment, but the game makes up for this by giving players a handy indicator to show whether a pass is open, challenged or completely blocked. The buttons to pass, sprint and change player are on both sides of the screen and tilt controls allow you to maneuver around the screen, but a smart player switch would help immensely for defending players as the ability to switch, sprint and tackle the player holding the ball can be a matter of pot-luck at times. However the most frustrating feature is the need to swipe the middle of the screen after a tackle to keep or otherwise change possession of the ball, giving players a literal split second to see and swipe the indicator in time.
There's not a lot of detail in the game visuals either, with player models looking fairly generic even on modern iDevices. Thankfully scrums and conversions feel much more refined, with the kicks requiring aimed swipes to set the power and direction in an intuitive manner.
Not all of the international teams are represented in the game either, though players can engage in World Cup, Tri Nations or Six Nations modes to duke it out with the best around the world. Rugby Nations 2010 is the best there is if you're after a rugby game for your iDevice, but that may not be saying much without more competition in the field.
Screenshots
