Retro Rugby

I want to review the game but I have to disclose that I got a free copy and also that the developer is one of my Steam friends, so read this review with that in mind. However, note that there is a free demo, so go check it out. You can see for yourself if you like it! This is a retro sports game somewhat like Pixel Cup Soccer with a side-on view. Always love to see rugby games on Steam as it is my favourite sport. I am also a big fan of retro-style sports games! What I will start by saying is that the gameplay is fun! I am writing this review after playing an England v Ireland game and just managing to win with a last gasp try after having been behind in the game. Felt like a great moment to get over the line to win it in the last play of the match! The teams have fake names but there are some really enjoyable ones. Lots of good humour! Lots of teams to pick from and also teams to unlock, which I really like. The game runs on Steam Deck which is great as it is the perfect style of game for the Deck. There are tournament modes and you can set up your own tours. There is also a career mode which I haven't tried yet. If it is anything like the career mode in Rugby Sevens 23 (this developer's previous game) then it will be good! I am going to offer a bit of criticism about the game in order to give a balanced review. The menus are a bit clunky and sometimes difficult to navigate. I know that this is something the developer is working on. I haven't come across anything game breaking but I have experienced occasional minor bugs in the game engine. Again, I know that the developer is working at fixing these issues. There is nothing that has spoilt my enjoyment of the game. Also I should point out that the developer has released multiple patches since releasing the game. It is clearly a labour of love for him and I can see how passionate he is about rugby and about this game. If you like rugby and want to support a rugby game then look into this game. As I said before, it has a free demo so check it out!

OK, so it delivers something like a rugby experience; but with it comes a lot of bugs, some frustrating players controls & a lack of basic rugby intelligence on both sides (AI & Player team). It can and does deliver some moreish gameplay experiences, but often games are won or lost on basic AI stupidity or the lack of being able to really control your players accurately. I feel the price exceeds the current level of polish, I was hoping for a Johna Lomu type of gameplay, but that isn't really what this is. Good Rugby games are few and far between, I think this one just about sits above average; but it could be so much better with more polish overall.

This is super close to being really fun, and with the ball in hand its fun to play. But they fact that you will seemingly at random give away penalties for entering the ruck at the side, or lose a ruck mean you constantly lose momentum making it too frustrating. This random element isn't explained anyway and makes it pretty unplayable. Also the lack of instructions is annoying - do i tap A to win a ruck or hold it? Do i need to press any buttons to tackle or just run into people? How on earth the multiple different bars at a maul/scrum work? Super cool concept, would be great to play with tweaks, but currently unplayable honestly.

Retro Rugby for me is a really fun game to play. The games tempo is spot on. not too fast or too slow. As for attacking with the ball in the back line youll notice the wingers or fullback run quicker than your prop. under the players are the players position number so youll know easily and quickly what to do on the field. The AI is smart and does some neat plays for territory, chip kicks past your winger, rolling malls off of lineouts. Plus the ref is quick to point out penalties for joining on the side of the ruck, that penalty type was brief for me and the games i played wernt bogged down in penalties. it was free flowing rugby and it was great. Plus the game runs really well with xbox series controller. The grass for the field seems a bit funny but im hoping it will be fixed soonish. takes a bit to learn the buttons. by saying that the button layout makes sence its just that its a fastish rugby game .

As a lifelong fan of rugby I truly love the idea of this game , however it falls far short in reality in its current state. The main issue making this game almost unplayable is the horror movie in game sfx, I took my headphones off within 5 minutes of starting this game up. The next issue making Career unplayable is the horrible menu mechanics, for the love of god give us a free floating menu cursor or anything other than the current set up. I'll continue to play as there is promise but a lot of polishing is needed.