Pro Rugby Manager 2005: Game Review

Going into Pro Rugby Manager 2005, produced by Cyanide, I had a few expectations. One, that it would be like most other sports games I had played. I suppose I expected something along the lines of Madden football, where you control one player at a time (generally the one with the ball). I figured a rugby game would handle similar to a football game, and so I started playing Pro Rugby Manager 2005 with this in mind. I started up a game, and was pleasantly surprised. It was absolutely nothing like I expected. Now, looking back, Pro Rugby Manager 2005 is pretty different from most sports games I've played recently.

To begin, I have to say that the game is somewhat complex. Any foray into the game without a thorough reading of the instruction booklet is like trying to pilot an airplane without prior training: you just don't know what everything is for. Luckily, if you don't mind the reading, the instructions are very clear and after reading through them I figured I was ready for a game. Unlike most sports games, where you control the players and make them do what you want them to, PRM2005 is quite different in that you have very little control over your players. I suppose this is more realistic, as a real rugby coach would have little control over his players during the match, but sports game traditionalists may be a little off-put by this at first. I, at first, was a little taken aback as well. It was like watching a rugby game, and I didn't play the game to watch. I came to play. However, after a little while into the game, I started playing around with the controls and found there were many ways to control players by using various strategies. You can tell them to pass and try to break through wide, power through the line, or just kick it if need be. There are also various individual strategies you can give to individual players, like pass, kick, maul, and many other rugby moves. This allows you to control not the players, but the team, making for a much more laid back approach to the sports game. Once you realize that the emphasis of the game is not being the individual players, but being the player's coach and managing a team at once, it becomes thoroughly enjoyable. Which brings me to the way the players behave. You have the opportunity to play either a 2D game or a 3D game. While the 2D game is much more informative and helps newer players get oriented, the 3D game is MUCH MORE FUN. The players look lifelike and move like it too, immersing you in the game and making it all the more enjoyable. I suppose the best thing about the 3D game is that I felt like I was watching a real rugby game. I shout when my team scored a try, yelp when my players got tackled, and bite my nails as my kicker wound up for a conversion. It's all just so realistic. While it may take you a while to get the hang of playing the game, once you do, you'll find a very rewarding rugby experience.

However, the actual playing of rugby games is barely half the game. The other half, the real meat 'n' potatoes of PRM2005 is the Career mode. This is where the game lives up to its namesake, with an emphasis on the word "manager". Again, however, this requires reading of the manual to get the hang of, as there are SO many factors that you need to take care of as a Pro Rugby Manager so that your team is successful. You need to hire staff, making training schedules, find suitable training facilities, trade players, treat injuries, and all before your next game. Plus, after your game, you get to go do it all over again. Of course, you are on budget, so you need to make sure your income and expenditures are balanced so your team doesn't go bankrupt. During this career mode, you'll also get to be the coach and play the games described above, except you do this with the team you've built from the ground up, instead of merely a pre-made one, making for even more satisfaction when your team wins (and more frustration when your team loses). There's just so much to do in Career mode, it's like actually being a manager (all the better). Remember, you aren't being the team, you're managing it. Leave the playing for the players, and be the unsung hero of a rugby team for a change.

All in all, Pro Rugby Manager 2005 is not your average sports game. It's much more than that. You're getting the side of rugby often not portrayed in games because most people are afraid that people are going to get bored with it. Kudos to Cyanide for taking a chance, and it paid off in the end. Pro Rugby Manager 2005 is a great game to just sit back and play, for either a short quick game or a big long Career. Either way, it's highly enjoyable. Definitely give it a try!

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