what to play after Rugby08?

[giopanda]

hey guys!
as per title, i'm starting to get bored with Rugby08 and looking for something new.
i know the game still plays great and it's still updated but you know graphics are not important but they're starting to get old..
i have rugby 22 since forever but basically never touched it until these last couple of weeks.. looks far better (of course) and with mods it's pretty much complete in terms of visuals but i find it weird in terms of difficulty: i basically never loose a scrum whatever the difficulty level, but between one and the other there's a ton of difference that goes from dominating the match to be dominated, no in between.. skill issues? might be.

anyway i see tons of opposing comments on both jonah lomu rugby challenge 4 (which is basically absent of any review/video/gameplay except a couple of posts here on the forums) and rugby 25, which have lots, going from 'it's crap' to 'better than 22' to 'it was crap but updates might make it the best rugby game'.

what do you guys think?
which one is better between the two in terms of visuals, gameplay and above all modding?
or should i stay with 22?

thanks!

 

[Decimus Meridus Maximus]

I think Rugby 22 is definitely better than Rugby 25.

Here are some reasons I like it:

1. This game as probably the best physics engine of any rugby game I've played. The jerseys and presentation are seriously lacking, making it feel like an unofficially licensed product, but they actually got closer to accurate for running animations, collisions, etc than any other game I've played.

2. Passing is seamless and fun. The ability to hold down the shoulder buttons to control distance/power of passes is unique to this game (as far as I know), and it is the only thing that I've found actually works with the high pace of a rugby match.

3. Defense is fun. As a result of #1, it's the only game where I've felt I could actually shuffle across the field and collect my feet for a tackle.

4. The ruck is fairly fun. Yes, it is button mashing to a degree, but you are strategically assigning more players to the ruck that may help you win the ruck but lose coverage to the wings. I haven't tested just how deep this strategy is, but as I raise the difficulty, I'll figure it out.

5. Scrums are fun. Maybe they are too easy/automatic? I am maybe just not as good at the game as you are.