lectronic Arts has long been known for squeezing every penny out of the sports licenses it owns. With FIFA 08 having released last fall, and FIFA 09's release being just a few short months away, one may wonder if UEFA Euro 2008 is simply the same game we've already seen disguised under a new skin.
Developers of sports titles must carefully balance introducing new elements to their game without losing favorable aspects of the prior year. Do too much and the game risks flopping with an audience that wanted more of the same. Do too little and risk being called out for releasing the same product in order to milk the franchise for more money.
Views of the field are breathtaking.Though many skeptics have said that EA is using this year's tournament (much like the years that the World Cups are held) just to repackage their soccer franchise, UEFA Euro 2008 is a strong effort of EA's to improve on many of the issues that plagued its latest FIFA-branded game.
The number of minor improvements made to the game engine may be unnoticeable by someone new the series, but those more experienced will appreciate the substantial work done to create the most authentic game of virtual soccer to date. Player response on and off the ball has been tweaked to allow for a smoother, faster, more natural game. AI seems to have been reworked as well, with teammate support being at its best and the computer opposition often being frustratingly difficult.
I love that developers introduced dynamic weather in UEFA Euro 2008. I hate that developers consider sun and rain a dynamic weather cycle. Seriously, though, having the ball and players respond one way on a hard dry turf and then seeing a drastically different game unfold on a sopping wet one was fantastic. My hope is that EA continues experimenting with different weather patterns. Perhaps we'll see wind, or dare I say snow, make an appearance in FIFA 09.
The limitation of the European tournament license is where this soccer game fails to deliver. FIFA 08 had over 15,000 players spread across 30 different leagues. UEFA Euro 2008 contains only international teams which are eligible for qualification. Single player contains a surprising variety of game modes given this restraint, but still doesn't provide on the same scale the earlier title did.
Lead your country to victory.Compared to FIFA 08, multiplayer and online play went through a series of withdrawals and deposits. In UEFA Euro 2008 you choose a country to play under and from that point on have the results of your games translated to a real-time leader board. There is also a new tournament mode that places users into a quick 16-team bracket for exciting knockout play — something that players had always hoped would be a regular feature of EA's soccer titles.
Though these are value-adding elements, the removal of Online Team Play — arguably one of FIFA 08's biggest successes — is a huge disappointment. Having the ability to play 5-on-5 online was a step forward for EA, and though all signs point to having the mode reintroduced in 09, it's a shame not to see the feature implemented in this release.
It can easily be said that UEFA Euro 2008 is the best game of soccer you can get on any console right now. Its lack of depth and full-featured price-tag make it hard to recommend to owners of FIFA 08, but if you've been waiting for a soccer game this year, there's no reason not to give this a shot.
