UEFA Euro 2008 Review

The dust has long since settled on the realisation that UK representation won't feature in this year's Euro 2008 tournament in Austria-Switzerland, so for many of us football fans, our international attention has already turned to the qualifiers of the 2010 World Cup, beginning this autumn. For EA Sports and its release of the tournament's official videogame however, it's all systems go to Zurich and Vienna.

The third European Championship to receive its own videogame from EA after Euro 2000 and 2004, UEFA Euro 2008 (prepare for a shock) gives players the chance to qualify for the finals, progress from the pools, reach the final, and lift the European Championship trophy.

Released in between FIFA 08 and the inevitable FIFA 09, there's little doubt that Euro 2008 is little more than a simple cash-in and a potential test-bed for future ideas. But is it worth splashing the cash when the next 'true' FIFA is just around the corner??? TVG grabbed our balls and trotted onto the pitch to find out...

EA Sports' European Vacation

Let's not beat around the bush here: Euro 2008 is about exactly that, putting gamers right at the heart of the international experience ahead of the actual tournament itself later in the summer. Featuring all of the UEFA affiliated nations, including the footballing might of San Marino and Andorra, Euro 2008 allows players to guide their European nation of choice right from the qualifiers, through the pool stages, and into the final itself, where glory awaits for the winner like a long lost love.

Naturally, the cornerstone of the gameplay revolves around that UEFA Euro 2008 mode, but like many of the other modes in the game, it's linked directly to EA's servers (if you're on Live or the PlayStation Network). Part of the time-limited 'Battle of the Nations', a daily online competition that tracks the results of every match played in the game to produce an overall winning nation on June 30th, there are very few elements here particularly new to the series. That said, it wouldn't be an EA Sports football title without some sort of novelty mechanic, and Euro 2008 is no different. So after 'Football Fusion', 'Interactive Leagues', and the 'off the ball' systems of the past, what has EA introduced this time around? Interactive goal celebrations...

Yes, you too can run around the pitch with your arms stretched wide, drop to your knees and pump a fist, or throw your hands up to the crowd in a goal-celebrating show of ecstasy, all with a combination of face and shoulder buttons. The archetypal EA Sports novelty, fun for the first couple of attempts but quickly ignored after, the goal celebrations are unnecessary and all the more disappointing when you consider that Gazza's 'dentist chair' celebration from Euro '96 doesn't form part of the repertoire...Perhaps it'll make it if (or when) they make their appearance in FIFA 09. Enough of the lightweight elements, what about the gameplay itself; does UEFA Euro 2008 provide enough of an improvement over FIFA 08, released just seven months ago, to make it a worthy title for the summers hols?

Henri Delaunay, not Jules Rimet...

Somewhat inevitably, the answer is, no. Sluggish and pretty unresponsive, playing a match in Euro 2008 is like wading through estuary sludge, a somewhat apt analogy given that there's a significant part of the game that quite frankly stinks. It just doesn't feel like football; there's no ebb and flow, and there seems to be some very strange anomalies during some matches - how could Wales beat the Czech Republic 9-0 away from home? Even if the game isn't being played on the hardest levels this sort of result is pure fantasy, despite the fact that as a proud Welshman, thrashing one of the major forces in European international football was a proud moment. Here's the answer: dodgy AI. Besides the infamous FIFA exploit of crossing outside the box and nabbing a goal on every one in three occasions (something of a 'rinse & repeat' dynamic of recent years), AI-controlled players on both sides are guilty of standing around somewhat idly when the ball is being fought for. Another thing too; if the ball physics in Euro 2008 are accurately based on the tournament match ball, then expect plenty of floating, wishy-washy aerial passes or crosses in the summer.

If there's one thing that an EA Sports title exudes by the bucket load, its production values, and it comes as no surprise that for all its typical 'FIFA' weaknesses in gameplay, Euro 2008 is very slick in its presentation, both in terms of visuals and audio. Sound is an especially strong point in Euro 2008, with the crowd atmosphere easily at the forefront of football games; chants, cheering and jeering, and raucous booing all work together to paper over the cracks in the game's immersion. It's rather like eating a plate of icing with the cake...

Despite the doom and gloom, there is one redeeming feature of EA's FIFA games in the last twelve months that's beginning to shine. Originally added in FIFA 08, the 'Be a Pro' mode has been re-named and tweaked in Euro 2008 as 'Captain your Country'. In what can justifiably be described as an evolution, Captain your Country gives players the chance to create or choose a player from any of the nations featured in the game, and take them up from B-Side novices to first team captain and European glory. Utilising the 'Pro' view introduced in FIFA 08, if you're the sole human player that is, players fight against up to three other team mates in a bid to be the next Beckham or Terry. Key to this, and perhaps the biggest difference over the Be a Pro mode, is the addition of dynamic ratings for each of the four potential captaincy candidates. Make a successful pass, and your player gets a ratings boost; stay out of position for too long, and that will begin to reduce - naturally a huge jump in rating can be expected if your guy scores a goal, especially if they're that rogue defender brought up during corners.

The feature is so innovative and original to play, especially with the new additions, that it's almost like the standard mode of EA's football franchises are targeted towards the more 'casual' soccer fan, whilst the hardcore can experiment and feast on this more compelling experience. It's ultimately the latest step in EA's apparent plan to introduce full 11 vs. 11 multiplayer options come 2010, but it's also the most fulfilling option to have in this latest instalment. Let's hope that FIFA 09 continues to build upon in come the Autumn - what are the chances of it being called 'Captain your Club'???