UEFA EURO 2008

UEFA EURO 2008 offers everything you may expect, and even a little more. Only the selection of the national teams is rather drab. Only around 53 teams to choose from is rather sparse. As a European, I personally apologise for this. Unfortunately, we Europeans have nothing more to offer, and it is too late to define new borders or create new states. Nevertheless, every team, which was part of the qualification, can be selected. Don’t worry, even Liechtenstein and the Faeroe Islands are in the line up.

Exhaustive sample games with friends have shown how a game of football can divide opinions. “I simply cannot get used to the controls, these guys react too slowly!”, reckoned one of my mates. “Oh, really!,” said another, “The controls are first-rate and their reactions are simply realistic”. I have to agree with the latter, as the controls are – as ever - solid and simple. For lobs or feinted passes, you have to combine a few keys, but after a short time playing, it will become second nature for you. There is even an appropriate control option for fans of the Pro Evo series.

In a way, to make up for the few teams– I am really sorry –a huge number of games modes are offered to you. As usual, you can start an individual match immediately at “kick-off”, carry out a penalty shootout or take control of an individual player with “Be a Pro”. “Be a Pro” first appeared on FIFA 08. It is a nice idea, which however only reveals its true potential with several other human players. Otherwise, when played alone, “Team Captain” mode provides a lot of fun. You create your own player and accumulate points with successful ball games. These points can then be allocated to different attributes such as passing strength, accuracy or timing, similar to role-playing games. Once you have scored enough points for your national team, the captain’s armband is waiting for you. Collecting points is nowadays the order of the day, especially if you are online with your console.

Every game mode, except for the “Qualifying Scenarios”, earns you points, which play a crucial role in the “Battle of the Nations”. This “Battle of the Nations” is essentially a programme that runs in the background. You select a national team, regardless of your nationality. You don’t only use this team to play a couple of games, but rather become one of thousands of virtual representatives of your selected nation. Now you play as a team, because anyone playing for the same nation plays for the same “national score”. On June 30 it is decided which national team is European Champion . Virtually, of course.

Anyone who is keen on the trophy can simply select the “UEFA EURO 2008” mode. You can already guess what this mode is about from the imaginative title. You either play through the entire championship, or kick off immediately with the final round. Anyone looking for a challenge can take part in the numerous “Qualifying Scenarios”. Here, you are sometimes catapulted into the middle of a match, and for example, have to catch up or defend a lead. As its name indicates, you are confronted with various situations from qualifying matches, and can relive history - or rewrite it. The real challenge, as usual, awaits you online. Sixteen teams face off in the “EURO Online K.O. Cup”. This is essentially an online version of “UEFA EURO 2008”, except that you can earn more points here by beating a top team with a weaker team.

Excellent animation, a rain of confetti at the beginning of matches, blur effects and beads of sweat dripping from the faces of the players and the trainer are a pleasure. A pixelated fake public, the usual old problem with anti aliasing and lagging during the festivities after a goal on the other hand, are not. As long as you don’t look beyond the edge of the playing field or at certain dark shadows too closely, you will sometimes almost have the impression that you enjoy an early television broadcast. Modern music, barrages of whistling, deafening shouts of joy and the whistle of the referee all sound great. Well presented, FIFA 08 goes a little step further than UEFA EURO 2008 from a technical point of view.