UEFA Euro 2004

Review - EA's take on Portuguese football fever comes under scrutiny...

Summer is finally here, and, if you're rather fond of the beautiful game as I am, there's only one place you'll be looking toward for your entertainment of a balmy afternoon or evening: Portugal. No, we're not talking about a package holiday to the Algarve, rather the year's biggest footballing contest which kicks-off there soon. And whilst the Beckhams, Figos, Zidanes and Rauls of this world will be taking to the pitch and demonstrating their skills with consummate ease, EA have been good enough to introduce what is effectively a bi-annual Euro 2004-branded update of their ubiquitous FIFA series to coincide with the contest, which will be about as close to genuine football glory as most of us will get. How kind of them.

At a first glance this EA Sports title oozes with all the polish of FIFA 2004, complete with slick European Championship inspired menus, and a new soundtrack featuring the usual diverse selection of artists, including Nelly Furtado's official tournament anthem. The usual array of options is of course present from the outset with commentary as per usual provided by the likeable John Motson and the caddish Ally McCoist.

Gameplay itself no doubt bears more than a passing resemblance to the TV coverage that will come from Portugal, with plenty of authentic camera angles offered, and nationalised, yet expletive-free, crowd chants and national anthems all adding to the football-fiesta atmosphere cunningly promoted throughout this title.

All fifty one European nations will feature, and predictably the most impressively-authentic mode will allow you to lead your country through qualifying stages to the attainment of glory in the tournament-proper. But what of the gameplay? Well, the opposing-team AI seems to have been toughened up a little from FIFA 2004, and there's certainly a few new tricks up our band of internationals' collective sleeves in the shape of nutmegs, diving headers and over-head kicks. I also found that tricks were somewhat easier to pull-off in the first instance than in FIFA, though that could have had more to do with the high calibre of your average Euro 2004 player, compared to the English division two teams I usually frequent in FIFA (just can't resist the irony of Luke Guttridge playing as Luke Guttridge who plays for Cambridge Utd. Yeah, I'm a loser).

The morale meter is also an interesting addition to the gameplay dynamic; impacting player performance based on the score line and the ebb and flow of the game - just like a real-life team might feel demoralised if losing and under pressure. The gameplay is also a tad smoother, the controls having been refined just a little further from the progression begun in FIFA 2004 (or was it 2003, I can never remember).

A few new modes are also available, including various training and penalty-kick practice options, not mention single game, home and away leg matches, and the fun, if daft, Fantasy mode; the latter of which allowing you to build your dream squad from Europe's football elite. Graphics have changed very little indeed from FIFA 2004, but the motion capture animations still rule the roost and it all looks very lovely, even if very little has actually changed.

All in all, UEFA Euro 2004 is a most competent, accomplished and highly polished title, which one glance at the sales chart already tells me will sell like hotcakes, especially as the tournament grows tantalisingly near. That said, Euro 2004 - by the very nature of the competition it represents - is far narrower in scope than FIFA 2004, and as such doesn't offer quite as many bangs-per-buck. Nor indeed, does it improve hugely upon the gameplay of the last game, remaining very much true to this easy-to-pick-up and fun formula so popular already. Those already possessing FIFA's latest might think twice about acquiring this somewhat predictable licensed tie-in; but those of the football mad persuasion will certainly relish the tangible sense of occasion, excitement and authenticity ingrained throughout EA Sport's latest.

Roll on the real thing.

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