Videogamer writes: "We had great plans for this summer in the VideoGamer.com office. We'd already agreed that we'd be stopping work to watch England games during Euro 2008, set up a makeshift bar, wear our England shirts and shout a lot - presumably at the ref. These plans were of course scrapped when our pitiful nation failed to even make it into this summer's biggest football tournament, but this hasn't stopped EA from releasing a tie-in a few months ahead of kick-off. Can some improvements to the FIFA 08 game engine stop the tears?
The first thing to note about UEFA Euro 2008 is that it plays very similarly to FIFA 08, no matter which version you opt for. On PSP, PS2 and PC you get a game that plays remarkably similar to Pro Evolution Soccer, whereas on Xbox 360 and PS3 you get the completely new next-gen engine that we've had for a few years now. It's the next-gen versions that seem to have received most attention, with the gameplay now flowing better than in FIFA 08. It still doesn't feel quite there (at times you'll be knocking the ball about in midfield like you're playing pinball) but EA is certainly one step closer to nailing it - excellent news for footie fans seeing as PES seems to be going in the opposite direction."
EA Sports UEFA Euro 2012 first trailer
UEFA Euro 2008 does a great job of bringing together the technical preciseness and fun of a real soccer game like no soccer game before it. Being able to control almost all the action, and feeling like scoring a goal is a true accomplishment, comes across immediately. If you're a fan of the beautiful game, or even if you're not, you'll be in for real treat with this game.
Games Asylum writes: "The first thing to ask of any football game is: is it better than Pro Evolution Soccer? The answer in this case, is yes. Euro 2008 plays a slower, more realistic and more cultured version of the game. It relies far more on crossing, sensible defending and picking out the perfect pass, in contrast to Pro Evo's festival of dribbling.
It also plays a far better game online. I experienced hardly any lag, and when I did I found that the entire game slowed down to accommodate it. I never lost a goal or game due to lag, a huge difference to Pro Evo's nasty habit of making the ball disappear and then reappear in your own goal. There's also a wealth of online modes, including playing a Euro 2008 tournament online, playing in a league or just picking a single game. There's also an interesting feature called 'Play for your Country' where you choose your country and your scores both offline and online go into a ranking table to find out which country has the most obsessive citizens."
