Note: These screenshots are from the PS3/Xbox 360 versions of the game.

Captain Crunch

UEFA Euro 2008 contains a handful of mini-modes: Penalty Shoot-Out, Practice, The Lounge, and Tournament. The primary single-player offerings, Captain Your Country and European Campaign, are where players can go for fresh(er) content. The former is an updated version of the Be a Pro mode from FIFA 08. With only one athlete under your control, players will have to rely on AI teammates most of the time. It’s fun and engaging, but is nothing a soccer fan couldn’t experience last year.

The European Campaign is equally familiar, yet strikingly more interesting since its presentation differs from that of the FIFA series. In this mode players control one team and travel the world in search of a challenge. They’ll find dozens of them spread across several different countries: 11 in the northwest, 10 in the southwest, and eight each for the other four regions. Each challenge comes in the form of a team (normal play with a few additions), shootout (score the most points), or Be a Pro objective, with one of three medals – bronze, silver or gold – being awarded upon each objective’s completion.

Growth Points, an RPG-style currency used to upgrade player stats, are also given to players who win. However, because of the way GP is handed out, you don’t have to win to earn them. The amount acquired is substantially lower when you lose a challenge (which, unlike a typical season mode, can be repeated), but it’s still beneficial. The trick is knowing when to hold back. Successful passing and skillful blocking increase GP – penalties and other interferences decrease it. Cause too much of a problem and you may end up minus GP.

 
We may not be able to show you what the PS2 version of UEFA Euro 2008 looks like,
but that's alright: Just picture the last three FIFAs in your head.
There, now you know what UEFA Euro 2008 looks like.

Absenteeism

The preceding content is good, but that’s all you get in this package. You might think that’s perfectly fine for a budget title (the PS2 version retails for $30). You may also be wondering when the critical moment AI, team manager reactions, dynamic player ratings, or any of the other hyped features enter the game. Unfortunately, they don’t. As with every other sports title, most of the new features are exclusive to the next-gen versions. The PS2 version does have a growth point system, as previously mentioned, but there’s nothing “dynamic” about it.

Online play is also absent, even though PS2 can handle it. But the absence of certain features pales in comparison to the arrival of things we can do without: unchanged gameplay, aged graphics, campaign restrictions, and a bundle of technical issues.

UEFA Euro 2008 is FIFA 08 minus several of its features. The Kick Stick showed promise, and while it does make the game a little more interactive, it doesn’t really improve your success rate. You can get a slightly better curve on goal kicks, but the rest is all power and time-based. Analog integration needs more than that to seriously impact the game. Why can’t I perform every move with the right analog stick? Isn’t it time to move in that direction?

Players can still switch players with the right stick, which was a nice feature on FIFA. Unfortunately in UEFA Euro 08, it doesn’t feel as smooth. Twenty percent of the time I’d push the stick toward a player and the game would switch to the wrong one. Realistically, any game that uses FIFA’s gameplay engine, which worked very well, shouldn’t fall victim to these mistakes – especially when UEFA came more than six months after the last FIFA.

There are also moments of inquisition and confusion. I’m no soccer expert, but shouldn’t the referees notice when a goalkeeper is kicked? In one instance, I kicked the goalkeeper in the chest while trying to score. It was clearly visible on replay. But play didn’t stop until the goalie bent over and grabbed the ball. Had I gotten to it first and scored, would the point have counted?

Breakaways are also questionable, as opponents have no trouble catching up the moment you break away. The opposite is true as well, but it still felt weird. Also, when a qualifying match (for the regional tournaments) appears in the campaign mode, you can’t select any other challenges until it’s complete. This is undesirably restrictive, especially when the rest of the campaign is fairly open-ended.

Furthermore, when using the default Be a Pro camera, certain players (usually the ones closest to the bottom of the screen) disappear. How can I pass to a teammate or avoid an opponent I can’t see?

Graphically, UEFA Euro 2008 is not ugly. Is it pretty? Several years ago, FIFA’s visuals were very attractive. But even if PS2 were the last console on Earth, UEFA Euro 2008 would still be a less-than-jaw-dropping game. The engine is years past its prime, showcasing five-year-old character models and lighting/shadow effects that should’ve been thrown away a long time ago.

The character models are way too small. You can bring the camera closer (barely), but it doesn’t turn these ants into full-fledged athletes. And because of the way the camera is positioned, even with multiple angles available, UEFA doesn’t demonstrate the thrill of going to different locations. In this game, every environment looks exactly the same.

There is one graphical difference that’ll stand out: product placement. The banner ads are overflowing with well-known brands, a deal that likely came from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions and was spread over to PS2 for good measure. The ads aren’t out of place; sporting arenas have had them for generations. But when it’s the only graphical difference in a video game, you can’t help but roll your eyes.