[360] - UEFA Champions League Game Review

[RAILHAWK]

XBOX 360
Video game footballers rejoice!
With FIFA 07 EA took serious steps to takeover the top spot from the Winning eleven series. Personally I felt the XBOX 360 game play was acually better for the first time since the two games started going head to head.

As a football/soccer ultra fanatico I basically play every soccer game that comes out. So, of course I purchased the new UEFA Champions League game from EA on the 360 and kicked it around.

It doesn't take long to realize this game is a bridge between FIFA 07 and the upcoming 08.

Champions League sports improved graphics you'll notice right away.
However, the most exciting improvement is in game play. EA fixed some of the minor issues from FIFA 07.

You are now free to move your player and check to the ball etc. when the ball is passed to you. For some reason this was difficult in 07 as the player felt like he was "on a rail" and movement was restricted. There also seem to be a few new animations and tweaking done in that area.

Long ground passers [which someone mentioned on this site before] be happy, they are a bit easier to pull off. If you hold the pass button down for an extended time it will bypass the closest open player and go long, finding a player much farther away. [tap it = soft/short pass][hold it = harder passes] [hold it long = long ground pass]

Finishing is also fantastic. EA fixed a sort of finesse finishing glitch from 07 and all is good now. Finesse finishing for those who wonder, is when a player sacrifices power for accuracy when shooting. It's a fantastic feature in the game and by no means does it ensure a goal whe you use it. It's very realistic.

The Champions League license is waaaayyyy cool. The CL theme music, announcers, graphics etc are all in there. Teams from all the major euro leauges are in the game, but EA has not injected all the tiny clubs old FIFA games used to feteaure. I want 500 teams back.
In the CL final you get to play in the stadium they use in the CL graphics on TV [CL "star" ball roof etc.] - -really cool.

You can also set up group stage games or a CL final and throw any two teams together [or even a friendly] and play. Of course you can also play through the enitre CL tournament from group stages to knocks outs.

UEFA Champions League also features a dynamic Ultimate Team Mode.
This mode has you creating and building a team to take through the Champions League. With the recent popularity of card games it's no surprise to see EA design this mode as a card based system. You complete tasks and/or win games to earn new card packs. Cards can also be traded online to help you build your Ultimate team.

This game plays like real football. I'm so excited.
I will probably put FIFA 07 away now that I have UCL to hold me over until FIFA 08 comes out. The improved graphics and tweaks in game play make it hard to go back to FIFA 07.

If UCL is in fact a look a things to come in FIFA 08 I'll be gizzy! Personally I thought the 360 version of FIFA 07 was the best game made to date [even though it lacks the million teams and several other features common in old FIFA games]. UEFA Champions League is even better than FIFA 07 and if EA throws everything back in FIFA 08 along with the UCL game play you may never see me again. I'll be huddled in my game room kickin video game balls 24/7!

Way to go EA---keep it up!!

[THECOMMISH99]

i have the ps2 version and it is way better than fifa07 version too bad only 5 people are online at one time! lol