Soccer, or football, is often referred to as the world’s game. It has more fans than any other sport and even cultural groups owe their existence to the game. The problem with the majority of soccer video games is that the world’s game felt awfully like a solo experience and lacked the grand feeling and fervor of the sport.

UEFA Euro 2008 is aiming to change that with a competitive online mode that is the cornerstone of the PS3 title’s release. Here’s how it all works – you select a country to play as, either in solo experiences or online, and then (if in solo) select a difficulty setting. Play the match and should you win, points are awarded to the national team you are representing … points that go on the leaderboard … points that go for your country and show how rabid – err, enthusiastic – its fan base is and which team is the tops in video-game play.

Now before you start shaking your head about it being another soccer title from EA Sports, let’s get down to what UEFA is – it’s sort of like FIFA but with fewer team. In fact, these are the international teams that are eligible for and vying to win the European Championship. (For all those in North America who may not know, the European Championship is a highly prestigious title.)

The disk that GameZone was sent for the review was debug machine code and not the retail version, so some of the descriptions used in this review might be slightly off from the retail code. 

UEFA does, in fact, have fewer teams, but the gameplay feels crisper from the last next-gen iteration of FIFA. And the details are pretty good. The rules feel tighter and even though some of the offsides called are enough to have one screaming at the cyber refs (well, Ok, I was the one screaming emphatically that the rule states the player is NOT offsides if there is a defender between him and goal at the time the ball is kicked). But taken in the whole, the officiating is more hit than miss in this game, and that bodes well.

The football itself is a bit tighter than past EA Sports iterations and weather can actually play a factor in the matches. And the game has the general array of single and multiplayer modes; nothing here was unique or unexpected. Multiplayer, in addition to the points' standings race, has online tourney capabilities, not just the additional players plugging into the PS3 system.

While being touted as new this year, the Captain Your Country feature is actually an expansion of something old - FIFA’s Be A Pro. In the tourney setting, though, you will feel the weight competition and the goal is to elevate your play to the point where you are named captain of the team. It is a nice touch, with effort being rewarded.

The game’s control scheme is easy to pick up and play, for those who have had experience with EA’s soccer games before. No manual came with the game, but even just plopping in the disk and going provided no real problem. Playing the game smart includes evaluating your opponents, probing attacks and strategic retreats with the ball until you find the gaps and exploit them. The speed of the game allows for great through-balls and runs at the goal mouth that can be rather exciting. Great goalie AI also does much to add an element of challenge as well as thrill the gameplayer.

The graphics are solid (this is pretty much the same game as the last FIFA title) and the musical tracks, as well as the commentary, are handled well.

While the game structure feels a tad more intimate without the preponderance of club teams, the game truly has an international flavor with the online mode sporting national pride in a wonderful way. FIFA was a solid title, but in many ways, UEFA feels a bit stronger.

Gameplay: 8.6
It feels like elements of the game have been tightened up, though the game still retains that jump-in-and-play feel. You don’t have to study the manual to enjoy this game.  

Graphics: 8.4
This is basically the same graphics engine used for the last FIFA title. Some nice new animations have been dropped in, but generally speaking, it is a good visual treat but does not provide much new.

Sound: 8.8
Solid musical soundtrack and announcing that is well done.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.7
International teams, with the theme carried forward nicely into the online space. Adjustments made to the “Be A Pro” scheme to make it feel more competitive and urgent.

Multiplayer: 8.2
From 16-player tourneys to the way points are tallied on an online leaderboard for games won by nations, this is a step up from FIFA.

Overall: 8.7
The soccer is well done, the ball physics are solid and the overall environment – from graphics to sound – is well done. The international flavor, the way the Captain Your Country is handled and the metagame of scoring points for your favorite national side in a massively online race is nicely done.