Taking
players to the heart of the most intense European rivalries and
competition, EA's UEFA Champions League 2006/2007 for the PS2 offers a
solidly entertaining and deep soccer title. All the major clubs including
Manchester United, Chelsea, AC Milan, and Barcelona to name a few are
present. UEFA lets you manage your team through an entire championship
season in Treble Mode. From a gameplay standpoint, the game has a lot in
common with the FIFA series and its controls and interface make it easy to
play on the field. Despite its quality, UEFA's narrow focus will probably
make it a niche title that will appeal mostly to hardcore soccer fans.
The release of another EA branded soccer
title probably won't cause much of a ripple, UEFA Champions League
2006/2007 is a solid title that brings the excitement and intensity of the
European game to life vividly. The game includes all of the major clubs in
UEFA, complete with licensed players and stadiums, all of which is brought
to life with excellent cut scenes and cinemas that bring the championship
leagues to life on your screen. There's a massive roster consisting of
dozens of clubs and fields that you can choose from with all the major
leagues represented from all the major powers. Virtually every significant
player is also included in the game as well. You can select which players
will start and their subs, change positions and formations from the main
menus, which are fairly easy to use.
The
competition is fierce in this game, and its exceptional AI accurately
reflects the sophistication and style of each team's strategy. The game
allows you to play in several different modes ranging from single matches,
to intense tournament play that takes you through an entire season with
your club. As you play these different modes, you'll win points by
completing objectives, such as winning by two goals or not giving up a red
or yellow card. These points can then be used to unlock extras such as
authentic classic balls, special fields or pitches to play on and other
items. UEFA allows you to play through a variety of deeper management
modes, including what's known as the Treble, where you play through a
single season with your club, can manage players and compete in matches at
club, tournament and championship levels against some of the fiercest
competition. This is where your endurance is put to the test, as your club
competes in a variety of matches and cups to work your way up the rankings
towards the final match. Players can also choose to recreate some of the
most famous UEFA matches in the game's Ultimate Challenge mode, where you
can set up and play different scenarios, which gives you a bit of history
to relive.
Once you get on the pitch, you'll find
that UEFA offers the same solid play mechanics and deep strategic play
you've come to expect from EA's soccer titles. Players will find passing,
shooting and dribbling fairly easy to accomplish, which makes the game
flow as fast and frenetic as a real match. Each player performs as they
would in real life, which makes the gameplay feel even more authentic and
helps to make UEFA one of the more balanced and challenging soccer title's
we've played. In each match, you'll have to know who your star players are
and need to make sure that they have the ball at critical points during
the match. In order to help you on the field, you can switch the players
you control and pass to a striker to kick the ball into the net. You can
choose which player to control manually or let the AI auto-select which
player to use, and can adjust the level of automation as well. The game
lets you change strategies on the fly with an intuitive menu system where
you can choose which attack or defense you want to use.
The controls are precise and let you
command the ball's movement much easier thanks to a new touch system where
you can control the players with a much greater degree of accuracy. One of
the most significant changes this time around are what's called quick
controls, where you can instantly revert back to the field from goal or
corner kicks, which helps to increase the momentum of each match much
easier. During the match, you can also call out players and implement
substitutions and formations to adjust to the success or failure of your
club. All of this makes the on field action surprisingly intense, and
you'll need strong reflexes and strategies to defeat your opponents.
UEFA's sophisticated AI means that the opponents you face will be
surprisingly aggressive and won't hesitate to capitalize on your mistakes.
Leaving the field open with few defenders almost always leads to disaster,
so you can't let your opponents have possession for long. You can also
change the speed and difficulty of each match beforehand at the options
screen.
As
you complete different tasks and objectives in UEFA, you can keep track of
your progress and your current goals in your notebook. This also helps you
to catalog your accomplishments and items unlocked during the game. UEFA
also allows players to trade data and information with the PSP version of
the game, so you can make progress either at home on your PS2 or on the
go. This interoperability should add even more depth to the gameplay,
making for a deeper and more comprehensive experience. From an aesthetic
standpoint, the game looks fairly decent and includes excellent in-game
cut scenes as well as the ability to save a view replays of the great
moments from each match. Its player models are fairly good with decent
animations and facial expressions, though most of these production values
are lost during the game and only come into play when you view the
replays. The stadiums look good as well and the game has an impressive
engine that looks sharp by PS2 standards. The game also implements some
impressive weather effects, like snow and rain that lend it even more
authenticity. You can also change the camera angles during the game from
either a high angle to see the overall action, or zoom in at close range.
The game's commentary is well done and fits the action perfectly, and you
can also hear the roars of the crowd with chants and songs that increase
the game's immersion.
While the basic game mechanics and
layout are taken from the FIFA series, the familiarity of the controls and
approach makes it easy to understand and play. Most gamers should find
that the game offers an intense and challenging game of soccer. It does an
excellent job of bringing the intensity and action of professional
competitive football to life, while offering enough options and extras to
appeal to the hardcore player. UEFA Championship League is aimed at a
niche audience of those gamers who are very much interested in European
soccer. It does seem a little bit familiar in many aspects, but the game's
solid play mechanics, deep strategic options and long tournament modes
deliver a deep and challenging soccer title.
