UEFA Champions League For 360! (March 20th)

i'm still playing 07 every chance i get on the 360 and am loving it more and more each time. i honestly don't know how i can go back to pro evo after this. i really dont. i threw on pes6 the other night to try and see what i thought i liked about it before fifa 07, and i just couldnt get into it at all. everything. is. so. stiff. and. scripted. and. pre ordained... anyone who hates fifa 07 and loves pro evo6 is bonkers in my book. either they are defending pes6 out of brand loyalty or the style and feel of the game is so ingrained in them that they cant see past it, they have blinkers on so to speak.

the freedom! the freedom to do what you want on the footy field! its just brilliant. once they fix the through balls and headers this will be the greatest football experience to date. no fucking competition at all. over here in australia pes6 is marketed with the slogan

"play the beautiful game anyway you like"

thats laugh out loud funny once you play more than 5 matches of fifa 07 on the 360 and then compare to pes6. i cant stress enough how much this new game engine has me excited. excited about the future of sport simulation and gaming. not just because it looks pretty, and fuck me doesn't it look sexy in high def? but because the 'real' dynamic and flow of a footy match is present, with a ball that doesnt stick to player's feet like a magnet (cough, pes6, cough) and AI runs that are actually realistic, intelligent and downright helpful. the element of randomness that stems from the brilliant ball and player physics makes my heart sing. if your "alive to the chance of a rebound" then a mad scramble in the box can result in a goal and to me it appears that such scrambles never play out the same way twice. there is none of this bullshit 80% of loose balls going to the opposition that just makes you want to fly to japan and slash seabass' tires. or the invisible forcefield around your players at throw ins. EA has taken the first steps to truly further the genre and i am pumped. roll on the 23rd, i gotta find some cash in my student budget to get UEFA, but it will come from somewhere!

so a big fat cheers to all the lads on here that truly 'get' this game. like a lot of great games it takes a while to settle in and you have to banish any habits that carry over from pro evo, but once you do..... farrrk... its just sublime.
 
Downloaded it last night and have to admit this is a breath of fresh air. Lets get the fantastic presentation out of the way first: If you squint you could be watching a real Champions League match on ITV on a Tuesday night, the graphics and animations are THAT GOOD. Player models are slimmer and look more life-like which is a God-send. The pitch is beautiful and the crowd ROARS creating an atmosphere I have never witnessed in a football game before. How does it play? In my opinion, GREAT. The passing is spot-on and the players do neat little touches. You can build up your passing game and thread the ball to the wings which sometimes get cut out by the opposing team. Creating space is a must and the CPU AI seems better than FIFA 07. My first game I played as Barca and won 2-0 with two headers, one scored by Eto'o the other by Messi. Second game I played as Arsenal and got battered in posession but managed to sneak a goal with Adebayor - a beautiful chip. I then drew the other games I played 0-0. Every game feels different I find and I love the way the CPU steps up his game when 1-0 down. I did find MINOR flaws, like the crossing is a bit suspect and some of the tackles get carded by the ref but hey, it is the Champions League where the refs are fickle anyway!

Overall I am going to buy this, DEFO. I am very impressed. PES6 is so limited in-comparison and has a dated engine. UEFA CL is a step-forward in the gaming world and it feels next-gen. Can't wait till next week! What day does it hit the shelves?
 
Well bugger me, I didn't think you'd be saying that!!

It's out on Friday next week (23rd).
 
Great, can't wait. Everything feels right in this FIFA. I hope the full game is even better.

I just farted and it stinks.
 
Lol ta for that extra bit of info Mr Diego.

Anyway, I played this for a good half hour last night and im still not convinced on 1 important aspect.... the Shooting System!... Most shots I aimed didnt go where I aimed them to go, either way off target or not high enough or not low enough (the same problem I had in FIFA 07) plus im scoring far too many tap-ins for my liking, Goalkeeper spills my 1st shot from Lionel Messi and then Ronaldinho has a simple tap-in... ive repeated this same feat several times and it does concern me somewhat.

Any advice on how to score some nice 30 yard screamers would be much appreciated.

Dj
 
reading these comments makes me wanna persevere with it

i have questions though how can i make fast hard passes and like DJ says how do i smack the ball?
 
I think the only way we can make fast/hard passes is to get the full game and turn passing assistance off (if they still have that option) and then it will depend on how long you hold the pass button down.

Dj
 
I don't know how people are having these goalkeeping spill problems; you all know I'm not a fanboy and that I will happily list FIFA/UEFA's faults, but I am not having those FIFA 07 goalkeeping issues any more! Weird, perhaps it's to do with different play styles...

As for scoring screamers DJ, you've just got to get used to it. About half-way on the power-bar is usually a decent shot. When you aim, don't pull all one-way on the stick like your life depended on it; just aim a slight degree up or down on the stick to get the shot into either corner. Different players hit the ball with different power, bear that in mind as well; i.e. a centre-back's shooting power bar rockets up quite quickly, resulting in a blast over the bar, whereas with Henry it moves slower so you have more control.

Just keep practising is all I can suggest. As I've said, I'm not a fanboy, but I have scored a few amazing goals (not many, but a few), including a half-volley from Henry outside the box that nestled into the top corner; so it can be done.

Coopz, to do a fast pass you're best to just tap the pass button. If you get the direction just right then it will usually carry a bit more pace to it, but if you need it to be harder then you can hold down the button longer.

By the way, has anybody noticed the one-twos? Hold down the left trigger, press pass, and watch the passer run into (a clever) position. Great stuff!
 
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Jack Bauer said:
By the way, has anybody noticed the one-twos? Hold down the left trigger, press pass, and watch the passer run into position. Great stuff!
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Yeah, I pulled a few off last night - they look great to be fair. You getting this next week Jack? You must have every 360 title there has been! :D
 
just had a few games playing nobody to get used to it and im hitting some nice hard shots but it feels like my player dont wanna go where i tell em to using the analogue
 
El Diego said:
Yeah, I pulled a few off last night - they look great to be fair. You getting this next week Jack? You must have every 360 title there has been! :D
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:lol: Nah, I'm not quite that sad yet. There's a lot of stuff I don't play; beat-em-ups and all that I think are wastes of discs, and all of the World War II games (although saying that I'm tempted by CoD3)... I'll buy any sports game though - apart from the odd one, like cricket (I'd rather eat a cricket bat), and PES, obviously, which (as I must have said a million times by now, apologies) I believe is an eight-year-old game wrapped in modernised graphics, and not at all realistic. I still don't understand how someone can play football, watch football and then think PES is realistic... I was watching the UEFA Cup match last night, AZ v Newcastle. The ball was bouncing off legs here and there, looping up over people's heads, the referee was booking players for decent challenges and there were some decent challenges that were marred by a stud sticking up and catching a player, leading to a foul. You just don't get all that in PES, bar bouncing off legs (and that's only when the CPU wants a chance). You do in UEFA (as annoying as the refs can be sometimes, it's realistic - although admittedly, there are still a few things with the refs that need sorting, as they seem to go for reds way too quickly).

Anyway, I will be getting it, of course. I can't wait, it's the only football game I'll be playing. I'm just in two minds whether to pre-order or whether to go down to the shops and trade in a few XBOX games that didn't sell on eBay to get a few quid off... I don't know if I can wait though!

MrCoopz said:
just had a few games playing nobody to get used to it and im hitting some nice hard shots but it feels like my player dont wanna go where i tell em to using the analogue
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Sounds a bit strange - I've not had this problem, but when I was playing a mate the other night they said the same thing. All I can say is practice makes perfect...
 
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ahhh how do i stop my players lacing the ball when im 1 on 1 its doing my nut in
 
Try the finesse button and shoot?! Or have you tried everything?
 
i have it now just you tap the button silly me :)

i just did a great finish when i was though, just where i wanted it to go so i think im getting used to the shooting

JB do u still have Fifa 07?
 
Well yes and no; it's out on loan to the nephew at the minute. UEFA seems miles better though, all of the little changes really add up. I couldn't go back to playing FIFA 07 now, I don't think. The individual intelligence of the players blows me away at times (like I said on the last page, I was in trouble in the corner and a player came bombing up the pitch to give me someone to pass to, it was fantastic). Plus there's no more sodding "bumping".
 
My colleague at work just told me how much he loves this demo and he doesn't even LIKE viedo games!

I just ordered UEFA from HMV as I had £20 discount on my reward card. Sweet - it's worth £20 so I can't complain even if I get bored quick.
 
El Diego said:
My colleague at work just told me how much he loves this demo and he doesn't even LIKE viedo games!
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See, a lot of people would say that's a bad thing... I'll give you an example. My girlfriend understands football - she will happily have a kick-about in the park and she even watches matches (as long as it's a Liverpool or an England match). But when she fancied playing PES with me and a mate, she gave up after two minutes saying that she couldn't move the players properly, as if they were on rails, and that the ball was just automatically going places without her having to power it or using any kind of skill. She played the demo of FIFA 07 with me and instantly she was really into it, and she said "how can you play that other shitty football game you always play? These players are moving like I want them to, and it's me kicking the ball".

When I was talking to mates about it they were instantly saying "well if she can play it then it must be a load of crap" - but I think that's totally wrong. If someone who isn't in love with football can pick up the pad and move the players around like they're human beings rather than robots, and have them run where the person wants them to run, even if the person doesn't have enough footballing knowledge to know where the players should be positioned and where he/she should run, then surely that shows that the game is good rather than bad and that it's easy to pick up but not easy to be the best at unless you truly understand what makes good football - just in the same way that it's easy to run with a ball in real life, and anybody can do that, but it's not easy to stay in position and score a screaming volley every five minutes. Meaning, to me, that the game is by far more realistic. But it seems I'm in the minority in thinking that.
 
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i tell you what i think am on the verge of really really liking this game

im playing Fifa 07 to get used to it and im seeing some awesome things in it, im playing Man us Man city and im struggling to create a chance. just like real football im passing it about trying to find an opening.

im starting to realise what you mean about how free this is and how scripted pro has become. Ill be back after i have played more :)
 
I'm doing my best.

jack-bauer-in-action.jpg

JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE!
GIVE IT A FUCKING CHANCE!!
PUT THE PAD DOWN AND PUT THE UEFA DISC IN!
DO IT!!
 
My missus hates PES and likes FIFA 07... perhaps she is trying to tell me something? Play on FIFA 07 and get UEFA CL? by the way it got a solid 8/10 mark in the 360 magazine and they are saying EA are on the way up as it gets better with each release. Must admit it plays a better game than FIFA 07 and isnt as irritating as 07 can be. I do like this I suppose I shall have to shoot until I cant shoot much more :)

Dj
 
djdoc: did they mention anything about the game modes? can you turn the card trade system off?
 
Mini Review

(http://www.totalvideogames.com/arti...7_-_Hands_On_Preview_11371_6383_0_0_10_0.htm)

EA must be hoping that Xbox 360 owners can't get enough of the beautiful game we call footie, with the fourth EA Sports football title to be released on the system since its launch 15 months ago. Returning from a break in the action last season, EA Sports are making a Champions League comeback as the real-world tournament draws into the climatic stages.

Making its way onto the Xbox 360, Playstation2, PSP and PC towards the end of the month, UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 is shaping up to offer a distinctly different experience on each; particularly the PS2 and PSP versions serve as a reminder of just how far the FIFA franchise has advanced on the next-generation, but once again seemingly at the cost of content.


On The Pitch

Presumably leaving the big-name changes until FIFA 08 later in the year, Champions League 2006-2007 is shaping up to play very closely to last year's World Cup efforts and FIFA 07. There's a hint that features such as the One Touch have been refined with further control, effortlessly chesting a pass onto another player, whilst the opposition AI appears to provide more a more realistic challenge. One area that appears to be noticeably improved is the collision detection between players tussling for the ball, which now seems to give the advantage to the player with the ball and reduces the erratic nature of last year's FIFA.

Further cosmetic touches see the appearance of physios to treat an injured player; close-up cameras to catch the emotion of a crucial free-kick; and surprisingly, it seems as though the commentary system has seen a few improvements, though the idle banter still seems a little too obscure at times and occasionally it still seems as though Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend are watching another match.

At the end of every match played in the handful of modes, your performance is evaluated based upon a range of criteria (goals, yellow/red cards, away fixture, etc...) and bonus multipliers for away fixtures and difficulty, are with the resulting points being used in the game's Ultimate Team mode.



I'll Trade Ronaldo For Ronaldinho

Realising that even FIFA fanatics would take to yet another spin-off like fans to rising Premiership ticket prices, Champions League 2006-2007 biggest introduction is the inclusion of the 'Ultimate Team' mode. Merging FIFA with Pokemon, the 'Ultimate Team' mode provides the challenge of picking a custom team from the bottom and bringing it glory by buying and swapping cards.

Players are classified by cards displaying their attributes and important information, along with a variety of others such as coaching staff, stadium, training, boots, balls, and gameplay bonuses. Grouped into Bronze, Silver and Gold packs, you'll begin the mode with a distinctly average set of players, purchasing new packs of cards with the points accumulated at the end of every match. Special cards that provide buffs during the actual match can be set to four different slots on the d-pad, bringing temporary benefits such as Increased Dribbling or Speed.

Taking into account nationalities and playing the players in their correct positions is important to building the Team Chemistry to provide an additional boost to the player's attributes, whilst having Physio cards in your deck will ensure that injuries are dealt with effectively. Further still certain cards, such as Stadiums, will provide a boost to the player's Morale. Adding a further challenge to the mode, you'll also have to contend with Player Contracts that count down based upon each appearance. Again it's all about having the right cards, with Contract Extension cards used to extend a player's contract by the stated amount of matches.

There's one thing you can be sure of when Trading Cards are involved and that's swapsies. When you find yourself with two David Beckham's the solution is to offer it as a trade via Xbox Live, or if you can't find a trade stick it in the EA Sports sticker album to try and collect the entire set for additional point bonuses.

To progress through the mode you must reach a certain amount of points within 30 games, which advances you to the next stage and unlocks the next tier of cards. Progressing through the Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers unlocks a Golden Ticket, allowing entry for your custom team into the Champions League. The mode is as fanciful as it sounds, but could provide the long-term challenge that FIFA games tend to lack. It's very much a fantasy, "videogame" mode that is far removed from realism and authenticity, but it does appear to work in a strange Pokemon kind of way.


Missing Content?

Following the next-generation version of FIFA 07, the Xbox 360 version appears to make sacrifices once again in terms of content. Despite making an appearance in the PC version, Henrik Larsson is nowhere to be found in the Manchester United squad for the Xbox 360 title or PS2/PSP. Presumably the only time Man Utd fans will see the prolific Swede in the red shirt, let's hope the omission is just a sign of the unfinished preview build.

Despite the shackles of the Champions League license, UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 contains all the top league teams from England, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and a handful of others, so West Ham fans dreaming of European glory can get a slice of the action - even if it does stretch the truth even further then the Pokemon styled action. Strangely there are some clubs such as PSV Eindhoven and CSKA Moscow that lack official licenses in the Xbox 360 version but don't in the PlayStation2, whilst the current-gen also offers a vastly expanded set of leagues to choose from.

Besides the Champions League (strangely without Man Utd and Arsenal in the PS2 version) and Ultimate Team modes, Champions League 2006-2007 offers a Challenge mode to recreate famous scenarios throughout the tournaments history. PS2 owners can also look forward to a Season mode, offering expanded management options and the ability to take it on the move with the PSP - just in case you can't get enough.

Timed perfectly to fuel the fix of FIFA addicts, the only question surrounding the forthcoming release of Champions League 2006-2007 is just how many games they've managed to squeeze on the Xbox 360 in such a short timeframe. Minor improvements to the game engine should make Champions League 2006-2007 the most enjoyable game to date before a presumed revolution in FIFA 08, whilst the Ultimate Team mode is shaping up to be a lot more fun then we initially considered.
 
Lol @ JB just reading your posts is a good reason to come here everyday!

Anywayz, kobashi I havent heard anything about turning that card system off. All I know is that you can play just the Champions League if you want. You dont have to do that ultimate team mode unless you want to. You could just choose your favourite club team and participate in the CL.

Dj
 
djdoc360 said:
Lol no she definitely isnt one of those :)
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Dog? Alien? Pillow with a face drawn on it? She's a pillow with a face drawn on it isn't she?

That reminds me, he's a bit modest, but DJ had a foursome the other night!

djza0.jpg
 
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