UEFA Euro 2008

I was responding to Rob, quoting the lines from FIFA 08 that do my nut. Every time Andy Gray enthusiastically bursts "KEEP THE GAME ALIVE" a little piece of me withers and dies.
 
Jack Bauer said:
I've spent the afternoon playing PES2008 - shock horror. After playing the Euro 08 demo I couldn't go back to playing FIFA with it's shocking reaction times (and button-presses being completely ignored on occasion). So I rented PES2008 from Blockbuster, to give me something to play until Euro 08 comes out in two weeks.

I won't go on about how bad the game is because it'll just start a fanboy war (and this turns into a positive post at the end, read on). All I'll say is that I've got it for a week but I won't be playing it again after today, it is shockingly bad IMO. But I have actually gained some positivity from renting the game.

The one and only thing I like about the game (excluding the referees who are practically perfect), is the shooting. Not so much the mechanics of it, but the fact that you can score some pretty great goals. Bear in mind the last time I played PES2008 was the day after it came out, so I'm not going to know any exploits or "sweet spots", but I had a shot as I was running into the side of the box - from a position that would always lead to a save and a corner in FIFA 08, guaranteed - and it actually went into the net. The keeper dived low, I shot high, and his outstretched hand couldn't get to it.

It felt completely natural, I took a good shot and it went in, as it would in real life, but in FIFA it's always saved. It made me realise, like a smack in the face, that the shooting in FIFA is a bit wonky. Well, not so much the shooting, but the goalkeepers, who are either pulling off wondersaves or facing the crowd behind them and sticking their arse out. In FIFA it's the same save from the same situation practically (if not literally) 100% of the time.

As I say, I really dislike the rest of the game - sticky-feet passing, poor teammate AI and the ridiculous speed of the game. But having played it for an hour or two, I decided to put the Euro 08 demo in for a quick comparison.

The speed felt just right (obviously it feels too fast after playing FIFA, and it is too fast I'm sure, but after playing PES it didn't feel unrealistic at all), the passing was neat and crisp - but what shocked me the most?

I scored exactly the same goal that I'd just scored in PES.

I ran into the box from the side, ran back just a bit to widen the angle, then did the shot that would always result in a corner on FIFA. The keeper dived low but with his hands up, the shot went high, and it was a goal.

It felt completely natural and 100% realistic. It just felt so sweet to hit a shot that fooled the goalkeeper, and even more so because you knew that was something that wouldn't have happened before.

People will say "but what if you score ten per game" - bear in mind the way that algorithms work, things are stretched the longer the timespan of a game is. So in a two-minute half the game is going to encourage goals, otherwise every game would be 0-0 when you only have 120 seconds to score. Increase that to a five-minute half or longer and things will change, if the game has been programmed correctly (and of course that's not guaranteed, but I am quietly hopeful).

I'm so looking forward to the game now after the feeling I got when scoring that goal. I want to say "it was just like scoring in the old PES games" but it wasn't - it felt absolutely organic. It was better.

EDIT: Shortly after this I played a FIFA league match and conceded two goals within ten minutes, both goals being the same goal I concede almost every game. Shot hits the post, keeper lies down, defenders stand around and watch as the rebound is tapped into an empty net.

I officially hate FIFA 08 now and I cannot wait to get rid of it.
Click to expand...

PES2008 keeps the tradion ( along tradion0 of being able to shoot at goal successful. It's what mad eit's name for itself with WE. WE has most been known for that. as a comparison i did the same things you did but went even furtehr and went onto the Wii version and then my beloved WE6:FE for gamecube. with not only myself to judge i had two other mates look on as this was occuring.
the consensus?

WE6:FE is an amazing game STILL. the ball movement and everything besides the players models was ingenius. it's a timeless classic. i wonder WHEN PES will be back to that kind of brilliance where everything almost worked perfectly.

The Wii version of PES almost resembles the great "PS2" games of WE. most notably WE9, however with a gameplay mechanic that feels much more intuitive than anything before it of even on next gen. the control you have in PES2008 for wii is amazing. the passing the shooting is all uncomparable and something I look forward to seeing how konami develop in the future. EURo 2008 felt the best out of all the two fifa titles we tried (Fifa08 and Euro20080 BUT fifa 08 looked better grpahically. Juding off both demos of those games.

i don't know soccer gaming is becoming to picky nowadays. developers aren't getting it right anymore beside euro2008 feeling more like a WE game now...
 
Jack Bauer said:
I was responding to Rob, quoting the lines from FIFA 08 that do my nut. Every time Andy Gray enthusiastically bursts "KEEP THE GAME ALIVE" a little piece of me withers and dies.
Click to expand...

Naah that one's fine, worse is playing against Charlton pre roster update (or Sunderland post roster update) and every time Reid gets the ball it's "Reid, Andy Reid" yes we know it's Andy fucking Reid, you don't have to tell us it's Andy fucking Reid every fucking time he gets the fucking ball for fucks sake!
 
The all action Thomas Gravesen.

Played this more today and really enjoyed it, will defo be picking up the full game for as cheap as possible.
 
Just another example of EA Sports' poor game design, implementing things in the quickest, laziest way possible, it should be that you hear "The unmistakable Robbie Savage" the first time he touches the ball, then for the rest of the match it should simply be "Savage"..........
 
Yeah and then we'd be saying "every time there's a new match and he touches the ball he says 'the unmistakable Robbie Savage', every time, fucking ridiculous"...

It's easy to forget how spoilt we are. I'm genuinely glad I've rented PES2008 this week, as soon as you put Euro 08 on and pass the ball about you think "look how far technology has come", just brilliant. If you'd have given me Euro 08 when I was 12 I wouldn't have slept for weeks/months, I would have just dedicated my childhood to the thing.
 
Jack Bauer said:
Yeah and then we'd be saying "every time there's a new match and he touches the ball he says 'the unmistakable Robbie Savage', every time, fucking ridiculous"...

It's easy to forget how spoilt we are.
Click to expand...

Sorry I don't think that's being spoilt, I think that's EA trying to be clever and failing, they need to keep the simple things simple and spend more time making the complex thing complex (for example less time spent giving certain players unique commentary names and more time spent making sure AI managers rotate their lineup for fatigue and adjust the starting 11/kick takers based on new signings, improving/declining players, retirements etc. etc. etc.).
 
The largest newspaper in norway has a review of euro08 in todays online edition. They give it an average score(4 out of 6), but it really doesnt seem like they have tested the game properly. Anyway, the real news is that they claim the release date to be this thursday 10.April. It gave me 10% hope, but in the end its probably just another clueless journalist writing the review.
 
Can't believe how people have switched on FIFA 08 from a fricking 2 minute demo. Those moaning about not being able to play FIFA after playing this, what are you fricking smoking? It's NOT that different and 08 in NOT that bad. Get a grip lads.
 
I can't believe how some of you are STILL judging Euro 2008 from playing a 4 minute demo! :lol:

Wait till it comes out and THEN judge it. ;)
 
JayD said:
Can't believe how people have switched on FIFA 08 from a fricking 2 minute demo. Those moaning about not being able to play FIFA after playing this, what are you fricking smoking? It's NOT that different and 08 in NOT that bad. Get a grip lads.
Click to expand...
The difference for the people who like it is:

1) SHOOT... Player takes a step, or two online, straight into a defender (or sometimes doesn't "pick up" the button press at all)

2) SHOOT, player hits the ball

Simple really. Why go back to burgers when you can have steak?
 
JayD said:
Can't believe how people have switched on FIFA 08 from a fricking 2 minute demo. Those moaning about not being able to play FIFA after playing this, what are you fricking smoking? It's NOT that different and 08 in NOT that bad. Get a grip lads.
Click to expand...

I have purposefully not played the demo - because after playing it and then Fifa, Fifa feels so slow and laborious. It is a chore to play it. You notice everything bad on Fifa alot more and it is magnified 100%.

I have decided not to play the demo so I can finish off my league games. It has been working, as I won 4 games in the league a couple of days ago :DD
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom