The UEFA Euro 2008 demo hit the XBOX Marketplace yesterday and there were more than a few observations that we wanted to pass along to those of you who haven't had a chance to check it out yet. First, in regards to downloading the game, make sure that you have plenty of time because it definitely takes awhile. However, once the download has completed this game will be well worth your time. Take a look at some of our early impressions with these screens captured from the game:
Weather - It was obvious right from the outset that EA wanted gamers to notice the change in weather conditions. The rainy weather we get in this demo definitely adds a lot to the game. From a visual standpoint, I saw instances where players were sliding to make tackles and you could see the water shooting into the air off of the ground as the player's body cut through the grass. Looking at this change from a gameplay standpoint we noticed that passes will need to be firmer in this type of weather because the "mud-effect" in certain areas of the field will cause the ball to die. This type of weather also places more importance on lob passes and crosses because through balls are now riskier seeing as though you don't quite know if the ball is going to ever get there.,
Field Conditions - Another visual change that can be seen is in the field conditions. The field will now begin to wear down over the course of a game in certain areas that have been run over more often. In the demo, the only spot on the field that we were really able to see begin to wear down is behind the keeper because we're only provided with a four minute game and he's the only player that stays in one spot for most of the match. Still, you can clearly see in the image above that the field effect is a nice touch that gamers will appreciate this year.
Water Spots - This image probably falls along the lines of field condition changes, but this one isn't due to the players running on it. Instead, when playing in rainy games you will notice certain areas of the field begin to build up rather large water spots that can have an effect on the ball as well. These suttle, but needed, visual changes within the game are certainly looking very good as the release date of May 19 continues to grow closer.
Gameplay - The biggest change in UEFA Euro 2008 is that they have added a passing meter now. The passing meter works the same as the shooting meter has in the past in that the longer you hold the button, the harder your player will kick the ball. Adding the passing meter was probably the best change that EA has brought to this year's game. Now users truly have the ability to make some of those precise passes that just never seem to get there in previous versions of the game.
Our first impressions of UEFA Euro 2008 were very good as the player's are still able to move smoothly and the whole game continues to flow very well. Despite this being an incomplete build of the game, the changes that we have already seen are more than enough to get us excited for the release. If you have the time we'd recommend downloading this game if only to see all the visual improvements and nothing else. EA's already done a solid job with this game to this point, so little reason to expect anything less than another great soccer game come May.
