When it comes
to soccer games, many titles try to differentiate themselves by offering the
ability to tackle different tourneys. But when it comes to the challenge of a
achieving the top-flight tourney titles – while the World Cup is wonderful –
there is nothing quite as challenging as the Treble.
What is the
Treble, you ask?
Thanks, that
opens it all up for this preview.
The Treble is a
hat-trick of European soccer titles – the league title, the nation’s domestic
cup and the Champions League Cup. But the trick is that this incredible feat
must be accomplished all in one season. That is a pretty mean feat.
And in this
game, difficulty level is rewarded through bonus points as you achieve certain
markers within the game.
UEFA Champions
League is a PlayStation Portable release from Electronic Arts. At first blush
the game presents a thoroughly entertaining and deep sports experience. But
presentation does count for a lot and the way the development team has managed
this title to meld with the handheld is remarkable.
The game begins
with players creating a manager. You can customize the name and look, but that
is more or less fluff. The game is so much more, from weather effects to a
strategic card mode that will have you collecting virtual cards that will help
you assemble a team.
Some of the
other features include the ability to create customized real-world groupings of
the official UEFA league tourney, a history book of missions, the ability to
replay memorable moments from UEFA Champions League history, and multiplayer
mode that includes PlayStation 2 connectivity and WiFi head-to-head gameplay
Of course,
the game is only as good as it’s control scheme and UEFA for the PSP has taken
that in hand and with quick controls (and an attribute-based shooting system),
the game flows very well.
The game
contains some of the best club teams in the world. With an emphasis on team
chemistry, and using a card system to manage, the game has some unique elements
that will certainly intrigue and entertain.
And the
emphasis seems to be on speeding up the game as some game elements have been
given a bit of a facelift in terms of having them rip off faster. Corners,
throw-ins, goal kicks – all are performed much faster.
While the
screen is a tad small, UEFA still manages to convey the beauty and fluid nature
of the game rather well. Both the graphics and sound do an admirable job of
pulling gamers into the action and into the managing aspect of creating the team
to snare that golden Treble.
UEFA
Champions League 2006-2007 releases very soon and if you are a football fan (or
soccer for those who cannot overcome the image of American football), then this
is definitely a handheld worth getting for gaming on the go.
