There isn’t anything wrong in the gameplay and new modes added to FIFA 12 through the digital expansion pack UEFA Euro 2012. In fact, the actual content is quite enjoyable, especially if you are a massive football friend, and more importantly, a fan of the gameplay from FIFA 12. The game has largely gone untouched, outside of the official stadiums, tournament commentary, and a flashy new presentation. But here rests perhaps the biggest disappointment to UEFA Euro 2012: that pesky price tag. While it’s certainly cheaper than a disc-based release, it’s hard not to feel you aren’t getting a lot for your money.
Opinion on DLC and expansions, especially for sports games, are generally pretty similar—publishers are simply looking to make money. Of course they are; they are in the market to sell games people want to play, so it’s hard to complain about that business model. Yet, in judging this DLC, it’s hard to overlook that £15.99 (U.K.), €19.99 (EU), $19.99 (U.S.) price, and believe it’s a bit steep considering what else you can get for that money on the PlayStation Store. Even though this is one expensive purchase, it’s hard to believe that will keep real diehard FIFA fans away from this solid DLC.
One of the first places you’ll start is with the actual UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, either offline against A.I. or online. It’s important to note that only 29 of the 53 squads are fully licensed, meaning many of your players are made up, but bare striking resemblances to their real-life counterparts. The teams available all qualified by default, so don’t expect any qualification. This is just what you should expect from a FIFA tournament, complete with authentic stadiums. Stadiums have unique camera positions, which are a nice feature, although it doesn’t always work so well. If it bothers you, turn it back to your normal camera and move on.
While playing through your tournament, you should check out the Challenges mode, which does exactly what it says—provides you with new, regular challenges. You may be asked, for example, to play a goal down and tasked with coming back for the win in the second half by two goals. This is a great addition and something I hope EA Canada builds on for FIFA 13.
The most exciting addition in UEFA Euro 2012 is the Expedition mode, which feels a bit like Risk. You will pick a team, select a captain, and get a random set of players to join your squad. Take this team through Europe and as you beat teams, you’ll unlock a road to a new country to take on a new team. Each time you win, you’ll unlock a player from the team you beat to add to your squad. You’ll get a total of 159 games to win, and with each win comes a tile photo of a mosaic. This part is kind of confusing, but it seems like a little something extra to keep the competition flowing.
Graphics remain the same, although there is a nice coat of paint over the whole DLC, just nothing drastically new. Commentary is solid, but borders on annoying as Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend frequently make awkward “the player” makes a terrific shot, kind of comments.
Euro 2012 is pretty much everything you would expect from FIFA DLC. There are some new game modes, a fresh presentation, but it’s generally a disappointment for those of us looking for a much richer, deeper tournament experience. It’s great to play through your UEFA tournament offline or online, the globetrotting Expedition mode is fairly entertaining, but it’s hard to overlook the steep price and the lack of a full roster. Lucky for EA Sports, FIFA is incredibly popular, and there is little doubt those fans are going to check out UEFA Euro 2012.