When EA initially announced that the Euro 2012 game would be coming out for £15.99 as DLC I was really happy. As a FIFA junkie I seem to always end up buying the standalone games for the Euro and World Cup competitions, despite the fact that I always felt a little conned by them. So is this downloadable content any different?

Well, unfortunately no. In fact maybe this release is a step back. The gameplay is the exact same as in FIFA 12. Menus have been given a new look to fit in with the championships, a new Expedition mode has been added and you can obviously play the Euro 2012 championships.

The Euro 2012 mode is really lacking. If you manage to win the championships you get some rubbish confetti and your players running round the pitch. It’s hardly the send off we would be giving to Rooney and co. if they win this Summer. This is a small gripe though. What really gets at me is that you cannot play the game from the qualifying and start off from the group stages.  I am really not sure why this decision was made as it would buffer out the short mode and give you a chance to play with some smaller teams, getting used to them before the later parts of the tournament.

There are plenty of new teams to play with, but seeing as most European teams are already in FIFA 12, the majority of additions are teams like Kazakstan and Moldova, or some random team you will most likely never play with. Even worse most of them are unlicensed. Going to Wales I saw that most of the players had fake names like ‘Roberto Larcos’  from the Pro Evolution Soccer days of old.

Euro 2012′s only saving grace is the Expedition mode. Here you take a team of randomly selected reserve players and attempt to take on every European nation. Each time you play another team you unlock a new player. The first match gets you a reserve player, the second a substitute and the third gets you a first team player. Winning matches will also open roads that unlock new countries to play against. It’s a fun mode, but one which has clearly been made to buffer up the game’s playing time.

The problem with Euro 2012 is that it adds very little to the actual game. Previously when standalone titles have been released for special sporting events, EA have had to work on improving the game’s core mechanics, but not this time. So essentially all you are paying for are some new clubs, the opportunity to play  in a Euro tournament and the Expedition Mode. If you are really big on FIFA and need something to tide you over until FIFA 13 then buy this, otherwise this is one very expensive expansion pack.

 

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