Unlike past EA Sports interim titles, UCL 04/05 is a solid title and arguably the finest non-Konami effort.
This year, however, marks the end of that trend. EA sneakily nabbed the UEFA Champions League rights and turned out what is easily their best football game to date.
Upon first impression, you won't notice many differences. Almost everything looks like FIFA 2005 with a lot of logos. With the exception of expanded squad size, responsive menu controls and a superior soundtrack, it's still the same old game. That will change after you get on the pitch.
The graphics, always the series' hallmark, is now once again lively and detailed. UCL 04/05 uses high-resolution textures everywhere, resulting in a better-looking game on a virtually unchanged rendering engine. The animations are more varied and lifelike, and the stadiums are so well done you'll want to believe that this is a live broadcast of a real game.
After kick-off, more changes surface. The controls now actually allow you to do what you want when you want to, instead of having to endure a couple of seconds' worth of silly delays, which can be crucial in the tougher difficulty levels. Pass the ball around and witness the players pull quicker, but still realistic most of the time, ball-trapping moves. Off-target shots are now abundant, and ball control is fluid and believable.
The AI shows even more radical changes. They press aggressively in defense, and rarely get stranded out of position. Goalkeepers can now actually save shots fired straight at them instead of flailing wildly at the ball like a madman. AI players also launch varied attacking moves, both from the center of the pitch and the wings. Cheat long-balls to off-screen strikers are rarer than ever, which is a good thing. Plus, the huge midfield gap found in FIFA is now fixed to an extent.
However, AI players still rely very much on backpasses. From the Professional difficulty upwards, your opposition may simply pass the ball around and hold the ball up without actually doing anything. It can be frustrating, since your teammates' AI is far inferior than that of the computer-controlled XI.
Gone also is the overly-scripted set-piece moves of recent FIFA titles. However, the new system is not that better than the last one. Free kicks are even easier to score from, and successful dead-ball deliveries are now extremely rare. Throw-ins are similar to FIFA's, although the defending players now move along in an attempt to mark attacking players on the move.
As for the tactical department, it's all standard EA fare, complete with that silly bug which puts a little dent in the experience. Certain formations and mentalities will make midfielders and strikers switch positions randomly. This makes updating the team roster without a proper external editor pretty pointless.
Another aspect of play that received extensive renovation is the Season mode. Instead of the crazy Career Mode featured in 2005, UCL 04/05 utilizes a unique mission-based season game in which you must match the club owner's expectations and requests week in week out. You'll be required to sell and buy players during certain periods, win by certain margins, attain clean sheets and away goals, and win games by coming from behind. This season mode benefits from proper usage of the 'Scenario' feature, which allows you to set up games with varying situations, from the scoreline right down to the number of yellow cards.
Even the commentary is overhauled. Clive Tyldesley is now doing the play-by-play alongside Andy Gray, and they make the game sound better than ever. Commentary mistakes are now rarities, and Tyldesley actually managed to sound better than John Motson.
All in all, UCL 04/05 is a refreshing experience. After a series of disappointments and missteps, it looks like EA Sports is back on track again with this new, license-fueled title. With improved visuals, superior gameplay, and more bells and whistles than ever, this is the title EA should've released earlier. UEFA Champions League 2004/05 injects new life into this flagging series, and thus is a title worth playing for every football fan.