England International Football

Did You Know?

• The cover art features Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Michael Owen, and John Terry.
• Player likenesses and manager Sven-Göran-Eriksson were created from an exclusive photoshoot and 3D modelling session.
• Audio was recorded at England games, with actual chants used in the game.

Gameplay

Alongside the England national team, 21 other European sides and 10 non-European sides are playable, each with 25-man squads. Gary Lineker and Barry Davies provide presentation and commentary. A player editor lets users insert their own likeness. Progress unlocks a Trophy Room containing player profiles, team photographs, and video clips such as highlights of England's 5-1 win against Germany in 2001. It was the first football game to support multiplayer over Xbox Live, which remained active until April 15, 2010; the game is now playable online again via the Insignia replacement servers. A free two-hour DVD, England's Path to Portugal, featuring Euro 2004 qualification highlights, was included.

Reception

The game received a largely negative critical response. CVG's Graeme Boyd scored it 56/100, noting it played almost identically to Club Football with only minor tweaks, and criticized the ball physics, unresponsive controls, and erratic AI. He also highlighted the absence of an official European Championship mode despite the England licence, comparing it unfavourably to EA's Euro 2004. Keith Stuart of Official PlayStation 2 Magazine gave a 5/10, lamenting agonisingly ponderous player responses and ball physics that felt like booting a space hopper, dismissing it as a mediocre simulation behind PES and FIFA. Andy Irving of Official Xbox Magazine was more positive, awarding 8.2/10 and describing it as a competent, intuitive sim with fluid play and good AI, noting its online compatibility as a highlight.