Ringing with endorsements from several major players (including Figo, Effenberg, Bierhoff and even, er, Dwight Yorke), it's perhaps unsurprising that UEFA Challenge fails to live up to the sum of its parts. The setup is similar to most: selecting from friendlies, tournaments and leagues (complete with promotion and relegation battles), you take control of your team and aim to play your way through to the top. The array of customisable options is certainly an asset to the game, and once you've got to grips with the fussy control system, there is a reasonable challenge ahead. But what stops UEFA Challenge from competing with the far superior FIFA 2001 is polish and gameplay. Whereas EA Sports' all-conquering champion consistently serves up tweaked, fast-flowing football, UEFA Challenge lacks a little of the urgency (without the expected tactical benefits) and certainly the tightness of FIFA, although it does fare reasonably on the multimedia front, with plenty of nice graphical and audio touches throughout the game. For more experienced players, willing to work their way through a relatively steep learning curve and the occasional design shortcoming, UEFA Challenge does present an alternative challenge in a genre with few genuine stand out titles on the PC. For the less experienced, perhaps a test drive with a FIFA game would be a better idea. --Simon Brew