Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
 Stumble it!
|
The second half of the latest match between FIFA Soccer and Pro Evolution Soccer has kicked off, and the time has come to compare the two giants of world soccer simulation once again.
We at Cheatmasters recently took a look at the new installment of the FIFA series, FIFA Soccer 09 and soon realised that it was without doubt the best game in the series ever created - but doubts remained on whether it would match up to it’s now released Pro Evolution Soccer counterpart. Those doubts have now been laid to rest as for the first time in years, FIFA Soccer 2009 is on level terms with Pro Evolution Soccer 2009.
Why has the new FIFA managed to match Pro Evolution Soccer this time around? The main reason is the vast improvement made to the new FIFA title, whereas Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 feels much like other recent releases in it’s series. These were of course fantastic soccer titles in their own right, but this time around there is a distinct lack of improvement from what you experienced with Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.
One improvement which is certainly worth mentioning, and which certainly adds to the game’s credibility and playability is the presence of an official UEFA license which brings the official UEFA Champions League competition format to the series for the first time ever. Previous Pro Evolution Soccer titles have completely lacked any official licenses worth having, so the addition of the authentic Champions League mode is fantastic news for fans of the series as it allows you to take control of your favourite club and compete against the finest teams in Europe, although only 13 clubs will feature in their full realistic glory, with important teams such as Arsenal remain named North London which is a touch annoying.
The gameplay in Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is once again faultless as you will have come to expect from the series. It has barely been touched since the previous game in the series, which some people have criticised, but with gameplay that close to perfect it is not worth tampering with in my opinion as it would be much easier for Konami to screw it up entirely than it would to make any improvements to it. Kudos to you Konami for leaving the gameplay well alone!
Graphically, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 once again falls slightly behind it’s FIFA alternative, but the better gameplay more than makes up for that minor deficit. The graphics in soccer games now are not too far off life-like, and if they get much closer to the real thing than some of the games magic may actually be lost rather than added to.
Despite the lack of some important licenses once again, the vastly improved edit mode contained within Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 allows you to customise the game more than ever before so with a little time you can make your game feel much more authentic, and it is certainly worth spending the time to do this. It may only be names of clubs and stadiums which are wrong, but somehow having the real names there makes the game so much more enjoyable.
Like FIFA Soccer 09, there is a new ‘become a legend’ mode in Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 which allows you to take control of a single player from a career progression point of view. The idea may be good and it will give you a new way of playing the game for a little while, but ultimately it proves boring the longer you play as you spend most of your time running around the pitch just waiting to receive the ball from your computer controlled team mates - which is particularly boring if you are playing as a defender.
As you would expect, multiplayer modes are available in Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, but nothing as grand as the 10-v-10 featured in FIFA Soccer 09, and unfortunately the online modes in Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 are laggy even at the best of times. You will be better off getting a few friends round for some two-v-two friendlies.
All in all Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is yet another brilliant soccer simulation from what should still be considered the leading soccer series available. Though this review has largely focuses on FIFA catching up with Pro Evolution Soccer, it is simply due to the lack of improvements from earlier Pro Evolution titles. You should however take into account just how good those previous versions were, and understand that improving on them would be no easy task.
To put things a clearer way, if I was to choose either Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 or FIFA Soccer 09, it would be Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 every time. The gameplay is all conquering, and it far outweighs the numorous licenses are better graphics that FIFA proudly boasts. Pro Evolution Soccer remains the true fan’s soccer series.
Link this post from your MySpace profile, LiveJournal, Facebook, blog, or a website.
this page from your website, blog, or profile.
October 24th, 2008 at 6:29 am
“The idea may be good and it will give you a new way of playing the game for a little while, but ultimately it proves boring the longer you play as you spend most of your time running around the pitch just waiting to receive the ball from your computer controlled team mates - which is particularly boring if you are playing as a defender.”
I own the game and you never play as a defender so I do not believe you have played this game at all!!
For one, you play as a DM, CM, SM, AM, AW, SS or CF and the art to Become a legend is to make space and support your team… you know, like in real football.
I’ve only played Become a legend (a bit of Masters too) and managed to get into my favoured team (Spurs) and can take my player online to play Legends which is great fun if you do not have ball hogs playing with you (does not lag that much too on legends).
By your comments I say this is more a ‘preview’ than a ‘review’ so next time you write a review… play the game first!!
November 16th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
KONAMI wears the crown since the ISS Pro from old PSX. gameplay was FABOLOUS back then.
it was more arace than ‘pro’ but it was playable as hell
and yet again gameplay is far more better on PES than FIFA series
Good review
April 10th, 2009 at 3:57 am
nice gameplay and good graphics. great street soccer liek interface and an appealing all rounder.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
The “Become A Legend” mode is simply brilliant.. becomes boring after a while? I agree wid DC, u’re outta ur mind!! I’m a relatively new PS3 player.. I only bought my console last November.. and I only have 5 games due to the credit crunch.. (I have WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2009, Legends of Wrestlemania, PES 2009, Spiderman:Web of Shadows & Assassin’s Creed..) all the rest of the games put together I might have played about 4months worth of gameplay.. that leaves 2 entire months worth of gameplay (I’m talking in terms of hours) just for this game.. and a vast majority of this time, I have been in the “Become a Legend” universe.. I initially played it only like every now and then.. because it’s a little frustrating initially when u gotta play in the inter-squad training matches only.. but once I got into the first team, and Valencia bought me over, I have not stopped playing.. it’s friggin addictive man.. haha.. right now I’m playing in Barcelona after spendin 2seasons in Valencia (known as Val Naranja in the game).. and yea DC, I agree that it’s very much like real life.. u don’t always get the ball.. and u can only watch if ur team-mate screws up and u’re not near enough to help out.. but that is football man.. PES 09 rocks big time, and I’m saying this after years of playing the FIFA series, so u KNOW that I’m not biased.. haha..
on a side note, Assassin’s Creed rocks big time too.. I just haven’t been able to peel away from PES 09 long enough to play it.. haha..hopefully soon enough..