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131 of 140 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's back!, 22 Oct 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
My aim of this review is to help the many people who are probably in the same situation as I was.
The decision - Pro Evo or FIFA?
My football gaming background before the PS3
- Sensible Soccer on the Amiga
- FIFA on the Megadrive
- International Superstar Soccer Deluxe on SNES
- ISS on the N64
- ISS Pro on the PS1
- Pro Evolution 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 on the PS2
I was always an ISS/Pro Evo nut, playing everyday for years. I lost hours & days playing mates, weeks & months on Master League. In terms of pure gameplay, it was the perfect football game (despite the poor presentation, commentary & occasionally dodgy keepers), with Konami's minor tweaks each year always improving it. Despite the initial "I don't like these changes", we'd all end up loving the gameplay within a few hours. I admit I tried FIFA a few times on the PS2 but it was never as fun & I'd always expected it stay that way.
Then last October I bought a PS3 with PES 2009. It was the most disappointing purchase in my gaming life. This was not the same series I'd fallen in love with for well over a decade. The gameplay was frankly rubbish, it felt clunky & robotic - I was gutted. Initially I thought it could just take some getting used to, but the more I played the more I disliked it & my mates felt the same. In my panic, I bought FIFA 09...
...and it was actually quite decent. Still nowhere near as good as PES on the PS2, but better than PES on the PS3. There were things I still disliked...it didn't feel completely right, shooting felt "floaty" & it was too easy to knock through balls over the top & sprint past a whole team, but it was far better presented & played a more fluid game than PES on PS3.
Despite this, within a few months I was bored of FIFA & spent the rest of the year playing the occasional game of PES 6 on the PS2, waiting for September 2009 for the new demos to arrive. After playing both I decided I'd need to buy both to make a proper decision.
I bought FIFA 10 two weeks ago & it was a big improvement over FIFA 09. In terms of features, animations (collisions etc), presentation, licensing, game modes, it really cannot be faulted & 360 degree movement was a great addition. But it still didn't feel right. I really can't put my finger on it, but I'm hoping you might understand what I mean. The game felt really fast & I never felt in complete control of my player's actions, shooting still felt floaty, the ball seemed to hit the post or crossbar a number of times per game no matter where I aimed (as if the game was trying to force the simulation of drama?) & I could never get the right balance between manual & semi assisted controls. But the main problem - despite the presentation, the slick menus, real kits, real names, real stadiums & fantastic commentary - it wasn't exciting. I never became immersed in the experience, and I never felt particularly satisfied when scoring a goal, which was an issue I'd had with FIFA 09 & the main reason I'd got bored so quickly.
I wondered if it was just me? All the reviews I read seemed to be giving it 90%+, labelling it "the greatest football game ever", but I just couldn't get in to it. Within 10 days of trying my best to like it, I'd stopped playing it. Then early yesterday morning before work, unexpectedly, my copy of PES 2010 arrived in the post 2 days before release. I quickly decided I'd "work from home"...
After the first few games I was a bit disappointed as it again felt a bit rigid after the fluidity of FIFA. But then I kept playing, getting more & more in to it, game after game.
Before I knew it I'd been playing for 4 hours, and I had a massive grin on my face. I had some mates comes round after work & it was just like the old PS2 days (but with far better graphics & more fluid movement). It may not have the presentation or the licensing of FIFA (though licensing can be solved by downloading an Option File), and some of the running/tackling animation really needs to be updated, the commentary is still rubbish & refs still make the occasional dodgy decisions. But the game is so much fun to play. It engages you. I wanted to play for hours & as I sit at work now I want to get home & play it again. That can only mean one thing...Pro Evo is back!
Master League has been revamped & is now a complete experience (better than FIFA's management mode), they've really sorted out online play by the looks of things, as I've now played 15 online games with only 1 having lag issues (against a host with a red connection - avoid) and the new Community feature is a great addition as it allows you & your mates to create individual profiles so the game can record all your wins, losses, draws, average shots on target/possession etc, so now you can prove you're the PES king! :)
The gameplay? Well, they've nailed ball physics...shooting is perfect, passing is perfect, crossing is perfect, heading is perfect. It doesn't have full 360 degree movement but it's still a huge improvement on previous years, the pace of the game is spot on, CPU AI is improved, keepers are better (though still prone to the occasional flap)...but it's end to end, it's exciting, it draws you in, every game is a classic...and most importantly, the satisfaction of scoring a goal is there again, & it really is a great feeling.
FIFA doesn't have that feeling for me, no matter how many chances I give it. It plays a good game of football wrapped in an outstanding package, but if what you really crave is pure football gameplay then in my opinion, Pro Evolution is back on top.
It FEELS like football again. It's the game for die hard fans who love the drama of football, just like it used to be. The magic had been missing but I feel it has well & truly returned.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
good things come to those who wait, 22 Oct 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
The fact that people can judge a game before it's even come out is unbelievable. While pes 2010 may not have the instant impact that fifa10 offers in terms of realism and gameplay, it offers arguably more longevity than fifa does with the changes to the new look master league which will almost certainly take over your life.
The first thing you'll notice is the graphics which are some of the best ever seen in a sports game. The same however cannot be said about the animations which look dated compared to the incredibly life-like animations of fifa10.
As for audio, Mark Lawrenson and John Champion return for their usual cheesy gimmicks and terrible commentary which is a world apart from fifa's Andy Gray and Martin Tyler. The crowd noises have improved though, with away goals silencing the home fans and home fans whistling when the away team holds possession. Crowd songs are still bad and sound japenese without lyrics replaced by lots of na-na-naa's and la-la-laa's. Another noise that subtracts from the realism is the ball noises which make a horrible thud noise which has clearly been recorded in a studio as you can hear an echo.
Licenses wise, pes2010 is similar to pes2009 with Liverpool and Man United returning as the only Primier League licensed teams. The Italian, Dutch and around half of the la liga teams are licensed as well as a host of clubs across the world. Most of the major national teams have their licenses with the addition of the German national side. The roster is relatively poor when compared to fifa, but with option files on the web the game will provide all the authenticity of fifa once installed.
In terms of gameplay, it's a matter of preference when it comes to choosing between fifa and pro evo. Fifa offers a more realistic experience with goals hard to come by and an incredible game engine which allows for some fantastic visible physical battles and a ball which seems to be a separate entity - rebounding realistically off every object. Pes 2010 on the other hand, feels more last gen with goalkeepers still prone to palming a ball directly into a strikers path and not diving for some shots right next to them. The shooting and ball physics also feel a bit dated in comparison to fifa. Pes 2010 has taken a leaf out of fifa's book with the introduction of 360 dribbling, however it feels more like 32 ways of movement but is arguably more effective than fifa's in terms of beating a man as the defence pressure you less and less prone to sticking out a leg and tackling you. Get past all the niggles and it becomes clear that pes2010 is a classic pro evo game that will have you throwing the pad down in anger one minute and jubilantly celebrating a last minute winner the next. The pace of the game has been slowed down to a level similar to that of pes5 and 6 but not as slow as fifa10. This and the fact that beating a man is much harder and passing is more effective also adds to the realism and stops players running past the whole oppostion with players like Cristiano Ronaldo. This experience is as ever even better when played with friends as the action flows from end to end a lot more than the more conservative CPU teams.
Tactcs wise, sliders, originally seen in the fifa series come to pes2010 with the ability to change the way your team plays on the fly with visible results. You can change for instance the width of your attack or the amount of pressure your team applies on the opposition on a scale of 1-100.
In addition to this, player cards replace the old ability stars to affect the mentality of specific players and certain abilities they may or not have. Some can be turned like the attacking full-back card if you want to play more defensively.
As for online the early signs are good with lag not present and konami have scrapped the stupid konami ID system.
Become a legend remains very similar to last years outing with konami spending much more time on improving the master league.
The master league which has been one of the biggest selling points of the pro evo series has finally got the much needed overhaul it desperately needed. The menu has been transformed into at first a confusing maze of options but after a while feels accessible and clever. Sponsors hand out contracts for achieving certain goals and your budget can now be spent on improving your scouts, trainers etc in order to get better transfer deals or to improve the fitness of your squad. Player transfers are also now much more realistic with no more Dani Alves to Bolton deals. On top of this the Champions League and Europa Leagues are both fully integrated into master league providing greater realism. To add to the realism, pes2010 now uses real currency rather than the pes points of old and the ability to choose between the pound, euro, dollar and yen. All in all pes2010's master league is the game's strongest sell point providing months of fun in developing your youth team or buying all the players you want in your very own galctico's team in order to win the precious treble. If it's longevity you want pes2010's master league will keep you hooked and doesn't suffer from some of the bugs that fifa's game does.
Pes2010 is not as advanced as fifa10 in terms of gameplay and realism, but offers a more fun experience with every game against a friend a classic and the master league will make every penny you spent on the game worth it. All in all when it come down to the tough choice between pes and fifa, it comes down to preference. If you want a realistic simulation game fifa is for you whereas if you want a slightly more arcady experience with more longevity pes 2010 is for you. It must be remembered that both games are great, with both developers doing a fantastic job, and if you can I would recommend buying both games.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The magic is back, 24 Oct 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally a PES that brings back the magic we all knew was there. Not only that but a working online, i was playing 2 vs 2 ranked with people all over europe with my wireless router upstairs and at the other side of the house and no lag whatsoever.
I have read people over the net giving it the old chestnut "I have been loving this game since the ISS, PS1/2 days blah blah blah" and then giving it a one star. If you give this game 1 star then you obviously didn't love the old pro's as this is like the old pro's only better. It makes no sense to say that.
There is one negative though which is whilst the animations are better some are still stuck between the generations, particularly the running animation. If you can look past the running animation which is easy if you love gameplay (plus it isn't as bad as many make out) then you are in for a great experience.
There were lots of mates around for the first night yesterday and we all loved it, one of my mates is even buying a PS3 on weds just for pro and playing it online with us. The feel of the game is perfect including the weight of the ball and the physics. Shooting is amazing and the ai is very very good.
We played the cpu in a cup and we also started a masters league to see what it is like and it is the best ML ever, undoubtedly PES 2010 ML is the best game mode in the history of footy games.
The player individuality is the best it has ever been and the 360 dribbling really helps, i was doing dribbles i never would have got away with on the older pro evos.
Here is a summary
Positives:
* Gameplay
* Graphics
* Master League and Champions League modes
* Working online with alot of stats and options
* suprisingly great soundtrack
* Editing as good as ever
* The newer animations are great
Negatives:
* Some old gen animations still in there
* Sound
* Referee is a bit too lenient
* No Bundesliga
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