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Pro Evolution Soccer 4 Review
Chris Leyton
07/10/2004
The best just continues to get better...
Itās that time of the year again; yes work comes to a grinding halt, even those who donāt have a passion for football crowd round the TV screen and attempt to wrangle a pad ā“the latest title in the hugely popular Pro Evolution Soccer series has well and truly arrived.
Billed as the greatest addition yet to the series, Pro Evolution Soccer 4 is quite frankly a masterpiece; we can say it relatively early on in the review, as there are literally no complaints that can be levelled at the game.
Having struck gold with Pro Evo 2, subsequent versions have all been a refinement of the formula, little enhancements that help to improve the fast and fluid nature of the game. In this respect Pro Evo 4 certainly doesnāt disappoint; slight improvements to the long-passing and crossing system, result in a game that feels even closer to the real thing.
Once again the control system has come under a tighter refinement, with the natural selection of pass, shots, tricks and tackles. PES4 utilises the single shoulder button to run system introduced in PES3 instead of the two button system pioneered in PES2, whilst the other is used to carry out special manoeuvres such as trapping the ball under close control, a variety of shimmyās and flicking it on in order to make a run. As with previous titles so much satisfaction comes from the delights of caressing these two buttons and pulling off the myriad of moves available, with enough skill and perseverance youāll soon be receiving balls with your back to the goal, collecting it with the R2 button and making a quick turn through the legs of your opponent.
The long ball game has also been vastly improved with much greater scope for the player to zip in 30yd balls exactly where you want. Crosses have benefited massively from this, as players can now zip in those curling crosses just in front of the defence that keepers hate, whilst you can also make use of cut-back passes ā“ although these occasionally create some unexpected results.
Particularly the running game has been improved by leaps and bounds; whereas it was all but impossible for dribbling experts such as Giggs and Owen to make defence-splitting runs in previous games, PES4 gives you a lot more control over your character, and makes it easier to change direction on the fly, alter the tempo of your running and throw off chasing defenders. Itās not to the point where the game becomes a run-fest like previous FIFA titles, but it certainly helps to ramp up the excitement generated in the game, particularly when you do so with a bit of skill instead of blind luck. Certainly the wide range of moves available through combinations of the R1 and R2 buttons along with the analogue stick, allow you to draw the ball back under your control when you know youāve taken it one step too far, along with favourites such as the 360 spin and shimmy.
Arguably the most significant improvement comes in the form of the AI, which quite frankly creates the most accomplished football experience that weāve yet had from a videogame. Players make intelligent runs and narrow down attacks; tied into this is the enhanced through-ball technique, which can now be used with far more accuracy and effect then previous titles. Often youāll notice clever players such as Rooney making runs in between the defence, setting up a perfect opportunity for a defence splitting through-ball.
Naturally the developers have increased the already impressive animations of the game, and as such not only does the game flow even more beautifully then before, but also increases the range of moves available to the player, most notably in the shape of volleys. Again the ball physics aptly demonstrate how a football game should be created, and as is the case with most of the aspects of PES4, this has once again been improved upon previous versions. The ball appears to bounce around a lot more and requires players to take stronger control of it; however the sheer brilliance of the control system ensures that youāre always able to make something of it ā“ such players as Beckham can whip in volleyed crosses with a deft touch and absolute precision.
Itās definitely the finer touches that Konami have worked on; hardcore PES fanatics will notice such details as players having a tighter control of the ball, so that players canāt just run towards them with X and make an easy challenge all the time. Particularly if players do try this the game has given more scope for players to make turns away from the challenge and make a speedy run up the pitch. Itās these points, which may not sound like a great deal, that help to create an authentic, yet at the same time, delightfully enjoyable game of football ā“ it simply doesnāt get any better.
Finally fans will be glad to know that PES4 marks the first time that a referee is constantly on the pitch, and whether or not itās his presence on the pitch, but thankfully the advantage system introduced to PES3 now actually works. Throughout games youāll notice the referee playing the advantage when itās needed, and pulling play back if the opposition gains control of the ball. Although youāll get the odd occasional dubious decision, much like in real-life, the refereeās decisions no longer frustrate the experience, theyāre pretty much spot on throughout the game.
Away from the improvements made on the pitch, Konami have once again gone to town with the Master League mode. Not only are there a greater variety of leagues on offer, but you can also train your players during practise matches to bring up their match fitness. The transfer system works on a similar basis as before, whilst itās possible to start the Master League with actual players from the club as opposed to a bunch of nobodyās.
One constant bugbear of the series that still remains is the ever-important issue of licenses; despite offering an increase of official leagues and clubs, English fans will still find themselves playing with teams such as āMan Redā or āMersey Bluesā. Fans of Italian, Spanish or Dutch teams will be pleased to know however that Konami have snagged the rights for such leagues, with teams featuring the correct players and more importantly the smaller details such as authentic team strips and badges.
Arguably more important is the fact that PES4 misses out on all the summer transfers, so youāll have to be using the handy player editor to ensure the likes of Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba are at their respective clubs, whilst the England squad benefits from the services of Paul Scholes. Itās certainly an improvement compared to previous versions, however thereās still some way to go in this aspect if Konami want to equal the gloss of the FIFA titles.
Fans of the PES Shop introduced in PES3 will be happy to know that the feature has returned with even more significance. PES points are granted throughout the various modes for such criteria as winning games or scoring a certain amount of gaols, which in turn can be used to unlock a huge variety of goodies, including replay effects and new stadiums.
Visually the game is once again a mixture of the good and the bad. Player models on the whole capture the look of real-life players well, although there are one or two which look slightly odd. The animation is up to the usual top-notch standard that we expect from the Pro Evo series, however stadiums and just the general look of the pitch and other objects is beginning to look a little outdated, particular in comparison to the visual delights of FIFA 2005.
Peter Brackley and Trevor āI havenāt got a clueā Brooking return to provide match commentary, and as with every other aspect, itās an improvement upon previous versions but itās likely youāll still reach for the mute button after a short time. Particularly American sports titles have shown us how good commentary can be in videogames, and we just hope that one day Pro Evolution Soccer can offer the same.
