Pro Evolution Soccer Review

Change is a hard pill to swallow at times, from the moment ISS was released back on the SNES my loyalty swayed from the declining FIFA series; here was a football title that finally captured the pure essence of the greatest sport on the planet. Despite Konamiâs other football franchise, ISS Pro Evolution on the PSX, I stayed faithful to my brand despite the lure of a more realistic portrayal and an increasing fan-base. However change has come once again though, with the release of Pro Evolution Soccer on the PS2.



I have to confess that this review is late because itâs taken so long to appreciate the finer subtleties that are at work within the game. Having been brought up on ISS, itâs like trying to get back on a bike but realising it is in fact a souped up Ducatti, initially daunting, but if you hang on your in for one hell of a ride.

First things first, PES looks fantastic, player models bear an uncanny reference to their real-life counterparts thanks to the FIFPRO license. However itâs not just their looks, itâs also the way they move, Owen jinxes in between defenders hanging off their shoulders, Beckham nonchalantly hangs on the right wing knowing full well that he can put a ball anywhere he wants to, this game is a stunning realisation of the worlds most popular sport and the feeling that youâre actually playing with real-life players is immense.



The individualism of each player is carried right down to the skills they possess, whilst Zidane may be hampered by a lack of pace heâs got more then enough skills up his sleeve to wrong-foot even the best defenders, whilst Stam may not be able to shoot to save his life, but you just try and get past him!



Initially the game doesnât do itself any favours as itâs very hard to string any moves together due to the complexity of the controls, but through perseverance the games brilliance begins to shine. Thanks to an overly-detailed control system you have the ability to play a ball anywhere you want to, you have the ability to perform any little trick you see on a Saturday afternoon, flick-onâs, nutmegs, drag-throughs, itâs all here, it just takes a little practise to get used to. The control system makes use of the dualshocks analogue buttons to ensure you can place a shot or pass anywhere. If like me this is the first real time youâve played the game youâll be skying shots, and playing through balls to the opposition frequently as you begin to question why this franchise has received so many plaudits. 

But then you realise this isnât FIFA, an element of skill may be required, and then BANG, you realise this is actually a perfect representation of the real game, and not just a videogame. Frequently youâll be involved in scrappy nil-nil draws and yet still gain a sense of satisfaction from them, itâs not about whipping up and down the field in 10-8 style matches, scoring a goal gives you immense joy, although running around your living room, screaming with you shirt pulled up over your head ala Ravenelli isnât advised!!!

I could go on all day about the finer touches to be found within, however itâs likely youâll all have dropped off by then, simply put if youâre a football fan you need this game.



Unfortunately there is one area that PES falls flat on its face, at that is in the presentation stakes. Simple menu screens reminiscent of the 16-bit era greet players, whilst the games intro has to be the cheesiest one Iâve seen in a long time. With the luscious values on offer with both FIFA 2002 and This Is Football 2002, itâs time for Konami to take note, if this had the presentation of either of those titles weâd be looking at football heaven. The atrocity carries onto the games commentary, incessantly babbling away with misconceived sentences and comments miles behind the state of play. Itâs enough to make you cry, but then you realise that after a few button clicks youâll be actually in the game and playing, which makes it all ok againâ¦



The game has an in-depth tactical feature that allows you to fully customise the way you want your team and individual players to perform. This is worryingly carried out on-screen, not only is there the best football game to be found, thereâs also one hell of a coaching aspect to it. This comes across mainly in the games Master League mode, where you pick a club and start off in Division 2. Acquiring points as you win to spend on players, you must build your squad from a bunch of no-hopers to eventually gain promotion and win the league, fantasticâ¦