They say some things are classics and are best left untouched, whereas some need to be constantly tweaked or updated. This has been the debate within the WE/Pro Evo community for years. There is a fine divide within the faithful followers of this beautiful game that has served them well for well over a decade now, with many believing that the title should remain true to its core gameplay and not deviate. Other however believe that the game should advance with the constant progression of technology even if its means trying new things.
Change…. It can be a scary thing for many. I am of the opposite breed, one that embraces change in video games and welcomes it with open arms even if it means that mistakes are made. After all, “Why do we fall, sir? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up.†said Alfred to Bruce Wayne. You are probably wondering right now, “Has our old friend Suff lost his mind? This is no PES 2009 preview!†There is a reason to this intro that will become apparent as you churn your way through these words.
Monday morning, walking through London to meet Adam I was thinking “Will Konami deliver this year or will I be left disappointedâ€. Either way, I was about to find out. Load up the system and you are met with a fresh new intro video that is much better than last year’s effort although still in the same “Art-Deco†style. Clearly more of a European branding influence on the game. All the menus in this game have been revamped and the game has been given a complete refresh. The menu system is much clearer and team selection is now using a rotational system that you will no doubt see in many of the Leipzig videos.
The Menu list was as we all know it with the exception of three new welcome additions; BECOME A LEGEND, LEGENDS (Online Variant) and MESSAGES (Talking to friends in-game via messages). Once we had gotten through all the menus, I popped straight into the Exhibition mode to load up Liverpool vs. Milan for a quick one player experience. A quick look through all the team options I didn’t spot anything new with regards to team customisation and formations etc. But getting through that I was then met with the faces of Torres and Gerrard, which I must say look even better than they did last year (Ronaldo looks phenomenal by the way). So instantly the graphical progress from last year is evident.
The match starts off with some nice cinematic type camera angles and nice graphical touches that are based around last year but the improved visuals make all the difference. The crowds are now blurred into the stadium by focusing solely on the players and action on the pitch, a great cinematic technique which means you avoid having to deal with the hassle and complexities of a good-looking crowd. The most obvious improvement in the stadiums is how good the grass now looks in the wide cam. Added to that that each stadium had its own different grass that wears during gameplay and you realise how much this game has come along graphically. Unfortunately a video of the game will not highlight this. The lighting effects in-game compliments the new improved visuals and varies depending on season and time of day. But along with the grass, the other key graphical improvement was the weather conditions, our build only had rain built in as it was 75% complete but it looks awesome. We are told that the final build will definitely have snow and frozen turf.
There are many other graphical touches including LED ad-boards, new animations unique to players (i.e. Ronaldo free-kick) and slight improvements to the player models. The animation set has also been expanded with a few new ones that we noticed during when performing skill moves, during tackles and all round player movement. But unfortunately the majority of players run with the same animation as last year although the game does feature individual running animations (mainly for more recognisable players). Taking a look at the camera options, Adam and I spotted two more. But disappointingly no sign of the Panning feature that I loved so dearly during the PS2 days. I am silently praying it makes the final cut. All the time playing I had completely forgotten about one of the primary reasons for out visit, Slow Down. Non-existent…. Absolutely no sign of it what so ever. We saw the rare frame rate drop for a millisecond, but that’s me being extremely harsh as the game flows flawlessly at what I assume to be 30 frames per second. Slow down in replays? Again, perfect and with the addition of some nice camera effects during replays (a bit Hollywood-esque)
Now let’s get into the real nitty-gritty, Gameplay. The minute you pick up the controller you notice that there is a significant difference between PES 2009 and its predecessor. Pace. Adam and I felt this game had a slower more conservative pace to it a la PES 5. Later on we decide it was more between PES 5 and 6. Big tick for Konami there, out the window goes the ridiculous arcade pace of PES 2008 that I absolutely refused to review (for those of you whom were wondering where my review for PES 2008 was last year - in the garbage). This time you can actually play a game of football, by passing and moving and simply enjoying the pace of the game.
Looking at the other aspects of play, one of the key improvements to the overall game is Ball Physics. This has had the knock-on effect of improving the game all-round. I thought it would be impossible for Konami to match what its rival had done with shooting this year, but they have really got it. The ball actually feels like it has weight on it and gone are those ridiculous shots from last year. You can only hit those if you connect perfectly. The ball also travels realistically on true-to-life trajectories mimicking what you would see in real life. During set-pieces you really get a feel of the ball physics improvements, as free-kicks take a lot of getting used to. Fill up the power meter half way and it’s too much!
Passing is slightly better with less of that “tuck, tuck, tuck†sound effect, however it’s still not quite organic enough. Being fair however this may be due to the fact that the trapping in this game has not been improved for years now. The new manual passing system is a welcome addition, but will take some getting used to as it relies entirely on the right analogue stick. But if it means less misplaced passes that sometimes have you furious at the game, then Hallelujah! Move the stick the in the direction you want to pass and the longer you hold it down the more weight on the pass.
Skill moves and player pace you ask? Skill moves now are now based on quick intricate-movements of the D-pad or left analogue in conjunction with holding down the R2/RT button. The R2 button is pretty useless in some of the lesser known players but pick Ronaldo and Messi and simple flicking of the stick will make you look like a king in front of all your mates. This is a much more intuitive control system, which allows players to manoeuvre their players based on their own natural accuracy and speed using a controller. Player pace is also realistic but this time players with pace can’t automatically burn a defender. Ryan Babel would be able to just edge out Zambrotta on the wing to whip in a cross, but when I switched him to the other side; he had more luck beating Maldini. Gone are the days of players with pace absolutely humiliating slower wing-backs.
There have also been some changes made to tackling in this game. The intensity that you hold or press the X/A button will decide what kind of standing tackles your player performs (bonus for SIXAXIS, DUALSHOCK 3 players). Goalkeepers worries? I can’t remember which PES it was that had seen the most improvement in goalkeepers, but this was almost on par with that. They respond well, rush off the line quickly to make themselves big and collect from a striker one on one. Even their reactions are better and when they smother it, they are always first on top of the ball. So, we give the crew at Konami another tick.
The big one though has always been artificial intelligence. It’s truly what makes or breaks a game in most cases. So how does PES 2009 compare to PES 2008. Well still no sign of TEAMVISION for me personally but there does seem to be some improvement in the player responses. I personally did have some issues with player positioning although that may be more down to tactics than AI faults. One issue I did have though was the lack of intelligent CPU controlled runs by players in front of me when in possession. Sometimes they made the moves, other times they were static waiting to receive a pass. Try to trigger the runs and there was almost no response until you were within 5 yards of the player. This however was my only fault with the game during our play test. Oh yeah and the fact that I still can’t find TEAMVISION! Is it real?
Focusing on game modes specifically now, the Become a Legend mode is one that Europe has been anticipating for years. Konami were first to incorporate it in a football game (PS2- Japan only) however EA have now stolen the show and made a massive feature of it particularly with online play. So how does Konami react? Simple, a much deeper mode that last more than 4 seasons and gives you more control and customisation of your player attributes based on your own individual performances. Pass well in a game and your passing stats can go up quite a bit. Do it in practice and the increase is less significant but still enough to boost your stats. Consistently show poor heading ability and you will see that downwards arrow meaning your heading ability is going down.
So what’s the aim? Well create your player, start in a non-league side playing an introductory game and wait for the offers to come in from the league that you select first. Go to a mid-table club and you will find yourself warming the bench. Sign for a lower table side that may be in the relegation dog-fight and you may be the man to save them from the drop and get more first team action that helps your career progress. Get my jist? Unfortunately we couldn’t test the online variant of Become a Legend as the game’s online servers aren’t up and running. But we are told you can take your player online to play with friends.
“Master League, tell us all about it!â€
Well unfortunately there isn’t much to report here as it’s predominantly based on last years. With that I mean the only change being that the transfer system in game is no longer a ridiculous wait with no hint as to what Club and Player requirements are and before you know it the transfer deadline has passed. These are now much easier with separate negotiations between you and the club and you and the player once the club accepts your offer. Also, no need to wait a whole day for an answer, the ticker means its almost instant so you can make more offers. Thank god, no more time putting in 5 offers before I actually get the Player!
So all in all PES 2009 sounds like the total package, given that there weren’t that many complaints. Well unfortunately given that it is a big improvement on PES 2008 isn’t really saying much, especially for PS3 players. Last years game was a shock to all fans and still remains an enigma to the WENB team. But Konami went back to its roots to make this game more playable and enjoyable, in an effort to make it much more of a simulation that all the previous titles were. This brings me back to the jargon I was talking about in the first paragraph which I’m sure most of you have forgotten by now! Should PES as a title change or deviate from the core gameplay system that has made it so successful in the last generation or should it remain faithful to it?
Picture this; You go to buy your first car; you see many in the dealership. All your friends have Golf GTI’s, a car that you know is brilliant with a great engine that has been well publicised and highly praised. Do you buy it because your mates have it and praise it? Do you buy it although you know that it is based on the old V6 engine and chassis, one that is superb but been around for 5 years? The car you are buying is brand new, fully loaded with options, fresh paint job and zero miles on the clock. It’s a dilemma….
Bottom line is that PES 2009 is a very good game. It is everything I expected it to be given that Konami only had one year to fix a whole host of problems that crippled their game last year. This is clearly what last year’s version should have delivered. But what used to be the games biggest strength I feel is now becoming its Achilles heel. It is now three years since next-gen systems appeared on the block, yet PES is still running on what is essentially a PS2 engine. Yes, the front-end is looking significantly better and there are new game modes but it remains at core a PS2 game. It was a successful engine and it is still highly enjoyable and almost classic. This will make many fans of the series rejoice and sing in glory, but for many others they will feel it hasn’t improved significantly enough. Next-gen requires completely revamped gameplay that supplies a much more real and immersive football experience. This is why I have stated many times in previous podcasts that PES 2010 will be a huge year for Konami. Add to the equation that their main rival is getting there… my worry is that although PES 2009 is a highly enjoyable game with a host of all new features and great classic gameplay, Konami are one year behind with a lot of catching up to do. Its time for change, even if mistakes are made along the way. As Alfred told Bruce Wayne… we all learn from our mistakes and it makes us stronger.
Fans of the series will enjoy PES 2009, because it has gone back to its essence in a good way. But don’t expect a revolution; this is an evolution and a much needed one.
All the best,
Suff
