The past 2 years have seen EA make huge strides with Fifa and critics and gamers alike feeling that Konami have not done enough in the wave of advancements brought to Fifa. Konami themselves too admitting this self-defeat and effectively going back to basics with the 2011 incarnation of Pro Evolutiom Soccer.
I myself have always been a Pro Evo fan (preferring to go with the "Pro Evo" short hand name over "PES " as Konami have taken to and many of the younger generation do today)
I just could never take to any other football game being any better, whether that was just through my sheer stubourness to accept Fifa as a worthy challenger or whether I see myself as a Konami faithful having stuck by them since ISS (International Superstar Soccer) I'd like to think the latter.
Geoneo123 on the other hand over the past few years has certainly embraced Fifa with open arms and taken it as his game of choice over Pro Evo, a discussion (/argument) that even spilled into our Inside Xbox interview with SuperKaylo.
So, onto the game itself. The first thing to notice when loading the game is the much simplified introduction paired with an epic soundtrack. In previous years Konami had opted for a more fantasy based cinematic with a modern soundtrack. The intro solely appears to be in-game graphics which certainly put a strong impression on me from the go! And along side Dies Irae: Requiem in D Minor by Mozart, I believe shows Konamis intent to give EA a real fight for the title of choice this year.
Graphically PES2011 has taken off from where it began last year in the graphics department with the 2010 version arguably better compared to FIFA 2010 when it came to player likeliness'. This can certainly be seen in the detail right the way through from Fabregas' beard to the size of Puyol's nose! In addition to this, stadia have been improved along with pitch, game replays and player animations with Konami quoting in excess of +1000 new player animations being added. With Fifa opting to make gameplay differences to enhance its experience and its look beginning to look somewhat aged, Pro Evo has certainly taken the lead in this field
However the biggest difference this year is certainly in Pro Evo's gameplay. A full length pitch apart from last year, the gameplay has become a lot more dynamic with the full inclusion of 360 degree passing and movement. No longer are there the set paths for the ball and players to move, you have complete freedom to make your player move and the ball as you so wish. This did take some time to get used to however given the simplicity of only having to press the A button last year (and in previous years) for you to make a perfect pass. This time around, passes are all weighted a lot more accurately according to how long you hold/ press the A button for. Because of this, all moves, plays and goals are made that much more satisfying.
The same can be said for defensive play as it is a lot more difficult to take a ball from a player. Defensive players must be run into the right positions manually with the A button being pressed accordingly to step in to take the ball without committing a foul.
The trick system has also been given a complete overhaul with it being completely simplified with you only having to use the right analog stick to perform a host of shimmies, feints and dummies. Though simplified, this does not entail at all that it is simple to pull one of these "tricks" off as was an initial concern for me. Unless timed to absolute perfection, an oncoming defender will come out with the ball 9 out of 10 times. However when done correctly, you can certainly leave them standing.
From a visual point, the power bars have also been moved from above the on-screen field map to beneath a player when they have the ball and an action is initiated. It is otherwise invisible on all other players without the ball.
As mentioned in the "Fresh Start" post, the game has also been slowed down somewhat to give the game a much more realistic feel.
Much of the remaining gameplay is unchanged in the form of set plays. Penalties continue to be terrible with no change made at all since last year
The game certainly provides longevity with the 9 different game types including: Exhibition, Champions League, Copa Santander Libertadores, Master League, Become a Legend, League/Cup, Community, Online and Training.
Overall the game is very well presented and will certainly make this years version of Pro Evo a hard one not to pick over Fifa (for those that took the leap of faith anyway). As EA rightly put it: "It's in the game"... not in the gimmicks (yes I'm talking about "Become a Goalkeeper")
Positives:
-Enhanced graphics and gameplay
-More organic feel to the game
-Slicker presentation
Negatives:
-Still a few AI niggles (goalkeepers in particular)
Sparky's Score: 9/10
Video footage available on our youtube channel
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