PES my review (Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3))

Member Name: G7SEV

Product:	Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3)
Date:	30/06/09 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smooth gameplay and Champions League liscense

Disadvantages: Gameplay is stagnant and liscences lost

Well where do i start?! Straight off, i like the game. I like it a lot. Is it a great game? No not in the slightest but with Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 being a very very poor game that it was and is, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 was always going to look good in comparison.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is a good game. Not the great one that it can, should and hopefully soon enough (Pro Evolution Soccer 2010) will be. In Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 they added a wealth of new options. Become a Legend is one of the new modes in the game, not to be confused with EA's Become a Pro (Become a Legend was around first). It makes it's appearance after a long spell on the sidelines. Konami had used this mode in the Japanese version (Winning Eleven Soccer). The mode is such that you make yourself or any other person as a footballer. You choose your position, your appearance etc and so on. You are then thrust into a trial match and after that match you get offers from 3 clubs that are usually mid to low table clubs. You choose your team and away you go as a fresh faced 17 year old. All good so far. Legends mode is also there. You take your created player online and join other BAL players. Also good. The big deal this year was that Konami secured a year licence with UEFA for the exclusive rights to the Uefa Champions League. This in my opinion is a very big coup for Konami, especially since EA dominate the licencing department. Also the edit mode is back to it's full glory.

That all sounds great to the casual Pro Evo player but to the die hard Pro Evo fan and player who follow the franchise will have seen the lines between the lines that where there to read. Those lines read out as "Konami have lost the licence to the Spanish La Liga, The Italian Seria A and a host of miscellaneous clubs like Bayern Munich. This in my view is very lazy of Konami. The La Liga is not licenced but has a small amount of clubs from that league licenced like Real Madrid & Barcelona but they have no official league emblem. The Seria A is not licenced, all clubs are there with full kits but no league emblem. This might sound like i am nit-picking but Konami have had these licences in previous versions of Pro Evo but now have not renewed them and got lazy in my view. So they obtain the Champions League and throw other things in to take the look off their short comings.

That rant aside for the moment i will discuss the most important thing this year Gameplay. Its Back!! Some might disagree and that is there view, i respect that. But in my view it is back to its classic PS2 days. It is now a more slow paced, passing game rather than the pin-ball-esque fast paced arcade game that was 2008. I am happy with that. The ball physics have been reworked and it is visible. I am definetly getting many enjoyable hours with the better gameplay. Me and my mates have had very many great Pro Evo tournaments since i purchased it and that is what i wanted from this game this year. I wanted the Pro Evo feel back, i also wanted Konami to correct the mistakes of there first (PS3) next-gen version which was 2008. In fairness they have. This year was an evolution, for Pro Evo 2010 i want a Revolution. That means a new game engine, more licences, better gameplay etc. It has to be done or otherwise Konami are going to lose a lot more fans than they already have.

In the middle of all the ranting and nonsence i am just saying in my view that Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is a good game, better than last years but ultimatly has to be reworked from its foundations up to make it truly next-gen.

Also i know i did not touch on the online part of Pro Evo 2009 and that is because it is nearly impossible to play online and Konami's servers and general lobby interface online is just down right terrible

Summary: I enjoyed it but it could have been better