Pro Evolution Soccer

Pro Evo has long been a staple of the simulated soccer world and it's back again with another iteration.

Pro Evolution Soccer started up the series way back in 2001 as a Playstation exclusive and released both on the PS1 and PS2 consoles. It always aimed to be the more technologically advanced of the major soccer titles where Fifa won fans based on name recognition alone. Fifa, being the official game of the international governing body of football, had all of the rights to all of the teams and all of the players. Initially Pro Evolution soccer didn't have this luxury which lead to some amusing, if slightly off putting team and player names for example Man Red for Manchester United and Paul Gazza for Paul Gascoine. Things have improved markedly on the licensing front over the years though and Pro Evolution now sports it's fullest roster of real world teams and players to date.

How about the technical aspects though? As stated Pro Evolution Soccer has always been about maximising the realism of the play style but in recent years, the Fifa titles have picked up their game and fans have been left a little deflated by Pro Evo's efforts. Well this year there is a big difference in the play style and whilst it may be jarring to some long time veterans of the series, we think it's a real return to form.

First and foremost the visual aspects of the game are the best they have ever been. Not only are the players and stadiums more accurately modelled than ever, the actual movement and feel of the players now matches their real world counterparts. If you're an avid 'Man Red' fan then you will be thrilled to see that Rooney's esoteric gate comes across 1:1 in the game and Ronaldo's lightening quick skills are incredibly well portrayed.

In terms of actual gameplay we have some real changes. The whole game seems to have slowed down a lot and become a lot more tactical. It might be that this doesn't suit you in a video game and you prefer the more fast paced action of Fifa titles, but we've found that the emphasis being put back on to player skill and taken away from arcadey physics and knock around tactics makes for a more fulfilling game. Every pass now needs to be perfectly placed if you want to succeed against a skilful AI or human opponent and the handling of the defence now requires a much more deft touch.

Whether you're a fan of the series or just looking to try something new then we can heartily recommend this years Pro Evolution Soccer. If you're looking for a more fast paced and arcadey experience then you may possibly be better served elsewhere.

Pros

• Easy to Learn Hard to Master
• Rewards Tactical Thinking
• Graphics are the Best to Date

Cons

• Slower Pace
• Steeper Learning Curve
• Still Lacking Complete Licensing