'Head to head'
vs. FIFA '08
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)
The Pro Evo series has its fans, while others prefer the FIFA
football game.
This new version is the first on the PS3, but how
does it do, and have
they used the more powerful PS3 well?
Gameplay: 95%
The gameplay
hasn’t really changed much since last year’s game, but did it really have
to? What I mean is that the gameplay was perfect, and the graphics were
great (for the old consoles). In fact everything was just right apart from
two things, the commentary and the lack of licenses. Unfortunately they have
only sorted one issue out, while they have gained a new flaw.
The
gameplay has a new feature called ‘Teamvision’.
This is a new AI system that works out your style of play and then responds
accordingly. While is it clever and quite realistic, it actually becomes
increasingly annoying as it copies you exactly, and I mean exactly, as the
computer cancels you out by simply playing like you are. For example, if
your possession is high then the computer will pass it around too, or if
you’re playing more long balls then the computer will as well.
The AI does have a mind of its own at times though, e.g. if you prefer to run at the opposition then they will close you down much faster than if you play a slower game. Therefore the reason I think Teamvision is annoying is that the computer does not play to win, only to counter your strengths. It’s doesn’t ruin things though, as when you have the ball this game is still a joy to play, especially if you play a slick short passing game, however the long balls and crosses still need a bit of work on.
As always, the English team licenses are nowhere to be seen (apart from Newcastle and Spurs). This is poor, and something the makers need to resolve, while the English stadiums are not the real ones either.
The Master League mode is better than ever before with a new reputation part to the game, e.g. if you are Derby, you cant just win the league once then buy Ronaldinho as he won’t join you. You have reputation ratings of; none, D which is pretty bad, C, B, A, and S. S is the best one and it will take a lot of wins with a team like Derby to get to this level.
Graphics: 78%
Did they
really think that the graphics were finished when they were releasing this
game, the graphics are not slow, but the frame rate seems poor so it appears
to lag a lot. This might sound silly but while the gameplay is still slick,
it is almost too slick for the game to keep up with it!
Sound:
87%
This is one
area where the game has improved. The commentary used to get
criticised, but
is a lot better here, while the music soundtrack is also much better.
Online: Yes
The makers
need to improve the online set-up in the next release as it is not as good
as it should be.
Value:
85%
With the
enhanced Master League club reputation system, it takes you longer to get
your ultimate team, so the game should keep you going for a while; however
the fact that the gameplay can get annoying means you may not get as much
long term value out of it as previously.
Conclusion:
It feels like
the makers have rushed Pro Evo 2008 out before it was ready, as the game
fails to improve on last year, and for the first time ever it has disappointed
me!
This is a shame given that the PS3 offers so much more potential than the
PS2.
Overall Score: 86%