Pro Evolution Soccer 2009

Xbox 360 preview by James Frazer, published on Monday 6th October 2008

This is a testing time for the Pro Evolution Soccer series. Yet to find its true calling on next generation consoles, many feel that this is the year that will make or break the franchise that has had football fans divided in opinion for the best part of a decade. The first to take the step up onto advanced hardware was PES6 which, bizarrely, had far fewer features and more restrictions than its PlayStation 2 counterpart. With very little licensing, fans had little option than to play with incorrect rosters, kits and sponsors as not only did the edit mode not allow such changes, but Option file swapping was forbidden by Microsoft. Add to that a very laggy online server, PES had a very shaky start.

screenshot

Roll on a year, then. 12 months for Konami to play with their dev kits and produce something spectacular. Maybe they pressed the wrong version when going gold, who knows, but it certainly didn’t deliver. Lacklustre licensing, the same poor commentary, awful music, game-busting bugs and another dreary online service greeted those who pre-ordered. The much awaited new defensive system leaked more goals than Newcastle United’s backline and played more like Titus Bramble than Paulo Maldini. For the second year running we were still without a worthy contender to the drastically improved FIFA Soccer. Will 2009 be any different?

Not bloody likely. Weeks of pre-rendered screenshots preceded news that PES 2009 would feature the Champions League license. The top clubs in Europe would finally feature the likes of Rooney and Ronaldo as opposed to Rodney and Rodnaldo, playing in the famous red jersey and not a blood-stained make-shift strip. Sadly, this still means that the smaller clubs, including my beloved Fulham, are still wearing woefully inaccurate strips.

screenshot

It was indicated early on that the PES 2009 demo is indeed the final version of the game engine, in which case the results are rather alarming. PES was never setting the trend graphically, but this year it’s looking like a PC game running on the lowest specifications - everything is dark and the players looking like they’re experiencing a mild stroke. Gameplay is far too static, players don’t seem willing to run into space and their movement is blocky. Sprinting seems non-existent, such is Konami’s insistence that players must all have the same speed. This means that Jamie Carragher, hardly the fastest runner, can catch up with and tackle Barcelona’s pacey Eto’o without breaking sweat. The passing system is stuck in past generations, with players have to manually pass with the right analogue stick if they don’t want to pass the ball seemingly on rails between team mates. This is an awkward configuration, especially considering that FIFA allows manual passing as standard.

It’s a very uninspiring demonstration of a game that is supposed to be getting the series back on track. Last year saw a brilliant early indication only for the final version to be riddled with bugs - we can only hope the opposite occurs here. From this preview it looks as if Konami is reluctant to let go of a formula that put it in good stead 5 years ago, for whatever reason, and instead stagnate the franchise with a series of additions and tweaks that fail to evolve the engine in any way.

screenshot

Two weeks until release, and PES 2009 is being beaten left, right and centre. It’s going to take much more than one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous hairdryer half-time teamtalks to rejuvenate this sad excuse of a football game.

Comments

Raj Dhammi
wrote on Monday 6th October 2008

You are having a laugh! The game runs more smoothly. The graphics have never been superior compared to FIFA. It has always been about the game play. Okay they got it wrong last year. I firmly believe that PES 2009 is the way forward. They got it wrong once and only once! How long has it taken FIFA to reach a similar compressive plateau? Yep almost 10 years….do you remember ISS? FIFA has always had the backing and the money.
Hesh
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

Sorry, but you got your preview completely wrong. If you're going to put a preview out there for people to go by then make sure you have all your facts straight and have done a thorough run through the game. I don't know what game or version of the demo you've been playing, but its certainly not the one everyone else out there has been excited about. Don't put out crap like this and falsely mislead people. This article is amateurish and an insult to gamers out there.
James Frazer
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

Nope, I stand by the article. Konami are going to have to pull off something remarkable to turn it round.

And just because the forum you frequent is excited about the game, that doesn't mean "everyone". If anything, there are more people concerned and dismayed about Pro Evo that there are looking forward to it.

I've played the series right back from ISS and have reviewed every PES game on this site, I have my facts right.
James Frazer
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

So you firmly believe that PES 2009 is the way forward - I don't. ISS has nothing to do with it, we're talking about the demo that is on Live Marketplace right now.
bill g
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

YOU jerks fanboys of pes2009
i still playing the damn game from snes version,
i was playing the iss to my n64 for 5 years which was far better from your iss in psx.and after that in my ps2 and now in my ps3.
BUT konami thinks that its safe because of the history of pro but i have play the demo version of pes2009 and fifa 2009 for 3 days now.
and neither fifa or pes are the perfect ballers this year.
***fifa must have at last a better respinsive controls (they r almost there)
***pes2009 its worst from pes2006 or the old iss this time around i agree 100% that the passes seems on rails this time around so the through balls.
konami thinks that the champions league logo will save them…..
oh and for the record if you play the old pro on the n64 in 1996-99 you will see the referee in the match running but from some reason they vanish him from the later versions………and after 4-5 years they put it again in pro 3 or 4 i cant remember right now ,but i was stunned when they celebrate about the first time ever "referee in the match"
f….k them all they just make millions
from our passion to a beatiful game
i was a wingback in division d here in greece and i can tell you
THAT THERE ISNT FOOTBALL WITH OUT CURVING BALLS and for years now we cant make a lob ball in pes with my desire curving from anyware on the pitch.something that i was DOING IN THE OLD VERSION OF PES ON N64 DAMN YOU KONAMI……..
fifa or pro
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

it's a lie

i can pass carager with etoo

this preview is a total lie

i think fifa is great but all this article is not correct

and telling you things that is not true

shame on you reporter !!

you should be objective
jimmyboots
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

Sorry, this preview is not accurate. When you make blatent mistakes in a preview, people will question what you say about the upcoming game. In pes 2008 the commentry was changed from the previous version. In pes 2009 the Fulham team names WILL be the right names. Players also, DO NOT run at the same speed. These are basic facts that all who know this game know to be true…. Get your facts right.
Tom
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

It's sad seeing proevo fanbois still in denial, the IP deserves a red card. I saw this with PES 6 my last pro evo and my last football game till last friday when FIFA 09 blew Konmi away.

I have not even bothered to download this demo I already know what to expect shame Konami i did have a love for you.

Sloppy

Japanese developers are getting so sloppy.
Jo
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

I'm sorry James but your facts aren't right. Konami, dure to its FIFPro licence, has had real Premier League player names for 2 or 3 seasons now. Also, as was pointed out, Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson replaced Peter Brackley and Trevor Brooking in 2008's commentary, although it was still poor. The darkness could have something to do with the fact that the demo is set at night, and I find it quite ironic that a FIFA fanboy, as you clearly are, can complain about variation of pace. FIFA 09 has certainly positioned itself as favourite in this years battle, but I'm not going to offer my opinion on what I think is best. The media hold power and I'm just glad that this wildly inaccurate article is on a more trivial matter video games, rather thzn business or politics.
Nick Akerman
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

James a FIFA fanboy? I don't think so! Have you ever read any articles on this site!?
James Frazer
wrote on Tuesday 7th October 2008

Haha, I've been accused of many things during my short but colourful life. Wash your mouth out.
Rich
wrote on Thursday 9th October 2008

That was the biggest load of bollocks I have ever read. Pes 2009 is a massive improvement on pes 2008. All my mates have been moaning about fifa 09's laggy online server. And as for gameplay pes 2009 is still head and shoulders above fifa you idiot. Its just taken them 2 years to get it right on ps3 and xbox 360 thats all.It would do anyway because pes 5 - 2008 on ps2 were perfection and the ps2 version of pes 2008 is still better than fifa 09, so that does'nt say much for the oh so great fifa 09 does it. Iwould book yoursekf in specksavers matey boy.
Craig
wrote on Friday 10th October 2008

Heh - PES fanboys get so sensitive when anyone has the gall to question their beloved game's quality.
Raj Dhammi
wrote on Friday 10th October 2008

With all due respect James, i would worry about the plight of your "beloved Fulham" rather than PES 2009. I can guarantee you one thing….it will sell more than FIFA 09 and also play better….£6.3 million for Bobby Zamora? Like your article you’re having a laugh!
James Frazer
wrote on Friday 10th October 2008

So as long as it's better than FIFA, that'll do for you?

Thank Christ you aint in charge of the videogames industry, that's for sure.
Raj Dhammi
wrote on Saturday 11th October 2008

Mr. Frazer, I’m sorry….you are not making any sense to me. This is about a review about PES 2009. “So as long as it's better than FIFA, that'll do for you?” Can you please take your time, and name me another football game that has been released on a 3rd Generation consol? As for “Thank Christ you aint in charge of the videogames industry, that's for sure.” Too right I only play PES and Call of Duty on my consol.
I am glad that you are not in charge of the video games industry….
Philip Morton
wrote on Saturday 11th October 2008

"This is about a review" - It's a preview, not a review.
James Frazer
wrote on Saturday 11th October 2008

So you just want PES to be better than FIFA then, you've just confirmed that. You're not bothered what it looks like, whether it's licensed, how it sounds or whether the commentary actually follows the same game that you're playing, as long as the gameplay is better than FIFA then you're happy. Dear, dear me. No wonder this game is stuck in the past with that way of thinking.
Hesham
wrote on Thursday 11th February 2010

I agree with every word in this article. The game is just so static and mostly every thing must be done manually. Also the movement of the player is not completely free the player you control runs upon your will and stops running on his own(e.g when you are running towards a ball and it gets taken he stops running instead of attacking).