Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 review

The yearly battle between FIFA and PES seems to come around quicker each year and now it’s that time again. The past few years have seen EA and its FIFA franchise dominate proceedings, clearly winning the match in quality and on field action against a PES series which was in need of some inspiration. This year that inspiration is here and the battle of PES vs. FIFA is about to get interesting.

PES has always been about on-field-action, that shot skimming the bar and making you pull your hair out, or the opposing goalkeeper frustrating you yet again with a minute to go, when all you need is one goal to win the match. So from the moment I took a shot from the outside of the box, before it proceeded to hit the inside corner of the post, I knew this year’s PES was back to it’s former glory. There has always been something about PES, which FIFA (in my opinion) has never been able to replicate. That’s not to say FIFA isn’t the better game because for the past few years it has been. It also still remains miles ahead in terms of presentation and other areas of the game. Take away all the fancy extras though, and what these football games all come down to is the action on the pitch and in this respect, this is probably the closest match up ever. This year’s PES flags Total Control as its main feature. What this boils down to, is that you have (as the features name suggests) total control over everything your player does, whether it’s passing, shots at goal, throw-in’s, through balls, anything really. This not only means you can pass and shoot with more precision, but it also means you need to take more care as hitting the pass no longer guarantees you will find a player first time. Complimenting the Total Control feature is the power gauge, which allows you to judge the power of your shots and passes. This becomes a crucial element of the game as holding the button down too long, or not long enough, will often see both your passes and shots go well astray. Judging the power of shots isn’t always easy, especially when the ball has just been crossed and your knee jerk reaction is to hit the button and hope, which generally sees it balloon over the bar. As is always the case though, it’s all about the practice, and once you get it right, you can really string together some fantastic football. Other new additions on the pitch this year include the stamina bar, which allows you to see how tired your players are. The stamina bar will usually deplete quite fast if you have them on the go all the time; therefore, constantly sprinting will see their power drain fast, and their shots become quite wild. One of the most noticeable tweaks to PES 2011 is in the defending. Players now shield the ball in a realistic fashion, meaning you will not simply be able to run through someone and take possession. Instead usually it’s a case of being patient as you try to win the ball back. Keeping the ball in PES is certainly not an easy task, there are no mazy runs in this game, instead it’s all about the build up and finding the one breakthrough you need in order to win the day. Everything about the on field action just feels right, be it the slow pace of the game, which will then suddenly burst into life or the little touches, such as when you make a pass back and the last defender steps over the ball to allow it to go through to the keeper. On the field, PES is a wonderful football game. Taking things back a step to the menus, PES 2011 bundles in quite a few features to keep everyone happy. The Champions League is joined by the Latin, COPA Santander Libertadores, while returning for another year is the Master League, which for the first time ever can now be played online. This take the same form of the offline mode, so you can still sign players and take a minnow team through the ranks, it’s just that little bit harder now that you are competing against real people. Other online modes allow you to play as a Legend where you can compete with up to three other players using your own creation, while you can still obviously play in the standard modes such as Ranked and Unranked matches, Tournaments and Quick Play. Most of these modes also have offline counterparts, so if you are after choice it seems to be growing each year on PES. The menu also includes the ability to enter edit mode, where you can add images to players faces, shirts as well as being able to create team chants, edit players and teams or even make your own. It’s all very detailed as you would expect from PES. It seems those teams which don’t have the proper attire won’t be long in obtaining it. As far as presentation goes, PES really is coming on leaps and bounds. Although smaller teams players are still not exactly like their real life counterparts, the larger teams likenesses seem to be improving with each new version. The stadiums and on pitch action also looks sweet, I love the way the camera swoops down for kick off then rises up to the normal angle, I also love the fact that the commentary is now no longer two minutes behind the game. If there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s the fans shouting “We are the People”, I mean come on – SHUT UP. Overall PES 2011 is back with a bang, sure it doesn’t have the extras or overall polished feel of FIFA 2011 but on the pitch it is more than a match for EA’s giant. This year’s battle really is too close to call and Konami’s wonderful title shouldn’t be counted out, even if it is the underdog..

Rating: 9.0/10

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