Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres grace the cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, which is set to be a winner. Fans found a few drawbacks in recent iterations of the PES series but this time round, PES 2010 is ready to step up to the plate and show off its skill, style and new tricks it has up its sleeve.
The first thing you notice about PES this year is that it looks a lot different. The visuals have been drastically improved thanks to a complete overhaul of the graphics engine, resulting in more fluid player animations and movements. This refinement definitely helps the gameplay elements of PES2010, as passing, running and tackling is much more organic, which leads to a much more flexible game of football being played. It’s a bit slower and more controlled, but it’s still got that style and flair PES fans are used to.
A 360 degree control system has been introduced into PES2010 which allows for a more dynamic player control. This lets players pass, hit gaps and make angled runs that never existed before; and thanks to vastly improved player AI, this advancement is highlighted due to some clever AI runs.
The only drawback within PES are the throw-ins. There’s nothing wrong with them by any means, they’re functional and effective, there’s just a lack of direction and options for receiving players when the throw-ins occur. They become all about receivers instead of placement, which makes it a bit easy for the opponent to predict your throw. It’s nothing monumental, but it does result in some unnecessary turnovers.
As mentioned earlier, the presentation of PES2010 has been dramatically updated: More licensed music, awesome menu navigation, great atmosphere including crowd chants and songs have all been amped up, not to mention the facial animations and likenesses, which are some of the best within the genre. Each player looks uncannily alike their real life counterpart and with a wealth of new licenses added to the roster, it’s really starting to look the part. There’s still a few missing, but they definitely getting there.
One of the most important licenses they do have is the Champions League official competition. This is a big plus of PES fans, as they have the opportunity to play exhibitions or tournament matches through the world’s most prestigious football competition. The detail and atmosphere of the Champions League has been recreated beautifully in PES 2010. The opening orchestral intro, right down to the score sheets and player layouts are precisely on the money and represent the real life UEFA counterpart. The big plus however, is that players can compete in the Champions League through the Master League mode, which has also been refined to provide a much more authentic football and team progression.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 excels in leaps and bounds above its predecessor. The presentation is sharper, the gameplay is more fluid and its new additions and features are showing some undoubted promise. We know we haven’t gone on to the subject, but we hate to compare it to FIFA, but unfortunately the fact of the matter is people will always compare the two. It basically comes down to personal preference, but don’t hesitate to try out PES 2010.
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