Publisher:
Developer:
Simulation, Sports
Football, Soccer
Release Date:
18th Mar 2008 (USA)
28th Mar 2008 (UK/EU)
21st Feb 2008 (JPN)
Pro Evolution Soccer
Also Known As:
PES Wii, Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008
Official Site:
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& Review: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Wii)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Review
PAL Version
Right on target, or way off the mark?
Konami's flagship Pro Evolution Soccer (Winning Eleven in other territories) series really caught the gaming world's attention with its fourth release, a beautifully playable and engrossing take on football. Since then it's become even more popular, and now rivals EA's FIFA brand in the sales stakes. However, each year brings the typical range of minor improvements with new teams, moves and animations the only reasons to purchase each update, rendering the previous version obsolete (as witnessed by PES6 on sale for less than a fiver brand new!). PES2008 on Wii takes the barebones of the sport and sculpts it around the Wii's original control scheme, resulting in a completely new take on football games. The question really is though: does it work?
Key to PES is the use of the Wii pointer, which takes care of passing, dribbling and defending. Firstly, and most gratifying, is the new &free run& system, which lets you select any player on your team, regardless of whether they have the ball or not, and drag them to the desired position. After a few matches it becomes second nature to drag a winger or striker into a key position without them being anywhere near the ball, eradicating the frustrations of poor teammate AI from other games. It's not always necessary, though: aiming a pass into open space will highlight the receiving player and his run, allowing you to weigh up your options more clearly. Every movement is clearly demarcated with an arrow, and each destination with an arrow, which lends the game an instnatly striking visual style, rather like a coach's training blackboard might look. It's all very appealing.
Once you've got used to the controls it becomes an instinctive and satisfy dragging players into position and placing the ball perfectly is so straightforward you'll be scoring amazing goals in no time, and although the shooting system - shake the Nunchuk to shoot - is extremely simplistic, with such overall control in every other area it's hard to complain. The attacking game flows beautifully, and you really do feel as though you have unlimited options, as opposed to traditional PES games which often rely on a through ball or late cross.
Of course, there has to be more than simple controls to make it worth playing, and just as the controls are simplified so is PES's main single player feature, with the Master League mode becoming Champion's Road. Starting on a map you take part in quick leagues, and as you progress you open up more difficult tournaments and special training camps for advanced moves. After each match your players gain experience points in one of six areas, and once they've reached a certain level you can invest those points into basic, special and advanced skills. These can range from simple statistical increases to enhanced abilities in finding good positions, improved accuracy in one-on-one situations and more. Even with these skills though, some of your players will never become world-class, which is why it's so great you can take players from your opponents after each match. What's most frustrating about this system is that you never know who you're picking
instead you're forced to rely on a vague description such as &will never get tired& or &relishes the physical game&, which refer to statistics you can't see. There's also no telling their quality, so you'll pick a fair few donkeys before you sign a decent player, which I suppose is only realistic.
Aside from Champions Road there's the usual options of League, Cup and Edit modes, although the latter is pretty pared-down from its
an opportunity missed until you unlock the ability to use your Mii characters for players. Big head modes may have gone out of fashion years ago, but Konami keeps the flame burning bright with this hilarious addition. I wouldn't be surprised to see a roaring trade develop in exchanging Mii Ronaldinhos and Rooneys. The online play is limited to one-on-one, but you can send your Champions Road team across to a friend to play every day, and even take players to trade in your Wii Remote's memory, in case you fancy a little swapsies. It's also worth mentioning that the Wii version features all the players and teams from the 360 and PS3 it may seem stripped-down in some regards, but it is still Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.
This game does its job very well - it's a new and refreshing way of looking at the football game, and Konami deserve huge praise for trying something truly different with a brand that, it could be argued, has been stagnating since the breakthrough PES4. Highly enjoyable, unique and absorbing, PES isn't just the best ever football game on a Nintendo platform, it's a beacon to other third-party developers that should reawaken their imagination in approaching old formulae with fresh ideas.
More StoriesPro Evolution Soccer 2014 | PC game | Download discounts at Green Man Gaming
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Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
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Third party DRM: Steam
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Description
Experience a whole new ball game with KONAMI’s PES 2014. The stunning new FOX Engine has been combined with a revolutionary soccer system that puts the ball at the heart of the action for the first time. Every element has been rebuilt and now features all-new physics systems, custom team and player AI and a huge leap forward in animations and atmosphere.
Key Features:
TRUEBALL TECH brings absolute freedom to the ball. The ball becomes the centre of the game and learning to control it is essential to success.
THE HEART beats within the team motivating them through moments of fluid team play, flashes of individual brilliance and the roar of the crowd.
M.A.S.S. (Motion Animation Stability System) creates true physicality for each individual player who interact realistically while jostling and leaning. Controlling the body is a vital skill.
THE CORE of the game delivers amazing detail to faces, kits and the stadiums creating the theatre of match day, whether it’s a local derby or the Final of the UEFA Champions League.
Customer reviews
Disappointing...
lizardspenguin
Oct. 2, 2014
I've played Pro Evolution/Winning Eleven for years. I grabbed this one when it was on sale for $16 here. I wish I could get that money back now. I'm not sure what Konami was trying to do, but they completely ruined this game for me. To start off with, everything feels slow in this game. If you play a perfect through ball to your star player, he will get run down every time by a defender. It doesn't matter who you are, if the ball is at your players feet, they run like they are pulling a bag of bricks. The game also lack the great gameplay control I've come to expect from Pro Evolution over the years. It felt like they took everything that has worked for the game for the past 10 years and scrapped it. Puts me in a tough spot now, because I'm not too much of a FIFA fan either. I hope Pro Evo gets back to it's roots when they release the next game because this one is just flatout painful...
it gets better, but still has space up
June 16, 2014
in my opinion best pes since pes 6 (gameplay)
sadly the content at all is bit poor. i can live with the unlicensed teams and player - modding community ftw :) - but the modes has such a small content, the masterleague is very castradet in comparison to its predecessors.
but its fun to play :)
Alfa version of football game
June 15, 2014
Konami promises a lot every year, yet every year there is huge disappointment. This time they've fixed lack of league mode and added Europe League mode, even they've had license for it for a years. Number of stadiums is huge disappointment, not to mention some genius made San Siro and Giuseppe Meazza as two different arenas. Konami can't never beat EA in terms of license, but this year they've also lost rain. Having that all in mind I can't treat this game as a serious rival for FIFA.
Even if animations and graphics are huge improvement, unfortunately gameplay itself is horrible as always. Konami has lost it, since PES6 they've made ton of bad Pro Evos and there is no sign of hope for a better times. You can't get into a game with few stadiums, few licensed teams and only one option of weather, maybe if this game was made in 90ties, but nowadays it's misunderstanding, more like alfa version than a full game. It's definitely bad times for a football games, there is no Sensible World of Soccer, there is no Kick-Off, there is no oldschool FIFA, there is no oldschool Winning Eleven, it's just same thing every year and Konami is not our hero to change that.
PES 2014, Best Football.... on the field
jkstokes22
Jan. 18, 2014
Once you get past the retro interface and the unlicensced sometimes bland playstation 1 era esque music, there lies a deep and rewarding football game waiting to be played. PES 2014 offers the best experience on the field, and this coming from someone who enjoys Fifa quite a bit. Where the two differ is in the fact that while playing Pes I feel like I am playing a soccer match, each math. Some times its a shoot out, 3 and 4 goal games per side. Some times it is a possession battle and as soon as a goal is scored that team must go on the defensive to ensure it's lead is sustained. And other times it's a slow paced game that hits a spurt of goals and slows back down to end 2-1. This is the biggest difference from Fifa, where too often the game falls into a shootout and becomes less about soccer and more about lofts down the field, holding turbo, doing trick stick moves, and shooting. Too many goals kills the anticipation of actually being in range to score a goal.
Where PES can learn from Fifa is in the menus, the music, and the depth of career and myplayer type modes. These seem basic, and while they get the job done, one is right to expect much more in this day and age of sports games.
EA has bought out most of the teams and leagues rights so Pes features a bland set of teams with fake players. Though teams like Man U, Barcelona, and Real Madrid are present, not much else is. Pes also has the rights to the UEFA league, so that is a plus.
This is where PesEdit comes into play... I played over half a season using the default bland base rosters. I put in 25 hours using that base. I just recently added pesedit with a fresh new and most importantly real roster of teams, leagues and players, and this game looks beautiful. It now arguably features better kits, stadiums, and balls than Fifa.
While the interface may throw you off, as will the bland base roster, this game offers a lot and most importantly offers it on the field, where most of your time will be spent.
PES is back....
juxtaposed_j
Dec. 21, 2013
While after a long absence of playing Pro Evolution Soccer I felt right back at home with this, the new Fox Engine graphics makes animation smooth and the graphics like-like from the authenticity of the players down to certain designs of football stadiums.
Matches are very realistic form the players movements and the ball physics, while possession play is built up- it is usually hard to score lots of goal in a game.
Definitely worth checking out if you want another realistic football game instead of FIFA.