Baddar
Registered User
Before I get started with this, I'd like to take the time to express my gratitude towards dougiedonut who sent me PES 2010 absolutely free of charge earlier this week. When I knew I'd be receiving the game, I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I'd be feeling lucky to be getting such a great game for nothing, or relieved that I didn't need to stump up £30+ at Tesco to pick it up.
While I'm at it, it's worth giving a thank you to Rosh, whose Option File I copied over to my PS3 in anticipation of the game.
Let me just say that the views posted below are based on between 30 and 50 games played in Exhibition and Champions League mode on professional and top player difficulty. I've yet to delve into the other offline modes, or the online side of things just yet.
With that out of the way, it's time to get started. One of the first things that come to mind when firing up the game and loading an Exhibition match is that anyone outside of the room in which the game was being played would be forgiven for thinking you were watching the opening sequence to EastEnders on a continous loop.
Of course, I'm not talking about the "scripting" talk that is forever a feature on both PESGaming and the EA Forums, but rather the hideous thud of the ball being kicked around the park. It was a widely criticised issue in PES 2009 and I have no idea it's still implemented in 2010. It really is shockingly bad.
Awful ball-audio aside, the other thing you notice when starting a game is how beautiful the graphics are. The detail on the kits from the sponsors to the manufacturers to the club emblems, everything looks top notch, which is more than can be said about FIFA. For a game that has the lionshare of the licenses, the attention to detail on kits just isn't as good as PES. Thinking back to PES 2009, the shorts were atrocious. They were ridiculously long and with PES being ridiculed by many on the forums for being way too fast in terms of gameplay speed last year, the joke about it being just like Basketball was always going to be made. I'm not sure whether or not they have been shortened in 2010, but they're most definitely not as baggy and "in your face" as previously was the case.
I didn't play the demo, but one major gripe seemed to be that the passing was very unlike PES, in that it didn't seem responsive enough. Again, I can't categorically say whether or not the passing changed from the demo, but it felt like the PES of old for me. If you press the pass button and direct it, almost instantly your command would be represented on-screen. This could be down to the lack of new animations, meaning it doesn't take as long to pass as say, FIFA does, because the animation ends quicker. It could be the case, but I'm no expert on the matter. All I do know is that most PES fans wouldn't have it any other way, and love the fact that you can still create that awesome attack after a string of short, incisive passes.
Something else I didn't play a whole lot was PES 2009. I guess you could say that I'd moved over to the dark side, so to speak, and played FIFA for most of the year instead. I think this was down to me wanting something new, and EA's new collision system combined with some big gameplay improvements went most of the way to giving me that. In comparison with PES 2008, the defensive positioning on the player team has improved immensely. For me, it is one of the huge advantages it still has over FIFA, along with player likenesses. Defenders hold a good line and in my experience, very rarely decide to go on a wander, allowing the AI to run through on your goal unchallenged. It still feels a bit harder than it should be to switch between players and control the player you're trying to every time, but it shouldn't be taken as a criticism, because it's something that you'd get used to over a sustained period of play.
Staying with the player positioning theme, going forward can be a pain at times. In the days of PES5 and 6 on PS2, I fondly remember the my AI team-mates being a joy to play with. If you were in control of a winger, the RB/LB would invarably offer up a forward run as another option. I don't know what exactly Konami are getting wrong, but it just doesn't seem the same any more. It was a problem I highlighted last year and the year before, and it still exists now. For me, players are so concentrated on covering the position you have them set to, it can sometimes prove to be your downfall and bring attacks to a stand-still, literally, because even if I have a 2v1 in the middle of the park or out wide, there are times when my supporting player will just leave the attack and drop back into his hole. The closest thing I've heard to a "player run" button (FIFA's is L1 and is excellent, by the way) is R2 just after a pass is made, and the player passing the ball will make a run forward. To me it seems all too fiddly, and even when you do apply this, they don't always keep running forward with you.
When you do get out wide though and sprint past the wing-back who's trying desperately to muscle you off the ball, putting the cross in the box and landing it on the head of your on-rushing striker is one of the most satisfying things in the game, especially compared to FIFA, where the heading is woeful most of the time. Players can head the ball and get power behind it in PES 2010. Exactly what I like to see. That's when you manage to pick the player out though, as my crossing up to now has been average to say the least as most either go to the front or back post and very rarely end up in the middle where my striker is, but again, that's me being distinctly average at the game, not a flaw.
The AI's slide-tackling is way too perfect in FIFA 10 and from my experience it can be the same in PES 2010 as well. There have been so many times when the AI have clattered into me, taking the ball first and avoiding conceding the free-kick. I guess if this stops the incessant cards being shown, then it can be considered a plus.
Back to heading, and while the attacking side of heading is far superior in PES, I'm not so sure the same can be said about it in general play. It just looks unrealistic most of the time. A player can be a full 10 yards from where the ball is about to land, but still manage to scramble over and win the header with a couple of taps of the X button. In FIFA 10, if you can't physically reach the ball chances are you won't go into the challenge at all. It's the opposite in PES 2010 and that's why the aforementioned wins in that department.
PES 2010 is undoubtedly the best football game Konami have released on PS3. I'll reserve judgement as to whether or not it's my favourite PES to date for another time, but it certainly tops the next-gen list.
I have tried my best (and trust me, I will continue to try) to enjoy this game as much as FIFA 10, but at the moment, I just can't. The outdated animations don't help but of course they're not the be all and end all. What irks me the most is how a game can have the same problems for years and still make the cut for the new release.
Take the Goalkeepers for instance. In PES they have always been hit and miss. At times they can make unbelievable saves and others just stand there and do...absolutely nothing. Again, this isn't a swipe at PES in itself as FIFA also has its goalkeeping problems this year, but it just annoys me when you can be 12 yards out and take a shot, yet the 'keeper's only reaction will be to turn and face the net as it flies past him, seconds after making an acrobatic, superman-like double save.
And as much as I understand that speed isn't as much as a factor in PES at it has been for years, seeing a considerably slower defender regain 15 yards on your attacker is just disheartening. What's funny is that it, for so long, was a criticism of that other football game that gets released in October.
Personally, if there's two of you in a room and you're up for playing PES on the same team, where you both control the forward runs and take most control over the AI on the player team, I can see PES 2010 being a blast to play. As things stand and as unpredictable as every game can be the lack of AI help going forward poses a problem that shouldn't exist. Irrespective of whether FIFA 10 can at times feel repetitive, at least you're given almost complete control over your team and how they move when attacking. If anything, attacking in PES 2010 can feel more repetitive than FIFA 10 because of this on occasion.
As highlighted at the beginning of this, this is based on my experience with PES so far. I've been playing for the better part of a week and plan to explore some of the other modes like Master League and Become A Legend some time in the near future.
In closing, my overall opinion is that even though this is the best PES on next-gen thus far, it still has issues that have plagued the series for a good number of years now and they simply shouldn't be there.
One newspaper claimed that "The King is back" in their review. I wouldn't go that far. But as for the claim made by many about PES 2010 needing to beat FIFA 10 or they'll lose too much ground, I don't think it's the case at all. Sure, FIFA still has a lot more licenses than PES does, but the editing in FIFA compared to PES is almost non-existent.
Both PES 2010 and FIFA 10 have moved on in terms of gameplay, but FIFA still rules the roost in that department and have done for arguably three years. I do sense that the gap could be closing though and it could've been even closer had there been more time spent on it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and although my review may appear largely on the negative side, I honestly believe 2011 could be the year in which PES goes back on top.
The King, I hope, is on his way back.
While I'm at it, it's worth giving a thank you to Rosh, whose Option File I copied over to my PS3 in anticipation of the game.
Let me just say that the views posted below are based on between 30 and 50 games played in Exhibition and Champions League mode on professional and top player difficulty. I've yet to delve into the other offline modes, or the online side of things just yet.
With that out of the way, it's time to get started. One of the first things that come to mind when firing up the game and loading an Exhibition match is that anyone outside of the room in which the game was being played would be forgiven for thinking you were watching the opening sequence to EastEnders on a continous loop.
Of course, I'm not talking about the "scripting" talk that is forever a feature on both PESGaming and the EA Forums, but rather the hideous thud of the ball being kicked around the park. It was a widely criticised issue in PES 2009 and I have no idea it's still implemented in 2010. It really is shockingly bad.
Awful ball-audio aside, the other thing you notice when starting a game is how beautiful the graphics are. The detail on the kits from the sponsors to the manufacturers to the club emblems, everything looks top notch, which is more than can be said about FIFA. For a game that has the lionshare of the licenses, the attention to detail on kits just isn't as good as PES. Thinking back to PES 2009, the shorts were atrocious. They were ridiculously long and with PES being ridiculed by many on the forums for being way too fast in terms of gameplay speed last year, the joke about it being just like Basketball was always going to be made. I'm not sure whether or not they have been shortened in 2010, but they're most definitely not as baggy and "in your face" as previously was the case.
I didn't play the demo, but one major gripe seemed to be that the passing was very unlike PES, in that it didn't seem responsive enough. Again, I can't categorically say whether or not the passing changed from the demo, but it felt like the PES of old for me. If you press the pass button and direct it, almost instantly your command would be represented on-screen. This could be down to the lack of new animations, meaning it doesn't take as long to pass as say, FIFA does, because the animation ends quicker. It could be the case, but I'm no expert on the matter. All I do know is that most PES fans wouldn't have it any other way, and love the fact that you can still create that awesome attack after a string of short, incisive passes.
Something else I didn't play a whole lot was PES 2009. I guess you could say that I'd moved over to the dark side, so to speak, and played FIFA for most of the year instead. I think this was down to me wanting something new, and EA's new collision system combined with some big gameplay improvements went most of the way to giving me that. In comparison with PES 2008, the defensive positioning on the player team has improved immensely. For me, it is one of the huge advantages it still has over FIFA, along with player likenesses. Defenders hold a good line and in my experience, very rarely decide to go on a wander, allowing the AI to run through on your goal unchallenged. It still feels a bit harder than it should be to switch between players and control the player you're trying to every time, but it shouldn't be taken as a criticism, because it's something that you'd get used to over a sustained period of play.
Staying with the player positioning theme, going forward can be a pain at times. In the days of PES5 and 6 on PS2, I fondly remember the my AI team-mates being a joy to play with. If you were in control of a winger, the RB/LB would invarably offer up a forward run as another option. I don't know what exactly Konami are getting wrong, but it just doesn't seem the same any more. It was a problem I highlighted last year and the year before, and it still exists now. For me, players are so concentrated on covering the position you have them set to, it can sometimes prove to be your downfall and bring attacks to a stand-still, literally, because even if I have a 2v1 in the middle of the park or out wide, there are times when my supporting player will just leave the attack and drop back into his hole. The closest thing I've heard to a "player run" button (FIFA's is L1 and is excellent, by the way) is R2 just after a pass is made, and the player passing the ball will make a run forward. To me it seems all too fiddly, and even when you do apply this, they don't always keep running forward with you.
When you do get out wide though and sprint past the wing-back who's trying desperately to muscle you off the ball, putting the cross in the box and landing it on the head of your on-rushing striker is one of the most satisfying things in the game, especially compared to FIFA, where the heading is woeful most of the time. Players can head the ball and get power behind it in PES 2010. Exactly what I like to see. That's when you manage to pick the player out though, as my crossing up to now has been average to say the least as most either go to the front or back post and very rarely end up in the middle where my striker is, but again, that's me being distinctly average at the game, not a flaw.
The AI's slide-tackling is way too perfect in FIFA 10 and from my experience it can be the same in PES 2010 as well. There have been so many times when the AI have clattered into me, taking the ball first and avoiding conceding the free-kick. I guess if this stops the incessant cards being shown, then it can be considered a plus.
Back to heading, and while the attacking side of heading is far superior in PES, I'm not so sure the same can be said about it in general play. It just looks unrealistic most of the time. A player can be a full 10 yards from where the ball is about to land, but still manage to scramble over and win the header with a couple of taps of the X button. In FIFA 10, if you can't physically reach the ball chances are you won't go into the challenge at all. It's the opposite in PES 2010 and that's why the aforementioned wins in that department.
PES 2010 is undoubtedly the best football game Konami have released on PS3. I'll reserve judgement as to whether or not it's my favourite PES to date for another time, but it certainly tops the next-gen list.
I have tried my best (and trust me, I will continue to try) to enjoy this game as much as FIFA 10, but at the moment, I just can't. The outdated animations don't help but of course they're not the be all and end all. What irks me the most is how a game can have the same problems for years and still make the cut for the new release.
Take the Goalkeepers for instance. In PES they have always been hit and miss. At times they can make unbelievable saves and others just stand there and do...absolutely nothing. Again, this isn't a swipe at PES in itself as FIFA also has its goalkeeping problems this year, but it just annoys me when you can be 12 yards out and take a shot, yet the 'keeper's only reaction will be to turn and face the net as it flies past him, seconds after making an acrobatic, superman-like double save.
And as much as I understand that speed isn't as much as a factor in PES at it has been for years, seeing a considerably slower defender regain 15 yards on your attacker is just disheartening. What's funny is that it, for so long, was a criticism of that other football game that gets released in October.
Personally, if there's two of you in a room and you're up for playing PES on the same team, where you both control the forward runs and take most control over the AI on the player team, I can see PES 2010 being a blast to play. As things stand and as unpredictable as every game can be the lack of AI help going forward poses a problem that shouldn't exist. Irrespective of whether FIFA 10 can at times feel repetitive, at least you're given almost complete control over your team and how they move when attacking. If anything, attacking in PES 2010 can feel more repetitive than FIFA 10 because of this on occasion.
As highlighted at the beginning of this, this is based on my experience with PES so far. I've been playing for the better part of a week and plan to explore some of the other modes like Master League and Become A Legend some time in the near future.
In closing, my overall opinion is that even though this is the best PES on next-gen thus far, it still has issues that have plagued the series for a good number of years now and they simply shouldn't be there.
One newspaper claimed that "The King is back" in their review. I wouldn't go that far. But as for the claim made by many about PES 2010 needing to beat FIFA 10 or they'll lose too much ground, I don't think it's the case at all. Sure, FIFA still has a lot more licenses than PES does, but the editing in FIFA compared to PES is almost non-existent.
Both PES 2010 and FIFA 10 have moved on in terms of gameplay, but FIFA still rules the roost in that department and have done for arguably three years. I do sense that the gap could be closing though and it could've been even closer had there been more time spent on it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and although my review may appear largely on the negative side, I honestly believe 2011 could be the year in which PES goes back on top.
The King, I hope, is on his way back.
