Hello all.
Im a videogame journalist and i own Winning Eleven 7. In the previous months i have played two beta versions of PES3 which are based entirely on the Winning Eleven gameplay mechanism, therefore had the same speed and flow, the weak-powered headers and the stutter.
Two days ago i got the final version of PES3. I played it in the magazine's offices and at home for more than 50 matches. I would like to comment on the changes. I repeat. This is what all of you are going to experience by bying PES3.
A) The speed is indeed too fast. I regret that Konami have once again treated us like arcade freaks, breaking the natural flow of the game that was the core success of this year?s Winning Eleven. The speed prevents from intelligent play, especially when you choose to play as one of the great clubs or international teams. For example, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Henry, Shevchenko, Raul, Vieri, Totti, Del Piero, Owen (and some others) are virtually unstoppable. Playing Winning Eleven never gave you the idea that having one great player is gonna make the ultimate difference in a match. Thus, PES3 returns us to the days of PES2 when playing Roberto Carlos on the front was as good as having Ronaldo.
B) Due to the change of speed, dribbling is much easier. The A.I. doesnt have the time to commit fouls (in order to break the flow as it happens in real football). The speed also makes the tactics seem less useful, as there is no problem returning with an attacker in your defence and taking the ball to launch a counter. He will easily reach the middle and the opponents area in no time.
C) The headers are better than the ones in WE7 so is the shooting. They r more powerfull and direct, correcting the problem of unrealistic shots in the Japanese versions. Like in real football, almost any player can shoot with speed and power (not accuracy) in the minimum space on the field. Thankfully this is simulated with great detail on PES3.
D) In general it is easier (mainly due to the speed) but the A.I. can be blocked more easily without a foul, as the players seem to hold the ball with less skill.
E) The ball physics are better and more realistic. The players have more freedom in their movements and move to open spaces faster. On the other hand, the A.I. seem sometimes a little out of order (again like in PES2), where seeing an opponent on a tet-a-tet doesnt mean that he is going to shoot. Sometimes he just passes to another that is way behind.
In general, PES3 have many positives in comparison to WE7. Unfortunatelly, though most of the problems can be overlooked, the problem of speed cannot. On the other hand, if you have not played WE7, the speed is probably not going to upset you.
As for myself, the flow of the game is more important than any trickery, and i prefer my players to behave as much as possible as real players and not as supercharged turbos.
On the light of these evemts, i have cancelled my PES3 pre-order, not becuase it is a bad game (it is, after all, the best we can have in Europe) but because i refuse to let Konami make fun of me and my mates any more.
