baggie-1 said:PESFan Review:
Pro Evolution Soccer 3
Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCETyo
Formats: PS2 & PC CD-Rom (confirmed)
“Some people are on the pitch; they think its all over, it is now” proclaimed Kenneth Wolstenholme back in 1966 as England went on to World Cup Glory.
The Official release of Pro Evolution Soccer 3 on October 17th will ensure that it is truly all over for any potential pretenders to the Football Gaming throne and will no doubt add many more admirers to an already highly respected title.
PES Ultras and Aficionados will notice the variety of improvements straight away and will undoubtedly be highly impressed with the accomplished work of KCETs finest.
Using the FIFpro license once again Konami have ensured that many real footballers appear in game and this provides that extra element of realism. Some see a potential setback in the fact that the official kits and licenses aren’t universal within the game; others though will see this as an opportunity to express some creative talent and customise the game, as they want it. Nearly everything can be edited on players including hairstyles and boots, whilst the Kit Editor and Badge Editor allow you to produce highly accurate recreations of your favourite club sides crest or third strip.
For European fans of Pro Evolution Soccer the usual language variations apply with specific commentators and co-presenters being used for the relevant language.
Most notably, Konami have opted to use former World Cup Winner and French International Stephane Gui’varch for the French version, whilst followers of La Liga will recognise Marcas Guillem Balague and Swansea striker Roberto Martinez on the Spanish version.
The game play has been improved and tweaked since the release of its Japanese counterpart, Winning Eleven 7, in early August. The extra time between the release of WE7 and PES3 has ensured that the European version of the game is one step ahead and that any little bugs have been ironed out for its transfer to PAL. It would be wrong though to assume that the game is a straight switch from NTSC to European compatible format as PES3 is a much better game and the extra time spent on its development really shows.
The Aesthetics & overall look of the game has also been improved to give Pro Evolution Soccer 3 a visually stunning finish. With 80% of the in-game animation being renewed for the hat-trick title it is clearly evident that this is the most detailed and definitive game in the history of the series.
The New Graphics Engine used by the development team provides Pro Evolution Soccer 3 with an enormous amount of detail meaning that players not only look realistic but their movement is also extremely lifelike down to the smallest detail. For example, facial expressions change and reactions of players vary depending on the situation giving them the ability to express pleasure, joy or dicontent.
The popular Master League has been improved by giving us 4 divisions instead of the usual 3 and also providing the chance to take part in European competition mid season thanks to an ever increasing number of club teams available to choose from.
The computer AI within the PES3 has also been improved to create a more competitive game as they can adapt to your specific style of play. This means that variation of players’ tactics and strategies is even more important than ever. Attacking players can now also drag defenders away to create space and offer other opportunities to score. Skills and tricks have also been added and can be performed to perfection by players with higher ratings thus recreating the general balance and diversity of the footballing world. So, someone like Zinedine Zidane or Luis Figo is more likely to successfully use the 360’ spin than someone with less ability. Shooting has been vastly improved and players are now capable of hitting a stunning volley or a powerful first time strike. Goalkeepers are more animated and harder to beat and they are capable of producing some superb saves. Injured players are now bandaged up to allow them to continue to play but the more seriously hurt are carried off on a stretcher. Dribbling is smoother and that jinking run can now allow you to beat 2-3 players in a confined space.
The general appearance of the menus is a lot more simplistic and allows for easier manoeuvrability around the various screens and subsections of each mode or options within the game.
The introduction of the PES Shop allows players to buy extra features thus placing more emphasis on the result of every game that is played. It is therefore quite important to win matches as points are gained for victories in all games ranging from Friendlies to the Konami Cup. The in-game currency, known as PES, can be traded for new stadiums, more players, additional teams and even classic style shorts and a variety of hairstyles.
The addition of several new stadiums such as the Red Cauldron (Anfield) and the Blue Bridge (Stamford Bridge) provides even more arenas for players to display their skills. The crowd too play a much more important part in match proceedings and will vent their discontent at a losing streak by staying away meaning that your home ground could appear half empty.
Bigger and more successful teams will also see more supporters turn out to watch their matches in comparison to a smaller club. The fans on the terraces now also get more enthusiastic as the play approaches goal and they also change clothes depending on the weather.
Pitches and Conditions now play a bigger part within PES3 aswell. Some pitches play faster than others and this helps provide end to end high tempo matches, others though are slow meaning that a more methodical build up takes precedence as the ball wont just zip around the turf. Playing in the Rain is also a challenge as the conditions become more unpredictable and this too slows the game down. These coupled with the differing playing styles of each Club & National Team help to ensure the realism within the modern game of football is transfered succesfully onto the PS2.
There are now sixteen different Referees to choose from ensuring a different style to every game. Some now play the advantage rather than blow for a foul whilst others are not so lenient and have no hesitation in producing a yellow card or sending a player off. The variety in the styles of referees now also ensures that all decisions are not 100% accurate and that a foul may not necessarily be a foul and that disallowed goal may not have actually been offside.
The differing skill levels ranging from 1* beginner to Extreme mode provide a greater challenge for the Established Star & Youth Player alike and help to ensure the longevity of what should become a classic title. All these excellent features help to portray a more realistic simulation of the game of Football.
KCET have successfully risen to the annual challenge laid down by the FIFA series and TIF (This is Football) by providing us with the finest football game to appear on any format in the history of gaming. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 yet again sits proudly at the pinnacle of the footballing world and is unlikely to be moved by any similar game in the near future. The kick about down the park will be now be replaced with a kick about around the living room courtesy of Konami.
This release sets new standards for the footballing genre that will be very hard to better and this is without a doubt a must purchase title for all fans of football on the PS2 & PC.
Rating: 10/10
Price: £39.99 RRP *
Players: 1-8
Released: 17th October 2003
WOW
