nev1612
DILKINGTON!
PREVIEW
PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 6
Note to self: When requesting review copies from games companies, avoid typos at all costs. It may be an honest-to-God mistake, of course, but requesting Pre Evolution Soccer, even by accident, tends to be something they frown upon.
Having sat at my desk for half a week wondering if I was about to receive the world's first caveman soccer sim through the post, I was delighted, and not a little relieved, to unwrap yesterday's package and find the latest in Konami's more renowned contemporary football franchise sitting snugly in the bubble wrap. After popping a few of the bubbles (well, who can resist?), setting up the Xbox 360, and musing as to how much the control pad's Guide Button looks like a single, rather large, bubble (don't you think?), it was time to once-again go hands-on with another new version of PES.
First thing's first: turning. In every Pro Evolution up to and including #4, players would, when asked to move through 90 degrees, turn to face their left or right, and continue running in the direction, whilst holding the skill button and doing the same would make them sidestep instead. PES5, however, inverted this, taking a strange new direction (sorry!) for the series' control scheme by making side-stepping the movement of choice, and turning a slow, ungainly novelty. This had the effect of emphasising straight-line sprinting with minimal turns, and encouraged players to play a direct style of football through opponents, rather than a more skilful precision dribble-and-pass game. It did admittedly improve over PES4 in other crucial areas, but the punt-and-run football which resulted from this fundamental change did indeed take some getting used to.
Well, prepare to get used to things the way they used to be, folks: PES6 makes a thankful return to the stick-wiggling sharp turn footy we'd all come to love since the days of ISS Pro 98.
"PES6 makes a thankful return to the stick-wiggling sharp turn footy we'd all come to love."
And it works immensely well, thanks in turn to other improvements in A.I. and animation. In the attacking third, the emphasis is now placed on passing into a striker's feet and rolling defenders, who themselves are no slouches. Even the Pascal Cygan's of the world will offer a considerable challenge at first, such is the advancement in opposition intelligence. On the other hand, unlike PES5, in which a player's high stats didn't always seem to reflect their on-field performance, the very best players on the planet now boast more noticeable quality - so the star players in each squad really do stand out from the more bread and butter squad players. The difference between, say, a Wayne Rooney and a Wayne Routledge is now far more pronounced.
As too, I'm pleased to say, is the referee's understanding of the game. Konami seem to have realised that football is a contact sport, so no longer will Pressing bring about an instant foul, which was perhaps the most frustratingly ongoing aspect of PES5. Meanwhile, another quirk which caused much annoyance has also been fixed: being fouled by the last defender when you've a clear run on goal will now bring an instantaneous red card, and not a booking, in all-but the most rare of circumstances - an issue which also extends to keepers, discouraging over-use of the keeper button and preventing players from using their goalie as a makeshift sweeper, as was commonplace in PES5.
Beating the keepers has also been made more tricky, but more intuitive with it, by way of a revamped shooting system. Again, animation helps in this regard, with Konami continuing the good work they started in PES5 by once again improving the accessibility of crosses, headers and volleys. Playing as Spain in one game, I saw Valencia's David Villa position himself on the edge of the box and watch an incoming Michael Salgado cross right onto his boot, pulling off a stunning volleyed strike into the bottom corner.
"Konami have showed clear intent on rewriting fan's expectations with the latest in the series."
Indeed, this would also seem to be the game's new sweet spot. Whereas running 45 degrees towards the goal and curling a ball Henry-style into the far corner with your player's inside foot would regularly result in a goal on Pro Evo 5, PES6 appears kinder on attackers if you run directly towards the net and shoot across your body with your outside foot. Ironically, this was actually one of the more difficult ways to score in the last two Pro Evo's so Konami have showed clear intent on rewriting fan's expectations with the latest in the series.
They've done a good job of making the game feel more realistic, too. Little touches like the option to take quick free kicks, removing the icon which showed when an advantage was being played, speeding up throw-ins to make man-marking harder, and placing the sprint button chip-shot at a fine medium between the overly powerful iteration pf PES4 and the barely useful one of PES5, all help give the sense that you've far more control this time around. Indeed, instigating a passing move akin to 1970's Brazil with even your basic Master League players feels something to be proud of - perhaps more so for me, having lost my opening three games of the season. Helpful hint: playing a friendly as Liverpool in the Easy setting may see you win by three of four, but playing as a less star-studded outfit on the next difficulty up has an altogether more challenging learning curve. You have been warned.
My time with the newest Pro Evolution Soccer has extended to all of a day in its company, but already that familiar feeling that Konami have once again listened to fans and done the business is present and correct. Reports of slowdown aren't entirely untrue, but haven't really hampered enjoyment so far, and the online code has yet to be sampled, but I'm more than satisfied with my initial playtest. Like its forebears, PES6 effortlessly manages to instigate those 'oooh' and 'ahh' reactions when you shave the bar with a 35 yard screamer or bring down an opponent in a dangerous position, and that's enough for me to be as happy with PES6 as a schoolboy with bubble wrap.
Mark Scott Version Tested: Xbox 360
Published: 18.10.06
Can't wait!!
PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 6
Note to self: When requesting review copies from games companies, avoid typos at all costs. It may be an honest-to-God mistake, of course, but requesting Pre Evolution Soccer, even by accident, tends to be something they frown upon.
Having sat at my desk for half a week wondering if I was about to receive the world's first caveman soccer sim through the post, I was delighted, and not a little relieved, to unwrap yesterday's package and find the latest in Konami's more renowned contemporary football franchise sitting snugly in the bubble wrap. After popping a few of the bubbles (well, who can resist?), setting up the Xbox 360, and musing as to how much the control pad's Guide Button looks like a single, rather large, bubble (don't you think?), it was time to once-again go hands-on with another new version of PES.
First thing's first: turning. In every Pro Evolution up to and including #4, players would, when asked to move through 90 degrees, turn to face their left or right, and continue running in the direction, whilst holding the skill button and doing the same would make them sidestep instead. PES5, however, inverted this, taking a strange new direction (sorry!) for the series' control scheme by making side-stepping the movement of choice, and turning a slow, ungainly novelty. This had the effect of emphasising straight-line sprinting with minimal turns, and encouraged players to play a direct style of football through opponents, rather than a more skilful precision dribble-and-pass game. It did admittedly improve over PES4 in other crucial areas, but the punt-and-run football which resulted from this fundamental change did indeed take some getting used to.
Well, prepare to get used to things the way they used to be, folks: PES6 makes a thankful return to the stick-wiggling sharp turn footy we'd all come to love since the days of ISS Pro 98.
"PES6 makes a thankful return to the stick-wiggling sharp turn footy we'd all come to love."
And it works immensely well, thanks in turn to other improvements in A.I. and animation. In the attacking third, the emphasis is now placed on passing into a striker's feet and rolling defenders, who themselves are no slouches. Even the Pascal Cygan's of the world will offer a considerable challenge at first, such is the advancement in opposition intelligence. On the other hand, unlike PES5, in which a player's high stats didn't always seem to reflect their on-field performance, the very best players on the planet now boast more noticeable quality - so the star players in each squad really do stand out from the more bread and butter squad players. The difference between, say, a Wayne Rooney and a Wayne Routledge is now far more pronounced.
As too, I'm pleased to say, is the referee's understanding of the game. Konami seem to have realised that football is a contact sport, so no longer will Pressing bring about an instant foul, which was perhaps the most frustratingly ongoing aspect of PES5. Meanwhile, another quirk which caused much annoyance has also been fixed: being fouled by the last defender when you've a clear run on goal will now bring an instantaneous red card, and not a booking, in all-but the most rare of circumstances - an issue which also extends to keepers, discouraging over-use of the keeper button and preventing players from using their goalie as a makeshift sweeper, as was commonplace in PES5.
Beating the keepers has also been made more tricky, but more intuitive with it, by way of a revamped shooting system. Again, animation helps in this regard, with Konami continuing the good work they started in PES5 by once again improving the accessibility of crosses, headers and volleys. Playing as Spain in one game, I saw Valencia's David Villa position himself on the edge of the box and watch an incoming Michael Salgado cross right onto his boot, pulling off a stunning volleyed strike into the bottom corner.
"Konami have showed clear intent on rewriting fan's expectations with the latest in the series."
Indeed, this would also seem to be the game's new sweet spot. Whereas running 45 degrees towards the goal and curling a ball Henry-style into the far corner with your player's inside foot would regularly result in a goal on Pro Evo 5, PES6 appears kinder on attackers if you run directly towards the net and shoot across your body with your outside foot. Ironically, this was actually one of the more difficult ways to score in the last two Pro Evo's so Konami have showed clear intent on rewriting fan's expectations with the latest in the series.
They've done a good job of making the game feel more realistic, too. Little touches like the option to take quick free kicks, removing the icon which showed when an advantage was being played, speeding up throw-ins to make man-marking harder, and placing the sprint button chip-shot at a fine medium between the overly powerful iteration pf PES4 and the barely useful one of PES5, all help give the sense that you've far more control this time around. Indeed, instigating a passing move akin to 1970's Brazil with even your basic Master League players feels something to be proud of - perhaps more so for me, having lost my opening three games of the season. Helpful hint: playing a friendly as Liverpool in the Easy setting may see you win by three of four, but playing as a less star-studded outfit on the next difficulty up has an altogether more challenging learning curve. You have been warned.
My time with the newest Pro Evolution Soccer has extended to all of a day in its company, but already that familiar feeling that Konami have once again listened to fans and done the business is present and correct. Reports of slowdown aren't entirely untrue, but haven't really hampered enjoyment so far, and the online code has yet to be sampled, but I'm more than satisfied with my initial playtest. Like its forebears, PES6 effortlessly manages to instigate those 'oooh' and 'ahh' reactions when you shave the bar with a 35 yard screamer or bring down an opponent in a dangerous position, and that's enough for me to be as happy with PES6 as a schoolboy with bubble wrap.
Mark Scott Version Tested: Xbox 360
Published: 18.10.06
Can't wait!!
Thanks!
