Preveiw from Xbox World 360. November 2006 Issue
Hmm. Hmmmm. Well, lets put it this way. If you want seamless online eight player PES action, then ProEvo 6 will hardly dissapoint. Likewise, if you're after PES in HD, and in a tantilising, non-squishy widescreen mode, then you'll be singing like Steve McClaren's handed you a surprise call-up. But as yet another famous franchise shifts onto 360, should we expect more than a few new character models that look like they've been dunked in a vat of lacquer? Leading Xbox 360 magazine Xbox World 360 has this to say: "Yes. Yes we should."
You get the feeling that Konami haven't quite embraced PES' new HD surroundings, and that's understandable from a business point of view, with the PS3 version heavily delayed and the bulk of this year's sales resting on the PS2 version. But with PES5's already backward compatability and online on 360, you can't say that £50 isn't slightly over the odds for a few new tricks and a box with Adriano's big boned mug on it.
PES DISPENSER
PES6 basically plays like a hybrid of PES4 and PES5. Certainly, it flows far more smoothly than PES5, with ref's tending to keep their cards in their pockets. Passing and shooting can feel stodgy (rather FIFA-like if truth be told) - probably a side-effect from all those extra frames and animations clogging things up. But the good news is this: despite quite a few glitches (which we're confident will be smoothed out over the next month or so), it's obvious that it's still the same magnificant game. It's an incremental improvement rather than the complete over-haul we were expecting, and with FIFA finally picking up the pace, such laziness won't be enough to keep Pro Evo at the top of the food-chain over the 360's life cycle. For now, though, the version which we have in the office has been enough to grind work to halt, and we're hoping that the yet-to-be-annouced Live features ensure that this update has more than just a natty widescreen mode to offer us.
IMPRESSIONS
Slick and playable as ever, marred only by a senase that this isn't anywhere near the next gen leap we were hoping for. If Live play is improved over PES5's, then this'll be worth the money - but with FIFA's breathing down its neck, a new engine is essential next year.
ANTICIP-O-METER
4.5/5
Enjoy.