2-Face
Registered User
Thanks to Trance_Allstar from Evo web
Re-translated and fixed up Google translation of the Level7 preview. Took me an hour, so you lot better read it.
At last year's PES-gathering for media I spoke with some overly intoxicated european KONAMI-associates. They
expressed a frustration about KONAMI in Japan not really understanding what is important in Europe and that
they are desperately trying to get more influence. In PES2008 they started to get more ideas through, like a
licensed menu song for instance. In 2009 there is a detail that says alot about the PES series. There are
now alot more licensed music, but instead of writing out the songname and artist, which would be the natural
way to do it, they continue with their system of writing songname and the genre (rock, techno, etcetera). As
if that is interesting. The same peculiar way of thinking is unfortunately found alot in PES2009.
Improvements, but without a feeling for how to best please us the players.
Repairs: The defensive line
Among the worst things with PES 2008 was that the defenders all too often were completely absent and wrong
in their runs which could lead to the opponents getting free passage to a scoring opportunity. It is much
better this year. This is despite the fact that Seabass refused to recognize the problem last year. Your
teammates also move significantly better this year and holding L1 before passing often leads to the passer
making a nice long run. It is also a bit more unusual for goalkeepers to make big blunders and, above all,
the refresh rate has improved since last year's version, which was almost unplayable.
Improvements: Ball physics
The biggest improvement is that overall the ball is more alive. As the players are now stretching more after
balls, there will be more somewhat failed balltouches. Someone may get a toe in, and the ball is "free" on
the pitch. An attempt to stand in the way of a ball might instead become a embarassing tunnel. Players try,
but fail completely to reach a ball. Shots bounce on players standing in the way and in duels and
overcrowded areas anything can happen. It may, because of this, sometimes become even more messy in tight
situations in the penalty area and it will probably take a long time before you learn that it can be
dangerous to have too many people in the same area.
On the whole more balls become "loose". In PES 2008 to PS3/360 the ball was more often pegged to a player.
It is a delicate balance. We do not want the ball to be an entirely free entity as in Sensible Soccer, but
Konami found a really good balance in PES 2008 for PS2. Unfortunately, it is not quite as free and
successful in PES 2009, but it is better than the last to PS3/360.
New: Player Control
An interesting new feature is that you can now choose to only switch players when you press L1. With this
setting you do not automatically switch players when a player receives a pass. This means that you can let
the computer play the ball around before you become one of them to pass the ball to someone you have started
a run with. Not simple to get used to, but there is clearly a point to the feature.
Another new feature is that you can decide which players you want to be able to control on the pitch. For
example, an attacker, a sidemidfielder and the defensive midfield. Then, when you change players with L1,
you will only switch between these players. In this way, you and up to six friends (in the PS3 version) can
split the team between you if you want.
In the case of feints and tricks alot of them are now performed automatically as long as you move with
technical players. Ronaldo may, for example, make a stepover feint while changing direction. Otherwise, the
control is familiar.
Better, but not enough?
This is one of the most permanent impressions I get, this is better than last year, but not as good as PES
2008 for PS2. There Konami found a balance between a free ball and a play on the pitch that completely
depended on the player. In the versions to 360 and PS3, it happens too often that stupid players on the plan
or big goalkeeper bloopers cause conceded goals.
The awkward and bad passing game remain, and may even have worsened. Either the direction control for the
passes is too sensitve, or KONAMI has implemented a too large random factor during passing since they still
can end up all over the place. Certainly not in every situation, but too often.
Become a Legend: the basics
Konami is this year trying to outright copy EA's Be A Pro. Create a player as midfielder or attacker. Then
choose a league or create your own with the teams you want. Now you're always controlling the same player
and initially you play a test game. You observe the action on the pitch from a slightly zoomed-in camera
that follows your player, and it's your job to perform as well as possible. To become more involved in the
game, you can request a pass with 2 quick presses of R2 (or if you change the configuration). But unlike
FIFA's Be A Pro mode, your teammates do not pass immediately. Instead, they pass a little when they feel
like it, which can lead to the opportunity already having passed by the time you get the ball. Once again,
KONAMI completely ignores the "accessibility aspect" of the game.
Become a Legend: in a larger club
After the Test, you get bids from various teams and must choose one of them. The wacky thing is that you end
up in a major club from the start, and your player is easily worse than any of your teammates in the
starting 11. I choose to play for Everton (Merseyside Blue), and at first I am playing an internal training
match against the others in the team. I do fairly badly even though I am taking a lot of responsibility. I
miss some important passes and miss the 2 scoring opportunities I create. But I still manage a 7.5 rating
which is best in my team. To make a long story short, after about 20 matches (that is, around 1800 minutes)
I had been able to get subbed in in about half of the matches, and rarely more than fifteen minutes per game
(total playing time is approximately 150 minutes of 1800 minutes). The rest of the time, I have had to watch
the matches from the bench. While one can increase the tempo of the matches to four times as fast, it is
still about five minutes per game.
Become a Legend: failed joke?
The sad thing is that when I do get to play I almost always get a better rating than my fellow players, and
I both score goals and deliver assists. After a bunch of games most of my teammates are almost completely
drained of energy and their form-arrows point straight downhill. Despite all this I still don't get to start
matches.
It would have been okay if I had developed my player so far, but after 20 games, he has not yet received a
single improved stat. The fact is that he has not even had a half step in any stat.
Hopefully, Konami forgot to inform me that this is an unfinished game mode which will be fixed before
release. Otherwise, this is nothing more than a failed joke.
Master League: as usual
Us Master League-enthusiasts have by now become accustomed to Konami ignoring us every year. The career mode
has barely evolved over the past five years, and it is the same thing this year. The only thing that changed
is that the negotiations now take place in two stages; first with the club, then with the player. More
specicially, first a transfer fee with the club, and then salary and contract negotiations with the player.
Otherwise, nothing has happened and it is as frustrating as usual.
The graphics and sound: better
Graphically there has been some improvement. The players look a little better, the audience may be a little
more alive, framerates are clearly improved, many new animations have been added, the menus at least have
some kind of design this year and facial expressions are more alive. Sound-wise, besides a few songs that
are actually sort of OK, there are also more chants included in the arenas (even though they become a bit
repetitive after a while).
Online: confusion
Choose name, favorite team, favourite players and a signature before you go serverhunting. It is divided
into British, German and a few other variants. You can see where there are people, and how many they are.
Then you go into different lobbies and find players. I spent an hour trying to get up and running it, but
hopefully it is simply not ready yet and Konami have forgotten to tell me.
From the menus, however, I can figure out that it should be possible to play two against two online (in 2003
Seabass said in an interview that they could fix eleven against eleven online on PS2), and there is a Legend
mode in which it seems possible to bring in your "Become A Legend" players and be one of four that play in
the same team. Exactly how it works, we have not yet been able to test.
The Edit mode: same
In PES2009, as in the past, it is possible to change team names and go in and fine-tune players in
everything from appearance to behavior. For example, there are 16 different shoes (no custom creation),
about as many settings as last year when it comes to facial hair, hair, facial models and more. Faces can be
modified quite alot, but hairstyles and beards are still lacking in numbers a bit. To set the dribble and
freekick styles feels extremely pointless, but the 71 different goal celebration styles is as fun as last
year.
It is possible to import a picture with the Playstation Eye, but it does not appear to be improved from last
year, and us who have beards can forget trying to include it with the player.
Licensing: fewer
The big news is that Konami seems to have lost the entire Spanish league. They have the wrong team names and
wrong kits. In England Liverpool and Manchester United should be confirmed, but the names are still wrong in
this versions. Bayern Munich has been replaced for Zenit St Petersburg and in the Nordic countries
Helsingborg have had to leave room for Brøndby (left are Hammarby, AIK, Rosenborg, Helsinki, IFK Gothenburg
and Copenhagen). In other words, not one licence has been added without atleast one other being dropped.
Other short impression:
• Replays can now be viewed even after a break in play.
• Still quite "steered"/controlled who has the ball.
• The runs are still a bit "stilted".
• Still running in eight directions only.
• Simply holding X and square works alarmingly good to steal the ball from the computer.
• As in 2008, it happens a little too often that players are on the totally wrong place on the pitch. A DMF
up at the offensive throw-in, for example.
• Online Games requires Konami ID - at least in the PS3.
• Jostles can end in several/more ways.
• The players still do not understand where the sidelines are.
• Players sometimes stop for almost a second when they miss a reception/trap or duel.
• Must still by myself check what match comes next and what applies in it.
Conclusion: almost all the way
Much has been improved since 2008, and except for when I was playing Become A Legend, I have had a lot of
fun with PES 2009. It is much better than 2008 on many of the key points, but I am still a little
disappointed. This is what PES 2008 should have been. Now, I had expected yet another step farther. One step
closer to the gameplay "feel" the PS2 version had last year, a lot more additional licenses, less rigid
animations on the pitch, smarter players and much more. Instead, Konami invested in a number of new game
modes, which hopefully was not functioning as they would in the unfinished version I tested. To sum up:
really good, but not the cracker I was hopeing for.
Re-translated and fixed up Google translation of the Level7 preview. Took me an hour, so you lot better read it.
At last year's PES-gathering for media I spoke with some overly intoxicated european KONAMI-associates. They
expressed a frustration about KONAMI in Japan not really understanding what is important in Europe and that
they are desperately trying to get more influence. In PES2008 they started to get more ideas through, like a
licensed menu song for instance. In 2009 there is a detail that says alot about the PES series. There are
now alot more licensed music, but instead of writing out the songname and artist, which would be the natural
way to do it, they continue with their system of writing songname and the genre (rock, techno, etcetera). As
if that is interesting. The same peculiar way of thinking is unfortunately found alot in PES2009.
Improvements, but without a feeling for how to best please us the players.
Repairs: The defensive line
Among the worst things with PES 2008 was that the defenders all too often were completely absent and wrong
in their runs which could lead to the opponents getting free passage to a scoring opportunity. It is much
better this year. This is despite the fact that Seabass refused to recognize the problem last year. Your
teammates also move significantly better this year and holding L1 before passing often leads to the passer
making a nice long run. It is also a bit more unusual for goalkeepers to make big blunders and, above all,
the refresh rate has improved since last year's version, which was almost unplayable.
Improvements: Ball physics
The biggest improvement is that overall the ball is more alive. As the players are now stretching more after
balls, there will be more somewhat failed balltouches. Someone may get a toe in, and the ball is "free" on
the pitch. An attempt to stand in the way of a ball might instead become a embarassing tunnel. Players try,
but fail completely to reach a ball. Shots bounce on players standing in the way and in duels and
overcrowded areas anything can happen. It may, because of this, sometimes become even more messy in tight
situations in the penalty area and it will probably take a long time before you learn that it can be
dangerous to have too many people in the same area.
On the whole more balls become "loose". In PES 2008 to PS3/360 the ball was more often pegged to a player.
It is a delicate balance. We do not want the ball to be an entirely free entity as in Sensible Soccer, but
Konami found a really good balance in PES 2008 for PS2. Unfortunately, it is not quite as free and
successful in PES 2009, but it is better than the last to PS3/360.
New: Player Control
An interesting new feature is that you can now choose to only switch players when you press L1. With this
setting you do not automatically switch players when a player receives a pass. This means that you can let
the computer play the ball around before you become one of them to pass the ball to someone you have started
a run with. Not simple to get used to, but there is clearly a point to the feature.
Another new feature is that you can decide which players you want to be able to control on the pitch. For
example, an attacker, a sidemidfielder and the defensive midfield. Then, when you change players with L1,
you will only switch between these players. In this way, you and up to six friends (in the PS3 version) can
split the team between you if you want.
In the case of feints and tricks alot of them are now performed automatically as long as you move with
technical players. Ronaldo may, for example, make a stepover feint while changing direction. Otherwise, the
control is familiar.
Better, but not enough?
This is one of the most permanent impressions I get, this is better than last year, but not as good as PES
2008 for PS2. There Konami found a balance between a free ball and a play on the pitch that completely
depended on the player. In the versions to 360 and PS3, it happens too often that stupid players on the plan
or big goalkeeper bloopers cause conceded goals.
The awkward and bad passing game remain, and may even have worsened. Either the direction control for the
passes is too sensitve, or KONAMI has implemented a too large random factor during passing since they still
can end up all over the place. Certainly not in every situation, but too often.
Become a Legend: the basics
Konami is this year trying to outright copy EA's Be A Pro. Create a player as midfielder or attacker. Then
choose a league or create your own with the teams you want. Now you're always controlling the same player
and initially you play a test game. You observe the action on the pitch from a slightly zoomed-in camera
that follows your player, and it's your job to perform as well as possible. To become more involved in the
game, you can request a pass with 2 quick presses of R2 (or if you change the configuration). But unlike
FIFA's Be A Pro mode, your teammates do not pass immediately. Instead, they pass a little when they feel
like it, which can lead to the opportunity already having passed by the time you get the ball. Once again,
KONAMI completely ignores the "accessibility aspect" of the game.
Become a Legend: in a larger club
After the Test, you get bids from various teams and must choose one of them. The wacky thing is that you end
up in a major club from the start, and your player is easily worse than any of your teammates in the
starting 11. I choose to play for Everton (Merseyside Blue), and at first I am playing an internal training
match against the others in the team. I do fairly badly even though I am taking a lot of responsibility. I
miss some important passes and miss the 2 scoring opportunities I create. But I still manage a 7.5 rating
which is best in my team. To make a long story short, after about 20 matches (that is, around 1800 minutes)
I had been able to get subbed in in about half of the matches, and rarely more than fifteen minutes per game
(total playing time is approximately 150 minutes of 1800 minutes). The rest of the time, I have had to watch
the matches from the bench. While one can increase the tempo of the matches to four times as fast, it is
still about five minutes per game.
Become a Legend: failed joke?
The sad thing is that when I do get to play I almost always get a better rating than my fellow players, and
I both score goals and deliver assists. After a bunch of games most of my teammates are almost completely
drained of energy and their form-arrows point straight downhill. Despite all this I still don't get to start
matches.
It would have been okay if I had developed my player so far, but after 20 games, he has not yet received a
single improved stat. The fact is that he has not even had a half step in any stat.
Hopefully, Konami forgot to inform me that this is an unfinished game mode which will be fixed before
release. Otherwise, this is nothing more than a failed joke.
Master League: as usual
Us Master League-enthusiasts have by now become accustomed to Konami ignoring us every year. The career mode
has barely evolved over the past five years, and it is the same thing this year. The only thing that changed
is that the negotiations now take place in two stages; first with the club, then with the player. More
specicially, first a transfer fee with the club, and then salary and contract negotiations with the player.
Otherwise, nothing has happened and it is as frustrating as usual.
The graphics and sound: better
Graphically there has been some improvement. The players look a little better, the audience may be a little
more alive, framerates are clearly improved, many new animations have been added, the menus at least have
some kind of design this year and facial expressions are more alive. Sound-wise, besides a few songs that
are actually sort of OK, there are also more chants included in the arenas (even though they become a bit
repetitive after a while).
Online: confusion
Choose name, favorite team, favourite players and a signature before you go serverhunting. It is divided
into British, German and a few other variants. You can see where there are people, and how many they are.
Then you go into different lobbies and find players. I spent an hour trying to get up and running it, but
hopefully it is simply not ready yet and Konami have forgotten to tell me.
From the menus, however, I can figure out that it should be possible to play two against two online (in 2003
Seabass said in an interview that they could fix eleven against eleven online on PS2), and there is a Legend
mode in which it seems possible to bring in your "Become A Legend" players and be one of four that play in
the same team. Exactly how it works, we have not yet been able to test.
The Edit mode: same
In PES2009, as in the past, it is possible to change team names and go in and fine-tune players in
everything from appearance to behavior. For example, there are 16 different shoes (no custom creation),
about as many settings as last year when it comes to facial hair, hair, facial models and more. Faces can be
modified quite alot, but hairstyles and beards are still lacking in numbers a bit. To set the dribble and
freekick styles feels extremely pointless, but the 71 different goal celebration styles is as fun as last
year.
It is possible to import a picture with the Playstation Eye, but it does not appear to be improved from last
year, and us who have beards can forget trying to include it with the player.
Licensing: fewer
The big news is that Konami seems to have lost the entire Spanish league. They have the wrong team names and
wrong kits. In England Liverpool and Manchester United should be confirmed, but the names are still wrong in
this versions. Bayern Munich has been replaced for Zenit St Petersburg and in the Nordic countries
Helsingborg have had to leave room for Brøndby (left are Hammarby, AIK, Rosenborg, Helsinki, IFK Gothenburg
and Copenhagen). In other words, not one licence has been added without atleast one other being dropped.
Other short impression:
• Replays can now be viewed even after a break in play.
• Still quite "steered"/controlled who has the ball.
• The runs are still a bit "stilted".
• Still running in eight directions only.
• Simply holding X and square works alarmingly good to steal the ball from the computer.
• As in 2008, it happens a little too often that players are on the totally wrong place on the pitch. A DMF
up at the offensive throw-in, for example.
• Online Games requires Konami ID - at least in the PS3.
• Jostles can end in several/more ways.
• The players still do not understand where the sidelines are.
• Players sometimes stop for almost a second when they miss a reception/trap or duel.
• Must still by myself check what match comes next and what applies in it.
Conclusion: almost all the way
Much has been improved since 2008, and except for when I was playing Become A Legend, I have had a lot of
fun with PES 2009. It is much better than 2008 on many of the key points, but I am still a little
disappointed. This is what PES 2008 should have been. Now, I had expected yet another step farther. One step
closer to the gameplay "feel" the PS2 version had last year, a lot more additional licenses, less rigid
animations on the pitch, smarter players and much more. Instead, Konami invested in a number of new game
modes, which hopefully was not functioning as they would in the unfinished version I tested. To sum up:
really good, but not the cracker I was hopeing for.
