Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PC) Preview

Posted by Chris Evans on 10.08.2008

Hands on: I go hands on with the PC demo of the latest Pro Evolution Soccer.

The latest iteration of Pro Evolution Soccer is nearly upon us with an October 17th release for the UK version and a mid-November US release. If the demo is anything to go by, then this is going to be another top quality football game from Konami. Pro Evo is the fierce rival to the FIFA franchise which will see the 2009 version released later this month. These two football games have been rivals for many years now and while the Pro Evo series has long held the upper hand the FIFA games have been improving as of late. As such it is going to be interesting to see how they fair this year.



Last seasons Pro Evo was criticised by many for failing to improve on the previous iteration, especially on the 360 and PS3, this though is the PC demo I am playing so I can't comment on how it is on the consoles. The demo provides you with a handful of domestic clubs and two national teams. Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona are the clubs while Italy and France are the two countries on offer. Of course the full version will offer a much larger number of teams from around the world and will let you play matches for more than five minutes and will include commentary. Whether the commentary is actually any good is another question, it can often be a bit flaky from my experience with it. If I am not much mistaken though I hear the crowd chanting 'you suck dick' a lot, which is a strange counter to the chants of United! United! United!



The gameplay itself seems to be well up to scratch and feels as tight as it ever has done, though that is while playing with a 360 controller, I am not sure how it will fare when using the keyboard. The usual array of tricks is available to those cunning enough to use them, you can dive and perform feints along with the ever popular skill of passing the ball. The game is looking great right now and some of the animations are really quite impressive. Seeing the players flying through the air after being fouled is a sight to behold. Certain players will have specific animations and tricks to perform to help you in your quest to out-trick the opponent.



There are two big new features that are immediately obvious when you see the main menu are the 'UEFA Champions League' and 'Become A Legend' options, the former will allow you to take a team through the officially licensed UEFA Champions League with the right and proper rule and stages. The Become A Legend mode, as shown in a video after you play a match in the demo will let you create a player and control him and only him throughout his career. You will be able to choose which clubs you want to sign for and develop your skills as you go through the game. More importantly you will be able to take your Legend online and play with your friends with your own Legends. It really sounds exciting, even if it may be a bit similar to FIFA's 'Be A Pro' mode.



The game is looking and playing great right now and I personally can't wait for the chance to play the full game.