Pro Evolution Soccer (Wii) Review
Posted by Sam Pow on 06.28.2009
Pro Evolution brings the beautiful game to Wii, but does it score or fall flat? Find out inside!
Title: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Genre: Sports
Players: 4
Rated: E for everyone
Beads of sweat drip down the goalkeeper's forehead as he gets into position. The ball is placed on the single white dot, and the forward steps back and prepares to kick. After a deadlock 1-1 game, and furious extra time, the soccer game had come down to penalty kicks. The forward nervously tries to concentrate, knowing if he misses this shot it was all for nothing, all for defeat. He tenses up, and rushes at the ball. His muscular leg swings back, and then propels forward, launching the ball high left. The goalkeeper leaps, extending his fingertips as far as he can, but can't quite reach it. And then, just when it seems that all is lost, the odds are turned. The ball goes too high, and deflects off the cross bar. The home team leaps off the bench, flying toward the keeper as he is engulfed by a sea of happy bodies. The scoreboard reads only Sevilla 1 Racing 1 (7-6).
That is a description of my first game in Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 on Wii (you get to guess whether I was playing as Sevilla or Racing, though). As you have read, the game has its high points, but are the lows enough to detract you from buying this game? Find out inside.
Gameplay
PES 09 is played by using one of two different control schemes, standard and playmaker. Standard is played with either the Wii remote sideways or the classic controller, and offers typical soccer game controls, with the ability to control one players movement, passing, shooting, etc. Playmaker allows you to use the Wii remote to not only control a player using motion, but to also alter the strategies and movements of all the other players. The only way I can describe this is to say it's like a soccer RTS. You can use the on-screen pointer to move all the other players, tell them to receive a pass, tell them where to receive the pass, and much more, all while completely controlling one specific character. It's a very interesting idea, and works well. It takes a bit of learning at first, but after a few games with it, you should become familiar to the system, and start easily passing, moving players, and scoring goals all over the place. Unfortunately, the standard control scheme is a sore disappointment in contrast. It offers a normal soccer game control, in which you control only one player. But since you hold the Wii Remote sideways, there are not many buttons to use, so it often requires awkward combinations to do simple commands. Also, you control movement with the D-pad, which has a terrible range compared to an analog stick, making it hard to move around defenders or tackle properly.
Speaking of tackling, that is one other area the game is a bit lacking. The tackle system feels almost powerless, as it basically boils down to holding the button and slightly altering your movement. The enemy players easily go around these tackles, which is very frustrating, and ultimately it is better to let the friendly AI handle the tackling. Luckily, Using RTS-like playmaker controls allow you to conjure up some fairly interesting defensive plays and formations, so that is surely what you want to be using at the time. Offense is more manageable, playing well enough to make passing and shooting plays easy. Crossing is another story, and is very hard to accomplish. I found myself scoring few crossing goals.
One of the high points of the game is the fact that as many game modes as possible were crammed into the game, letting you rise up from a small team, take control of your favorite stars, or even start a team of your own. There is even a mode where you substitute players with your own miis. Overall, the modes are fun to play, and offer a good variety to keep things fresh.
Graphics
You can really tell that PES is a Wii game by looking at it. Most of the textures are bland, and the players are kind of blocky. The worst part, however, is the animations. All the kicks and such are very unrealistic, and don't help to convince realism. This is especially noticeable in the goalkeeper animations. Taking epic shots in the corner of the net look much less cool when you notice that the goalies fly at unrealistic speeds and make movements no human could. One fresh thing is the menus, which appear nicely and are very fluid and easy to navigate, which is important in a sports game. Going through all the stats, plays, and players is painless with the Wii Remote.
Sound
Audio in PES never really breaks the "it's Ok" level. While there are some songs for menus and such, nothing is really out of the ordinary. The sound effects obviously didn't have much thought put into them, and never really stand out as anything special. One interesting feature, however, is the crowds. While the crowds make average crowd-like noises, you are able to set attendance, meaning you could make it so almost the entire crowd is rooting for the home team, and whenever they score a goal, there will be LOTS of cheers, compared to what it normally is. This helps make the game a bit more immersive.
Fun Factor
The truth is, PES 09 is really two games. Depending on whether you're using the standard or playmaking controls, your game will differ dramatically in terms of fun. In standard, gameplay is monotonous, hard to control, and frustrating. In playmaker, it becomes a much more enjoyable experience, allowing you to control virtually the entire field of players. It is great fun to coordinate plays, defense strategies, and goal scoring opportunities via Wii Remote. It lends itself to becoming a new genre of sports gaming. While it sometimes may become a bit hectic, that seems to be the point. You have the power to control every single person on the team, and must effectively manage that.
The multiplayer is good, too, allowing you and your buddies to go head-to-head to see who is superior. It was a blast to play friends, and soccer in itself is a very competitive sport, and great for either battling your buds or going co-op against the AI. It also alleviates some of the burdens, like tackling issues, since your enemy is human, and cannot magically get past your defenders.
Lasting Appeal
With all the modes included, and the basic fact that it's a sports game, PES should last you a while, as long as you're into the sport. The multiple modes encourage lots of play time, and mostly go by seasons, meaning you'll be playing them for a while. The team creation adds a lot of replay value, allowing you to sculpt every little nuance, right down to the font of the captain's band. You can then add your team to a league and play as them, or use them in multiplayer against other people.
The 411
If you're looking for a fun soccer game, and all you have is a Wii, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is the way to go. With precise playmaker controls that allow you to control everyone, you really have a lot of power over what goes on. It truly is a soccer RTS game. And although the other control mode disappoints and the graphics don't fair well, it's still an entertaining experience overall, and worth checking out if you need some fresh Wii action, or are a fan of soccer.
Graphics
7.0
The game doesn't look too good, and the animations are unrealistic.
Gameplay
8.5
The RTS-like nature of playmaker controls gives you complete control, and it's great fun.
Sound
7.0
The sound is pretty generic, and a few menu songs don't really help.
Lasting Appeal
9.0
PES 09 is bursting with game modes, and you won't run out of things to do very fast.
Fun Factor
8.5
Creating defensive strategies and attack plans with the Wii Remote is enjoyable and complex.
