Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (Xbox 360) Review

Posted by Lee Price on 01.06.2010

Konami made a lot of noise prior to Pro Evo 2010's release about full 360 degree player control. Does the game live up to the hype or has the Pro Evolution series continued its downward slide. Find out inside.




Game: Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Winning Eleven Productions
Genre: Sports
Players: 1-4
Rating: E for Everyone

I have been a die hard fan of the Pro Evo series since the game's humble beginnings as International Superstar Soccer on the SNES. The games always provided a different approach to the FIFA series, seemingly being more focused on the game of soccer rather than the flash that FIFA held so dear. The series peaked around the time of Pro Evo 6 and as a new generation of consoles emerged, many soccer fans wondered which of the two major franchises would adapt to the new hardware the best. In the last couple of years FIFA has proven to be the dominant brand, as Pro Evo has stuttered to average games and a more arcade like feel in recent years. Before the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, Konami were hyping the implementation of full 360 degree player control, a feature they claimed would open u new possibilities within the game and revitalize the series. Lets see if there were right.



Gameplay

This was always the meat and potatoes of the Pro Evo series in the past. The one sparkling redeeming factor that Pro fans could hold over FIFA fans official licenses and superior graphics. Those days are long gone however, and Pro Evo 2010 does nothing to rekindle the quality of the series last generation efforts.

First the much vaunted 360 degree control. It makes almost no difference to the feel of Pro Evolution soccer whatsoever. Sure the players have slowed down a touch, and superior players display better touches and closer control of the ball. However the game still moves at such a pace that it becomes almost obsolete. There are few midfield battles on the scale of FIFA, the game relies on fast flowing and end to end football to provide its thrills. This is all well and good, and offers an alternative to FIFA's more simulation like approach, a role reversal for the companies if ever there was one, however it makes the supposed advantages of 360 degree control almost obsolete in the process.

The mechanics of the game remain pretty much unchanged, which poses another problem. Konami have been criticized for not moving with the times with the series, and the change implemented herein will do nothing to allay the negativity. Passing has been tampered with a little and there a few little tweaks and changes that will take a good player all of a week or two to adjust to. The shooting is satisfyingly meaty, and probably the best area of the entire game, however the defensive sacrifices, especially in the pressure system, make playing at the other end especially frustrating.

Konami took a risk way back in Pro Evo 6 of changing the manual standing tackling system into a pressure based system wherein the player essentially holds a button and attempts to pressure a player off the ball rather than tackle them. It worked quite well, despite the feeling of taking a measure of control in the tackle away from the player. It has been tweaked for the newest edition in the series however. Pressuring is much less effective than in previous versions. No matter how strong a center back is, they will struggle to pressure even the lightest forward off the ball. The button also provides a way in for one of Pro Evo 2010's favorite devices, the random foul. Because of the lack of control in exactly when your player will make a tackle while pressuring, the player must rely on the A.I. To essentially decide when to stick a foot in. All to often it gets it wrong, completely missing a ball that should have been easily tackled, or hacking a player down rather than guiding them down the wing. There are even times when the CPU will give the opposing team foul despite you having not pressed a button. Going up for a header from a goal kick can be a dangerous proposition as the computer will sometimes just randomly give a foul just to advance the opposing team down the pitch a little.

These sorts of discrepancies in A.I are rampant throughout. The refereeing is, in a word, atrocious. What possessed Konami to alter the refereeing to the point where blatant hacking down of players, especially in the penalty area, is ignored, whereas every little niggling foul will be given is beyond this reviewer. The referee has also seemed to have lost any concept of the advantage system when it comes to the player as well. Any offside of foul against the player will be given, regardless of the possibility of further attack if the player still retains the ball. It would be considered erroneous programming if not for the fact that the advantage system often works perfectly for the CPU. It just makes no sense at time.

Goalkeeping A.I has been pretty much leveled as well. Keepers will inexplicably run out of their boxes at balls they don't need to claim, leaving them completely exposed. Most computer goals are generated through some form of the keeper exposing himself or fumbling an easy catch. It is a cheap way for the game to provide a challenge, and the game exploits this and the referee's desire to punish the player at all turns to get the majority of its goals. This is specifically prevalent on higher difficulties. Top Player is almost unplayable in this newest iteration thanks to the cheapness of the CPU. Players that have no right being able to do certain things are granted god like abilities in the top mode, rather than the game's A.I displaying superior tactics. Put Cristiano Ronaldo against John Terry in a race and Terry will be left trailing in the dust. Put them shoulder to shoulder in Pro Evo 2010 on Top Player and Terry won't need his superior strength to out muscle Ronaldo. He can just sprint past him as though Ronaldo's speed stat isn't a full ten points above his own.

In a game where you can only control one player out of eleven at a time, your teams ability to stick to position is all important. Unfortunately Konami have failed to address issues that have been present for a while. Defenders will wander out of position and leave gaping holes in the defense for the CPU to exploit. Attacking players are often hesitant to run into space and not using manual passing via the analogue stick leaves through balls in a very hit and miss position. It simply isn't good enough.

There are other little things. Despite its cosmetic overhaul, the Master League is still fundamentally the same as it ever was. Only now Pro Evolution has taken even more control away from the player by having the scout negotiate transfers. Messi and Torres have the invincibility aura that always surrounds the licensed players in a Pro Evo game. The mix of teams with and without licenses is especially jarring and really should have been sorted out by now. Konami seem intent on removing features, with various stats going missing, as well as the ability to retain co-op within the Master League. The player must manually change the control before every match rather than having it save after one. Why Konami? Just why?

And yet, when Pro Evolution 2010 decides that it wants you to play, it is an absolute joy. On those rare moments when a passing move comes together perfectly, when your top striker decides that following the knee height ball is a better proposition than trying to head it, when your center back pulls off a blinding tackle that isn't inexplicably given as a foul despite its perfection you realize why Pro Evolution was held in such high regard for so many years. Unfortunately the game grants you so very few of these moments that they almost aren't worth playing for.



Graphics

Graphically there is not a single knock to be made against Pro Evolution 2010. The game has finally elevated itself above FIFA in this respect. Player models are close to perfect, stadia look beautiful and the whole thing looks as close to a real football match as you could possibly get.

The player models deserve special mention, especially when it comes to the players that the game actually gives a crap about, such as Lionel Messi or Wayne Rooney. The likenesses are pretty much perfect and the animation is generally crisp. Sure there are times when players will inexplicably do things like slide across the pitch without moving their feet, but generally the animation is top notch and avoids a lot of bugs that were present in FIFA 2010.

The presentation of the entire game has been given a serious kick up the backside. Everything feels much more modern, from the increased quality of the main menu all the way up to the Master League. Here is where Pro Evolutions focus really shines. The whole Master League has been given a visual overhaul, with new screens for tactics and a completely different main hub, as well as implementation of the Champion's League and UEFA Cup into the fold. The problem is that all these changes are merely aesthetic. Sure it looks nice, but behind the menus and little graphics of players heads that inexplicably blink even when you are just checking a player for a transfer, the nuts and bolts of the game still remain almost exactly the same, slight changes to training and tactic notwithstanding.



Sound

The sound in the game has experienced massive improvements in some areas while undergoing pretty much no change in others. In keeping with the idea of superior presentation, Konami have finally gotten a halfway decent soundtrack to accompany their game. Gone are the god awful in house compositions that made waiting for anything in the game such a chore, and in their place of songs by bands such as Andrew W.K, The Stereophonics and Kaiser Chiefs. Granted the songs aren't exactly the freshest, most of them are upwards of a couple of years old, but its still a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately the same can't be said of the commentary. Very few phrases have been added into this year's edition, and the commentary all to often contradicts the flow of play or misses it entirely. This isn't the main problem though. Jon Champion does a so-so job. His lines are suitably emotive and delivered well enough, even if there are an inexplicable amount directed at things that aren't even relevant, such as fans not getting into the stadium or the manager coming out late from the tunnel. The real problem is Mark Lawrenson. Now Trevor Brooking was never the best when it came to analysis but a least he wasn't Mark Lawrenson. What possessed Konami to hire this irritating man as their analysis commentator is a mystery. On the plus side technical limitation mean that he can't do his usual trick of making a god awful joke and then laughing to himself like he does in real life matches. However his contributions are so banal and obvious that a talking monkey could offer the analysis he does. Want someone to tell you that a shot has less chance of going in if its from long range? Ask Mark. Want someone to inform the player they were offside minutes after the free kick has been taken and play has resumed? Ask Mark. Now granted some of this may be down to poor programming, but the fact that it is Mark Lawrenson's nasal, irritating voice that delivers the lines will always be a shot against the Pro Evolution series until he is replaced. With anyone. Except Graham Taylor.

Crowd noise is pretty random too. There are team specific chants, such as the “Attack, Attack, Attack” chant of the Manchester United fans, but the cheering and booing is all to often delayed or not even there. When the game gets its right the atmosphere can feel electric. When it doesn't it is all to noticeable. Other than that the sound effects are all fine, tackles are suitably crunching, the balls bounce off the woodwork with a nice clang and everything else sounds pretty much as it should.



Lasting Appeal

If you can happen to enjoy the game for what it is there is plenty to do. In single player alone the Master League can be continued indefinitely, with old players regenerating on a regular basis after retirement to rest alongside crops of youth players. Similarly there are a multitude of international cups to play through, as well as 4 or 5 domestic leagues to have a season in. There's plenty of football to be played and achievements to be earned if you are willing to go for them.

Similarly the multi player will last at least until the next installment. Despite the, at times, horrendous quality of the online play, Pro Evo still has a healthy fan base who are looking to pit their skills against players from around the world. Similarly there are few games like a good sports game when it comes time to play some multi player with a few friends, and Pro Evolution soccer fills that niche quite nicely. There's plenty of game here for those willing to overlook the haphazard gameplay.



Fun Factor

At times, in single player mode especially, the A.I ruins this game. It can become such an exercise in pad shattering frustration that its not even worth the hassle when your pacey striker is beaten to the ball by a clunky defender yet again. The refereeing is inconsistent at best, and god awful at worst, so at least its an accurate representation of the state of refereeing in the Premiership today. But the A.I in general constantly threatens to ruin the game.

But like I said before, when Pro Evo lets you play. When it stops utilizing cheap tactics and stops giving random stat increases to players that shouldn't even be on the same field as yours. When players pass where they should, shoot how they should and tackle how they should the game is an absolute joy. The problem is that whereas Pro Evo's of old were consistent in their quality, Pro Evolution 2010 switches between cheap and fair so often that the player will often be left wondering if its worth it.

Multiplayer is where the game really starts to shine. Not having to put up with cheating CPU teams makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. Granted Konami still (STILL!) haven't fixed the awful online mode, but get a couple of players in a room who are willing to laugh at the blindness of the refereeing and some of the awful decisions made by the goal keepers and you have a game that provides endless hours of fun.

The 411

When Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is good, it is very good. When the A.I, both on the CPU and player teams, is doing what it should be it runs like a dream. There are few things that feel as good as smacking a 30 yard screamer into the top corner or pulling off a beautiful passing move.

Unfortunately the A.I is inconsistent at best and god awful at worst. Players on your team make incomprehensible decisions and opposing players become supermen on the higher difficulties. At the end of the day Pro Evo looks and feels dated. The game engine is still essentially the one that was developed ten years ago with tweaks and changes. The whole game needs a massive overhaul to stay relevant in the coming years so as not to be eclipsed by FIFA.

Graphics	9.0	The best area of the game by far. The graphics and presentation have really taken a step up this year, though perhaps at the cost of quality gameplay.
Gameplay	4.5	There is just too much wrong with this game, made especially vexing by the fact that most of it is stuff that Konami have gotten right in the past. The whole series needs a major overhaul.
Sound	6.0	A halfway decent soundtrack is marred by god awful commentary and inconsistent crowds.
Lasting Appeal	8.5	There is always plenty to do in the game if you can get motivated enough. If you fancy some multi-player the potential is limitless.
Fun Factor	7.0	When Pro Evo flows it is an absolute joy. Getting it to let you play is another question entirely. Still, there is fun to be had and the game has experienced few enough changes so that Pro Evo die hards will be happy.
Overall	6.0   [ Average ]