Review: PES 2010 (Xbox 360)

Author: Tigervamp | Date: November 14, 2009

Another year and time for another round of Fifa vs Pro Evo. If it is possible for elitism to thrive within the sport genre of videogames this certainly has my vote as a perfect example. For a long time Pro Evo was regarded as the choice of those who truly loved the beautiful game while Fifa was viewed all style and no substance. If my name was Harry Hill and I had the luxury of my own TV show I would call out both parties to settle the dispute in a rumble. I apologise as I’m unable to do this and must resort to reviewing PES 2010 the old fashioned way.

A few subtle changes have been made to the Pro Evolution gameplay. The goalkeepers have been improved and now react in a more realistic manner so ridiculous sprints out of their area are less common. Penalty taken has been improved and you can now place shots with greater accuracy than ever before but this proves to be a double-edged sword as it is now more difficult to save them if you’re on the receiving end.

Become a Legend is the PES equivalent of Fifa’s Be A Pro and it works pretty well. Your choice of starting club is limited to just three. This is far less than in Fifa but it does add an interesting dynamic since chances are you won’t be a supporter of your chosen club. Offers will come your way during the January transfer window and once again at the end of the season. The interested clubs vary depending on how well you’ve done and if you’ve proven yourself you could bag yourself a dream move. In my first season with Fulham I helped them to fourth in the league and won the FA Cup. This success earned me a move to Man City at the end of the season.

Apparently the AI has been improved but I can’t say I’ve noticed much difference from last year’s edition. One area which should have seen an improvement is refereeing decisions but I saw no sign of this and actually found some refereeing to be bizarre. With the same button used for both shoot and slide-tackle on a number of occasions I found myself on the end of a red-card for tackling from behind while in the opponent’s box attempting to score a goal. I have no idea why any player would run into the opponent’s box with the ball at his feet only to intentionally commit a foul and I don’t believe referees would brandish a red card for something so obviously accidental.

I can see improvements in the graphics department but this only applies to the more well-known players. Torres and equally well-known players look great and it’s nice if you support one of the top teams in England, Spain, or Italy but fans of other teams in those countries and elsewhere must deal with a majority of the players looking nothing like their real-life counterparts. I accept that equal attention to every included player is a huge undertaking but millions are made from these titles and fans would appreciate a little more cash going back into development to pay for the cost of extra workload.

Soundtracks are an often overlooked part of a game’s make-up. For those who enjoy a bit of music with their Football games Fifa have been the undisputed champions for many years. Electronic Arts were quick off the mark when it came to realising the difference a good uplifting soundtrack can make while Konami were left lagging behind. Things appear to be changing as the track listing for PES 2010 includes some quality songs. The most notable tracks for me are “Dirty Little Secret” from All American Rejects, “Party Hard” from Andrew W.K., “Never Miss A Beat” from Kaiser Chiefs, and a double from Sterephonics in “A Thousand Trees” and “Dakota”.

There is a good game of Football to be had here but it feels more like a work in progress than the finished article. It’s an improvement over last year’s offering and a step in the right direction but I feel Fifa offers more and most importantly does it better.

7.5/10

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