DP Challenge 19/100 - Pro Evolution Soccer 2009

Game: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009

Ranking: 27/100

Score: 85.46%

What's that sound? Is that the sound of football coming home? Not really, but it is the sound of the UEFA Champions League being recreated in your living room. Is Pro Evolution soccer 2009 better than its 2008 counterpart? Am I going to be reduced to button mashing and yelling at my TV screen?

Insert obligatory pun about being Messi here...
(Source: MobyGames)

Intro

The manual is comprehensive and the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controls are shown both in text and diagrammatically, which makes it easy to absorb and a handy reference tool. The graphical introduction is dynamic and interesting; it shows you a huge stadium, some animated players and all the logos of the legitimate teams the game clearly has licensing right to use. The introduction music is quite funky, too.

The manual content is quite densely packed; there's very little white space and that can make it a difficult read if you just want to get the gist of the controls. There are some odd moments in the introduction that could prove slightly confusing; when the game decides to show you how saving works and not to touch anything when you see the 'saving' icon, it shows you the animated 'saving' icon you'd expect to see anywhere... but you have to select 'OK' to move on from this.

Even a very inexperienced player would be able to ascertain that when you see a spinning logo with 'SAVING' written on it, that they shouldn't touch it. Better yet, have a logo or screen that says 'SAVING, do not turn off the power'. No confusion, and no need to include a screen to explain how saving works. It could also be worth just having a few extra pages of manual, just so the blocks of text can be broken up into more manageable segments.

Arrows to the face... just like the real thing.
(Source: gamespy.com)

Getting Going

There is a nice tutorial option that is skippable (if you claim you have played PES 2008). The tutorial option goes through every basic move in the game, has clear instructions and useful tips, allows you to skip the typing text and display it all at once. The 'certification' sections can also be skipped if they're annoying you, but they're quite handy and relay your objectives at the beginning. In fact, you can skip any of the tutorial sessions at any time.

You have a vaguely animated 2D coach who appears on the screen and types text at you; which is perfectly fine, but a little on the boring side. Oh, and the match selection is a little confusing. You select home and away on different sides of the screen - fine if it's two player and you'll see two Wii Remote cursors on screen. When it's single-player, it takes a little while to figure out what you have to do. This isn't the only occurrence of bizarre user interface design; the manner in which you are expected to enter UEFA Champions League gameplay is also not particularly intuitive.

Seeing as this game has clearly got some licenses to use certain teams and players (there is a player whose face is everywhere on the introduction animations), why not get an actual coach to narrate the instructions and provide their face? Granted, there could be difficulties if you want to cover every European language (because this game has clear UEFA rights that they no doubt want to exploit), but it would be an interesting touch. It also wouldn't hurt to have some text instructions on-screen when you have to do anything a little unusual to progress through the menu screens - such as dragging your team onto the empty fixtures box to start UEFA Champions League.

Oh, okay. Shall I move the cursor - no? I literally just hold down A for a bit? Alright...
(Source: IGN.com)

Fun

The game tries to capture the feel of a 'real' football match with its running commentary and cut-scene animations of the players entering the pitch. The teams seem to have different abilities and different tactics, which makes for a fun game as you try and gain possession. The experience is quite tense; you get goal celebrations by the players when you score, disappointment animations when they miss. As the game is both fast-paced and requires a reasonable amount of forward thinking, it's easy to find yourself excited playing; while you're trying to get possession of the ball, you're also trying to mark opponents with other players. There's a lot of multi-tasking involved... if you want to play that way. You can get reasonably far just by concentrating on immediate players. You also have several modes you can play, from single matches to 'Champions Road' which combines matches with management and player development.

Those nice cutscenes featuring sweeping shots of the stadium, of your teams coming out onto the pitch ready to face each other... it's actually a huge relief you can skip them. You don't really notice in single match mode, but when you get further into the UEFA Champions League, they're infuriating. They keep getting in the way when you just want to play the next match.

I think the sweeping cutscenes could stand to be shortened a little, although you can thankfully skip them. There are also some fun little novelty games available, such as penalty shoot-outs and being able to play with your Mii characters. I'd like to see this element expanded on a little, perhaps with some bonus games such as time trials, celebrity charity matches, or unusual locations like matches set on a beach or a snowy landscape; the conditions having an impact on how the ball moves and whether players get sand in their face, and so forth. It would make for a different experience, and would be a lot of fun to play against with a friend.

The epic showdown between Manchester United and... I give up. That could be any made up team, and in this game, that's rather likely.
(Source: IGN.com)  

Visuals

The graphics are decent for the Wii and are used well to create the sense of being in a huge, packed stadium. The players are easy to spot on screen; crucially it's easy to spot who are your players and who are on the opposing team. The menu graphics are colourful and stand out without appearing childish, and the HUD information you get is both pertinent and in keeping with any football match you would see on TV.

On the other hand, the cut-scene animations aim for realism and don't quite match; there's a lot of clipping through players and some lazy 2D cardboard cut-out style coaches and fans standing around. Annoyingly, sometimes the banner running across the top of the screen - which displays the teams playing and the score - obscure the ball and the pitch; notably in UEFA Champions League mode. This is especially annoying when you're trying to tackle and your player, your opponent and the ball end up behind it.

I think the cut-scene animations might work better if they used the same models as for the in-game play. They're a lot smaller, but their movements are more realistic, and it would save cutting to and from lots of animated sequences. Your team could do a goal celebration right there on the pitch without moving to a different camera angle. Oh, and if the score banner could disappear whenever the ball is behind it, that would be really useful.

The chap looks suspiciously like he's been created with one of those police photo-fit kits...
(Source: IGN.com)

Intelligence

The game mercifully lets you choose from five difficulty levels, and there appears to be a definite difference between each level. Opponents respond to you trying to take and pass the ball; they will tackle you, gain possession and try to score. Notably, your opponents appear to have a similar capacity to score goals as you do - I didn't once come across a situation where an opponent's goal seemed unfair. Your own players generally respond sensibly to the situation as well; you don't have to control every single tiny action each of your players do, as they will generally head towards the ball and keep in formation unless told otherwise. Of course, if you want them to actively defend anything, you've got to make them do it.

I do have an issue with the foul situation. It seems startlingly easy to find the referee calling foul on your actions, yet your opponents' actions are generally ignored. I did a standard tackle once and my player got a red-card. One of my players was clearly sent flying when an opponent tackled them; nothing happened. Maybe making the referees seemingly partial to your opposing team is all part of the authenticity?

I think the refereeing system could be made a little more fair; granted, there was one occasion where an accidental sliding tackle I completed resulted in a referee flagging it, but eventually letting it go without consequence. By and large it could cut the player a little more slack. It would also be nice if there was an element of being able to pre-program your players. As it stands, this game requires hefty multitasking skills to get all the players to perform their roles - which is actually a really interesting way of conveying the tactical element of football. That doesn't make for a straight forward experience, however. If there was an option at the beginning of each match to set your defenders to be more aggressive about taking the ball from the opposition (but not as accurately as if you handled it manually), for example, it would make the game a little easier to get to grips with for new players or someone who just wants a kick about.

Be a towering god over your puny team; cast them out with a flick of your finger... I mean, Wii Remote.
(Source: IGN.com)

Immersion

The game can be a very absorbing one if you choose to play the UEFA Champions League or the Championship Road tournaments; the latter allows you to acquire skill points and buy/sell players, as well as expand facilities to attract higher rated players. Aspects such as these give a real longevity to the game and allow you to be a bit more strategic in your team setup. Even standard matches can be varied in duration; you can set them to be as short as five minutes or as long as thirty minutes. You can also play cup or league tournaments, so there's a lot to keep you involved.

As nice a touch as all the commentary, snazzy animations and playbacks of your performance are, they were the one thing that had me pressing the 'B' button to skip and shouting ‘just play the match already!’ at the screen. At least they are skippable.

Perhaps if the in-game animations were shortened, it would feel less like they were interrupting the game. They're definitely a fun addition, but there's a balancing act between nice touches that add realism to the experience, and making these of a length that leaves the player feeling as though they're just hanging around until they can skip to playing the match.

Yay, licencing! Even if you find yourself up against 'North London'. Hey, it's a start.
(Source: IGN.com)

Camera

The camera follows the ball around and sits above the action, scrolling only when the ball moves out of sight. It is high enough that it includes a significant amount of the pitch - roughly one third - at any given time. There are no alternative camera angles or zoom functions; you can only zoom in on something in replay mode.

The only really awkward issue with the camera is when you try to take throw-ins or corners from the top of the screen; it can be difficult to see the player who's making the throw as they are bunched up near the very top of the screen.

If you could zoom in and out during sections where you have to throw the ball back into the pitch, or take a corner, that would be really helpful in terms of working out where your player is and where you might want to throw.

Bask in the glory of replaying your every epic achievement from every conceivable angle. Just don't expect to do this in the game.
(Source: IGN.com)

Controls

The controls are very similar to PES 2008, and have that same organic, easy to use feel. I found I was able to play matches and felt as though I was controlling everything I did from the first match after the initial tutorial session; I'm not sure if this has more to do with being acquainted with the previous title that the controls being any easier to get to grips with, but I recall PES 2008 being more frustrating to get the hang of.

One minor irritation I had with the controls is that the method for shooting a goal involves shaking the Wii Nunchuck. Fine; this is a fun way of doing it, but the problem is that you tend to automatically shake the Nunchuck a bit when simply moving your players around. When you get caught up in the game, you start waggling the Nunchuck in the direction you're aiming the control stick - as you tend to do with all forms of gamepads and joysticks. I made a few accidental shoot-outs and more than a few accidental sliding tackles due to this.

Perhaps the 'shake to score or tackle' control should be the player shaking the Wii Remote? You use it for pointing and clicking, so shaking that is unlikely to affect the movement of the player you're controlling.

Curse you, pesky UEFA banner!
(Source: officialnintendomagazine.co.uk)

Ideas

There are a lot of neat features to make the gameplay varied and absorbing; you have a huge management simulator-esque element in Champions Road, where you can buy and sell players, gain experience point, and make money to expand your footballing empires in addition to playing matches. You can also play in the UEFA Championships, as well as various leagues and cups. If you just want to play a single match, you can do that too; you can also use your Mii characters as players if you wish, or make all the footballers look like bobble-headed Miis. There's even an option to play penalty shoot-outs. I like the fact I can just play a quick five minute match without having to set much up, or I can get involved in a huge strategy-esque career full of tournaments and player transfers. As with PES 2008 there is little in the way of licensing, so many of the popular teams are simply not available to use in-game... however, there is now an extensive edit feature. With this, you can create customised football kits, logos, emblems, team names and player names; you can even rename the stadiums. I had a go and was able to create a reasonably accurate Wolves team. What's really good about this is that your emblem designs will appear on the UEFA Championship banners if you use that team in said tournament. The game warns you that not all your customisations will carry onto all portions of the game, but I didn't notice any problems with this.

I do have a few little gripes with the team editor - good luck if you're a Wolves fan, because the game won't let you put the name 'Wolverhampton Wanderers' in, because it's too long. Also, there's a nice attempt at creating a free draw program for you to design logos and emblems; the problem is that the Wii Nunchuck is not really built for drawing.

If the game could handle longer team names, that would be a bonus. I don't know if using the Wii Remote to point and draw would work any better than the Nunchuck, even if you gave the player a larger space in which to draw. I think adding several more template objects (the game already has quite a few) that are cheekily similar to some of the popular clubs would make the emblem and logo editors more useful, such as adding some silhouette wolves or ravens, or other pertinent figures.  

Being master of your own footballing empire means you even get your own airport. Cool.
(Source: IGN.com)

Memory

This is definitely an enjoyable footballing simulator to play. The controls work well, the added bells and whistles are a nice way of making the experience feel like you're in a real football match, and the fact you have so many different types of game you can play - from full-on career mode to leagues and cups through to single matches - means there's a lot to keep you coming back. As someone who doesn't really have much of a grasp of or interest in football, I could set the difficulty level to beginner, follow the basic tutorial and then play a match while feeling I was in complete control of the experience and that I was actually making progress, rather than just being repeatedly hammered. The different settings mean you can really customise your game to be a suitable difficulty and length no matter what kind of player you are. The extensive editing options mean you can create your dream team, or even the team you feel are not represented in the game (even by the cheeky fake named teams). the tutorial elements are also handled really well, in that you get four in total, but they are spread out throughout the game - as you play more, you'll get another tutorial. This means that the more complicated controls are drip-fed to you and it's easier to get the hang of the more complicated techniques. And you can skip them if one pops up right before that crucial match against Juventus.

There are some problems with the game; graphically, the realism that the game is going for just doesn't really work with the Wii's capabilities, and you will probably end up accidentally slide tackling someone and get sent off. The emblem and logo editors are a little ambitious in their scope, too; you just can't draw anything decent with a Wii Nunchuck. Crucially, however, my main gripes aren't with the gameplay itself; it's with the elements added to dress everything up.

I can't help but feel that graphically, this game would benefit from using stylised characterisations of players, rather than attempting photo-realism. I'd also like to see the emblem and logo editors have a greater range of icons and symbols to use, so that the physical drawing element is kept to a minimum. Also, if the long sweeping cinematics before each match were cut down by a fraction, it might make me less inclined to just frantically skip them during tournaments.

Play matches with your Miis and give everyone bobble-heads; it doesn't look remotely creepy.
(source: officialnintendomagazine.co.uk)

Overall, this is an involving and challenging football game which allows you to control an entire team on the pitch. There are several improvements on the 2008 version that make this worth your time; just be prepared for some lateral thinking when it comes to progressing through the menus.