Konami
What is it?
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PES 2010) is the latest iteration of Konami's long-running footy sim.
What we like
Much-improved graphics, Champions League incorporated into Master League Mode, real money for transfers; gameplay is perfectly paced and rewarding.
What we don't like
Commentary remains iffy, still not fully licensed, goalies still erratic.
Judgment
A huge improvement across the board on last year's game and the first PES to do full justice to the hardware capabilities of this current generation of consoles.
Video: watch the trailer for PES 2010
Review
Though PES was for years the undisputed king of console footy, Konami's crown has, in recent times, been slipping thanks to EA's ever-improving FIFA series.
Last year's PES 2009 played a decent game, but poor online integration and tired game mechanics left it feeling distinctly Championship division to FIFA 09's slicker Premier League package.
Konami
Concerned by its fall from grace, Konami has wisely turned to its fans to ask what improvements they want to see in this year's update. So after three largely underwhelming attempts to bring next-gen footy to our consoles, can Konami finally score the winning goal at the fourth time of asking?
After last year's garish presentation, the first thing that strikes in PES 2010 is a more professional, cleaner menu system. Konami's curious propensity for ear-bleeding euro-pop has also thankfully ended; instead we get songs from real artists such as The Chemical Brothers and Klaxons.
Game modes
Pretty much the same game modes remain from last time, including Champions League, Become a Legend and the much-loved Master League, where you develop your team from pub part-timers to world beaters. A few key additions have been made in Master League, such as integration with the Champions League, real money for transfers and a wider range of managerial options, such as sorting your team's shirt sponsorship.
Konami
As ever, there are tonnes of teams to choose from, with Ligue 1, Serie A and Eredivisie divisions all now fully licensed. Still, only two Premier League teams get the official treatment; again they are Manchester United and Liverpool.
Although the comprehensive edit mode enables you to change both the names and strips of all the non-licensed teams, having to rename the likes of West Midlands Village is a chore that increasingly grates with every year that passes.
Setting up your team strategy is more comprehensive than ever, with enough tactical tweaks to satisfy any budding young Arsene Wengers. The big addition this year is the introduction of slide bars allowing you to increase or decrease attacking style, pressing, compactness and the like. Though difficult to measure the effectiveness during the bustle of a match, it's good to see Konami is still keen to evolve the tactical aspects of PES.
Graphical overhaul
Even during the pre-match line-up in the tunnel, the improvement in the graphics is startling; from Christiano Ronaldo's preening smirk through to Dirk Kuyt's only-a-mother-could-love features, facial detail is uncannily realistic. Stadiums have undergone a much-needed makeover, too, with cardboard cut-out crowds replaced by proper 3D models, and improved lighting that really captures the feel of a balmy summer's day or dismal rainy evening in Manchester.
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Add deft graphical touches from player's shirts rippling in the wind to sweat glistening on their faces, and it's fair to say PES 2010 is the best-looking footy sim ever. And, yes, that includes FIFA 10.
In-game atmosphere is further bolstered by the noise of the partisan crowd, who'll go wild when you score at home, whistle when the opposition have possession and fall silent if you concede a goal. Commentary sadly hasn't quite taken the same leap forward. Jon Champion again takes the reins with Mark Lawrenson offering "expert analysis", though he only ever seems to pipe up straight after kick-off or when the ball is out of play. Which is probably for the best, as Lawro's contributions in particular are often plain baffling - substitute your striker who's just scored a match-winning hat-trick and he'll comment on how poorly he's played.
Refined gameplay
What happens on the pitch is what ultimately matters and thankfully this is where PES 2010 scores by the bucket load. Gameplay is slower and more refined, ironically edging it closer to FIFA than ever before. Simply controlling the ball is far trickier and, with the emphasis on individual pace greatly reduced, gone are the days of just laying it off to Messi and running round the opposition with the sprint button clamped down. Killer passes are harder to pick out, the tried-and-trusted lofted through-ball noticeably less destructive.
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Another welcome adjustment is to shooting, which feels weightier, making it harder to hit the target with pace and accuracy, though all the more rewarding when you do. Perhaps the most significant upheaval is 360-degree control, with the players freed from their previous eight-way directional running lines. Not only does this make animations look more realistic, having full analogue control brings a new level of subtlety to your player's movement.
Gameplay isn't flawless, though. Corners are too easy to score from and goalkeepers are still prone to the odd David James-esque howler, spilling poorly struck shots right into the striker's path. If you're feeling really brave, however, you can now fully control your no.1 manually.
All in all, PES 2010 is a huge step towards redemption for the series. Sadly, online play wasn't operational at the time of this review and it'll have to be a marked improvement on last year's laggy effort before we can call this game a potential FIFA-beater. As a purely offline game, though, Konami has finally delivered on the promise to bring us a truly next-gen footy title.
PES 2010 is out on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 from October 23.
