PES 2010 Preview

It's time for the next round in the annual battle between the two giants of football sims, FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer. After a good start to the fight, PES has taken a bit of a battering of late, and it's a wonder that the referee hasn't stopped the bout. Konami has been hard at work, however, and PES 2010 offers more new features and improvements than any of its predecessors, leading Gamestyle to believe that this fight is far from over.

Words by Chris Thornton. Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360

Apart from the obvious improvements in graphics and animations, Konami has expanded its development staff and set up dedicated to address key areas of the game that needed attention. The gameplay has been enhanced, with a new intuitive zonal defending system that allows you to dynamically alter the pressure your defenders will place on the opposition. The goalkeepers, so often a weakness in previous versions, have been improved, as have the referees, much to the joy of those who were on the receiving end of their card-happy antics in PES 2009.

The AI has received a major overhaul, and now work more as a team, thanks to the new Teamvision 2.0 engine. Konami claim that this will help rule out soft goals, but if it just makes the centre-backs hold their position, Gamestyle will be happy. What is does mean is that each player will have their own unique AI attached to them, and this is reflected on the actions of their team-mates. If you're controlling someone who has high crossing stats, for example, the players around him will flood the box in anticipation of that pin-point ball.

There are improvements in tactical options, strategy, match atmosphere, and penalties. The Master League has had a much-needed makeover, and now offers a more in-depth experience. This includes the addition of financial, sponsorship, and youth team elements, together with a simpler and more intuitive menu system. The list of enhancements is really rather impressive.

There is only one improvement that Gamestyle wants to see, however. PES is an excellent game, and always has been. It is better than FIFA is many areas, but there's one where its rival annihilates it, and that is online. Previous versions of PES have suffered from lag-filled games, confusing lobby systems, and Konami's choice to force players to use their proprietary online ID. Konami have stated that they are committed to improving the online side of PES 2010, but then Gamestyle remembers them saying this about 2009. There will be support for transfer and content updates, but little has been said about actually playing the game online.

Gamestyle can't help thinking that PES 2010 is make or break for the series. We don't care if it lacks the licenses and franchises that FIFA offers, but if PES 2010 offers the same lacklustre online experience as 2009, it might as well throw in the towel.

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preview for the Microsoft Xbox 360
preview for the Microsoft Xbox 360
preview for the Microsoft Xbox 360
preview for the Microsoft Xbox 360
preview for the Microsoft Xbox 360
preview for the Microsoft Xbox 360
preview for the Microsoft Xbox 360