Xbox

Pro Evolution Soccer 5

Simply the best - gameplay so wonderfully involved, stupendously deep and deftly controlled that the experience has no end. A must-own for sport fans.

Seitdem sich die Sportspielreihe ‚Pro Evolution Soccer’ im Laufe der Jahre immer stärker als König unter den Fußball-Videospielen etabliert hat, ist viel Zeit vergangen. Mittlerweile dürfen sich Zocker auf den 5. Teil der Serie stürzen, der noch mehr Realismus und Lizenzen, sowie Spieltiefe und Atmosphäre bieten soll. Ob es Konami gelungen ist, den neuen Titel im Vergleich zum Vorgänger ein weiteres Mal voran zu treiben, erfahrt ihr in unserem Test.

Sans surprise, PES s'impose indiscutablement comme la référence des jeux de foot cette année, écrasant plus que jamais la concurrence. On regrette cependant que Konami n'écoute pas plus les joueurs en ne réussissant pas à acquérir toutes les licences et en continuant de proposer un duo de commentateurs au bord du ridicule. Mais l'essentiel n'est pas là puisque le gameplay amélioré nous plonge dans des rencontres extrêmement réalistes où l'on prend un plaisir énorme.

"FIFA may have slicker presentation than Liz Hurley, all the world's top teams and their players, it even has the tricks and dazzling goals in abundance. But it's all fluff, superficial filler which can be had all too readily - like that naughty girl at the school disco you really weren't interested in in the first place... everything about EA's rival offering is so much better forgotten. Martin's comments on the state of football are certainly right on the mark, but in this reviewer's opinion the pure footballing pleasure of Pro Evo 5 serves as a reminder of what it all should be about. Some fans of past iterations may not like the tweaks made here to a formula loved by so many, but evolution is inevitable and I think we're just about heading in the right direction. This is, as Ruud Gullit might say if anyone still cared, total football. Enjoy."

Another year, another Pro Evolution Soccer game, another high score. I can wholeheartedly recommend Pro Evolution Soccer 5 to the masses that will inevitably go out and buy it, regardless of my good words. I will say that casual gamers might look at the differences and not be too impressed by them - even though the differences do seem small, they really add a lot to the overall package. Big fans of the series must own this game and any casual gamers looking for the next football revolution should consider jumping on the Pro Evolution bandwagon once again.

Winning Eleven's faults, though, are minor in size and superficial by nature, so it would definitely be a mistake to let the last two paragraphs discourage you from checking out what otherwise is an excellent and well-produced game. That said, if the upcoming Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer manages to retain the same level quality present in its predecessors while accomplishing more in the graphics and licensing department, then no doubt, there will definitely be a mark on our 2007 calendars when the game is set to release.

All told, Winning Eleven 9 is still a very well-honed title that never fails to get my blood going, but I think a jump to next-gen for the series could be just the boost that this franchise needs.

Winning Eleven 9 managed to include enough upgrades to triumph over last year's excellent version. The main bonus to picking up number nine is to go online, talk smack, and take on people across the continent. Not going online? Well then I'd say you could get by with Winning Eleven 8 until they announce a next-gen version. You really can't go wrong with Winning Eleven 9 it's the king of soccer games, and another smashing success for Konami.

There are no doubt lots of other minor tweaks that people will pick up on over the next few months, but none more initially shocking than that gameplay. I think there is a debate to be had over whether you score a game as standalone, or whether you should consider it’s ratings against the best the industry can stack against it, and on this last point I have no hesitation in saying that Pro Evolution Soccer 5 is the best console football game released this year. Unfortunately, I do not feel that it is without flaws, rather like our current crop of tabloid hogging superstars.