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Courtesy of www.ps2.ign.com
Oringinal Link: http://ps2.ign.com/articles/361/361202p1.html
May 31, 2002 - It's interesting to note that while each of Konami's past Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution soccer games have been about as near perfection as possible, there's always been room for improvement. In the series latest addition Winning Eleven 6, which clocked over 400,000 sales in just a week in Japan, KCE Tokyo refines an already amazing formula into new, dizzying heights. As we've often mentioned in the past, EA's easy-to-get into games have trounced Konami's efforts in terms of sales but when it comes to gameplay, Winning Eleven reign on top is unfaltering.
Speaking in visual terms, WE6 is clearly a second-generation PS2-effort from Konami's Tokyo team. There is some slowdown in corner-kicks, but these are rare occurrences. It's more than likely that the PAL-version will be improved and thus be rid of slowdown. Renderware is put to very good use here as the developers concentrate on improving the gameplay instead of spending too much time improving the already great technology. However, if you look at the style of Midway's Red Card Soccer, you can definitely see lots of graphic similarities due to the engine's way of handling things. Not a bad thing mind you, just a note.
The chunkier-than-before player models are detailed and extremely life-like, thanks to some staggeringly realistic and smooth animation. The amount of different animations each player possesses has been greatly improved since WE5/PES. While jostling for high balls, players can fall in various different ways and the goalkeepers moves are utterly realistic. Fast freekicks are barely tipped over the post while very cool looking "reflex saves" are in the order of the day when you manage quick shot in the penalty box area. There's just so much animation in there that you can play for months and still find new ways to fall down or get knocked down after a header. The tackling especially looks vicious now as there's several different falling animations instead of the single one in the previous game.
The 14 stadia look amazing and for once all of them are very good to play one. To be completely anal, some of the grass textures and surroundings of the previous stadiums were lacking but in WE6 each stadium is beautifully modelled. The crowds look OK-ish, but they don't come anywhere close the quality of crowds evident in say NBA2K2 or NHL2K2. Each stadium or rather the pitches look very different depending on the time of day you play (shadows!) or whether it's raining.
The graphics have a very vibrant arcade feeling to them and care has been taken to include as much detail as possible. Most of the players look exactly as their counterparts do in real-life. In some cases some of the animation has also been done after the movements of the real player. David Beckham's free-kick animation is exactly as it is in real-life. Players fall, argue with the referee when they get carded, hang their heads in shame, throw up their arms after a missed opportunity and basically do everything and then some that you'd expect.
There are nine different camera angles and you can now adjust the angles so you can play from an almost isometric-perspective. This is another highly welcome feature but it seems that the farther your viewpoint is the more frequent the slowdown is as there's more for the engine to render.
Another very welcome aspect is that the shooting has been improved tremendously as it was a bit floaty in WE5/PES. With skilled players such as Figo or Scholes you can now sink some highly satisfying long distance efforts. In the previous game you could pretty much only score from within the penalty box, but now you can definitely test the keeper with shots from far. It's a supremely satisfying feeling to manage a few quick passes, find some empty space and then let it rip with a powerful shot. As mentioned before, the goalkeepers are the best they've ever been so half-assed efforts rarely result into even a half of a chance.
Depending on which difficulty level you choose to play, scoring is noticeably more difficult than before. This is not just due to good goalkeepers but some very realistic defensive AI. Defenders are very quick to mark your attackers if you take too long and as in real-life, there's hardly any space to move around the oppositions goal area as defenders quickly close in. When you do manage to score after a nice play, it's very rewarding.
The passing system, especially high passing has been improved ten-fold. Short passes on the ground are very effective but now it's also possible to do some stunning high-passes. Depending on the skill of your players, you can attempt some 40metre high passes that latch directly onto your attackers feet giving you a chance to score. It's not nearly as easy as that but the complete freedom you have to create plays and organize your team is amazing. Various teams play very differently and take advantage of their strengths. Play against Barcelona and it's Rivaldo you have to worry about with his pinpoint passing and powerful shots. Against Manchester United you have to worry about David Beckham's crosses and the shooting power of the other midfield players. The level of realism is amazing but it doesn't mean the game isn't fun, on the contrary. You can play exactly as you would in real-life. Pass the ball around the defense as you try to find holes in the midfield and so on.
The passing and shooting system has amazing finesse to it. You have to learn to tap the buttons at different strengths and learn your timing to be able to master the game. As before, holding down the X-button makes your defensive player follow the opponent's player that has the ball. However now you cannot be "all over" the opponents as this will very quickly result into a foul. This is a big change from before and again, a very welcome one. You simply cannot follow a player all the time, rather you have to try to outplay the opponents and create chances to steal the ball back to your team. Sliding tackles from behind now result in automatic red cards, so defending has become far more of an art-form than it has been before.
The dribbling is much improved. While there are two different run speeds, most of the time running in the mid-field results in you losing the ball. Careful dribbling and then tapping R1 for a burst of speed becomes a skill that needs to be mastered. Moving around with the d-pad and quickly changing directions activates dribbles when skilled players are in use. The R2 button enables more complicated but very realistic dribbles that when timed correctly can leave defenders eating your dust as you dribble past them. One-two's, through-balls are all available for the player to use, you can even let the ball go through your legs by tapping the L1 button upon receiving the ball. It all adds up to a superbly conceived control system that gives full control to the player. The dribbling is highly realistic but none the less fancy looking than FIFA's illusion-breaking 360 spins.
There are tons of game modes ranging from the usual single matches to cups, most of which open up new hidden teams. The bread and butter gamemode is the Master League, which is slowly evolving into a fully-fledged management mode. The developers have expressed that in future versions we can expect an even more complex managerial aspects. The Master League has all the right stuff in it and doesn't bother with pages and pages of pointless stats. You can see your team's performance chart, top goal scorers and passers. It's also possible to practice and set-up your team before the matches, see which defenders mark which opponents, what roles your players play and so on. You start the league off with your team of choice that always has the basic crap players the WE-series has had for years. By winning matches you can earn points, which you can spend on new players.
The Master League has definitely gone through the most improvements. There are now three divisions with play-off matches and also Tournaments (a la the Champions League) within in the divisions. A key aspect is that the players now get fatigued after several matches. Before the players did get fatigued in a match, but now the fatigue carries over onto your next match. If you keep using the same players all the time and don't give them time to rest their stamina will go down and so does their performance level. So to be successful you need to have a large squad and know when to rest key players. Your squad can consist of up to 40 players so there's plenty of room to have an arsenal of great players in your team. The only negative aspect of this is that you can basically buy up most of the great players from other teams. However buying players is now very expensive (instead of costing hundreds of points, the players now costs several thousand and you have to pay the club they play for a transfer fee) and it'll take several seasons to build up a squad. You can also rent players, which is far cheaper. Also, when you buy a player you can sign him up for five seasons maximum, and if you don't have enough points to woo him to stay at your club after the contract is over, then you're in trouble. If you're team is successful you can expect the CPU to try and poach your players too.
You can now finally change the difficulty level of the league and tournaments midway so after you've got a good squad together you can ramp up the difficulty level. Importantly, the CPU doesn't start using cheap tactics on higher difficulty levels; it just outplays you.
The customizing aspects of the game have also been improved. You can now create your own teams right down to the jerseys and flags. You can then use this team in the Master League or in any other matches for that matter. All the present teams can also be modified. Some of the club's jerseys are a bit off due so for the purists out there it's possible to make them look exactly as they do in real-life.
Another thing that just shows you that the developers are masters of their craft and love soccer can be witnessed in the audio options. You can select between Home Crowds, Away Crowds or Derby. Depending which you select, the crowd will either rally for you (there are dozens of authentic chants) and boo the opposition whenever they touch the ball or vice versa. Derby of course is when two big rivals play against each other and the supporters go mental for both. Its also possible to set the commentary level which affects jut how much dialogue there is. While the commentary is completely in Japanese, it's highly entertaining since commentator Jon Kabira and co react very lively to the proceedings on the pitch. Goals result in ear-shattering screams of approval while off-sides let us listen to some meaningful pondering of the refereeing skills. Konami has licensed two Queen tracks "We are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You." The latter is played during the long and stunning CGI intro, which again shows that realtime visuals aren't just yet matching the quality of CGI.
Winning Eleven 6 includes 40 club teams from around the world and it's difficult to se anyone complaining about the range offered. All the major club teams of the world are in there (Sadly no US club teams though) and it's difficult to see which teams Konami could bring to the next version as all the good ones are already accounted for. As Konami has slowly added more and more club teams, it has also taken it's time and limited resources to good use by making sure each team is as authentic as possible. Squads are quite up to date but there are some strange omissions like not having Diego Forlan in the Manchester United squad, which might piss some soccer fans off. There are more than 50 national teams and while the player names are in Japanese, they can all be changed into English.
The game is full of hidden players, some of which can be access via the new and very entertaining Challenge Mode. Here you have to practice dribbling, free-kicks, passing etc. Achieve a high enough score in all the events and you get some free players for your practice efforts.
While EA's much-maligned FIFA-games have steadily gotten worse, there's little doubt that the company's superb marketing and PR trounce Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution Soccer series. Konami's insistence of releasing horrendous soccer games developed by the Osaka studio under the ISS name doesn't help, it only makes consumers more confused of the plethora of soccer titles out there.
In it's native Japan, Winning Eleven 6 has been an massive success and hopefully with the upcoming PAL-version (no word yet on an US release but it's likely) Konami will provide ample marketing and PR support to make the game into a success. Konami's lack of PR support for the game in Europe has been a tremendous disappointment until so far.
Closing Comments Winning Eleven 6 is by far the most entertaining and rewarding soccer game released on any format. It's arcade-approach to presentation makes the game very easy to understand and to enjoy. Navigating the menus is easy as is changing options, unlike in FIFA where the aesthetics of the presentation have become more important than functionality. Loading times have also been greatly improved. Above all the masterful gameplay, which is easy for beginners but rewards hardcore players, is worthy of praise. Some surprising bugs and slight slowdown don't detract much from the overall experience. Give it a spin and it'll convince you, stay for a while and you will be hooked forever. -- Thomas Puha
Presentation: Nice and functional, instead of ugly and
difficult to navigate as some have said. 8.0
Graphics Superlative stadiums and animation but some slowdown. 9.0
Sound Superb commentary and crowd effects, but could be even better. 8.8
Gameplay Nearly faultless. 9.5
Lasting Appeal Master League provides endless entertainment as do the superb multiplayer
modes. 10.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 9.3
Courtesy of www.computerandvideogames.com
Original Link: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/r/?page=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/reviews/reviews_story.php(que)id=83054(amp)page=1
The beautiful game just became drop-dead gorgeousBut PES2 is the toughest of the bunch, having withstood months of torturously relentless play. And there's a damn good reason why it consumes unhealthy amounts of our time.
The on-pitch action is so tense, challenging, beautifully crafted and balanced that it's impossible not to fall under its addictive spell. Capturing the true spirit of football, PES2 is all about attitude, determination, skill and heart; it's simply the greatest footie game of all time.
PRIMAL SCREAM
Tapping into your most primal instincts, Konami's masterpiece unleashes
the beast inside you. A missed through-ball will make you grunt like an angry caveman,
concede a goal and you'll howl with distress. Yes, PES2 succeeds in taking you on an
emotional journey of amazing highs and painful lows. A feeling similar to watching England
kick Argentina's ass in monumental style then go out to Brazil so weakly in the World Cup
quarters. You can't put a price on the sensation it causes. Well actually you can: 39.99.
Bargain!
FAST AND FANCY
FOOTWORK
The original Pro Evolution established itself as the finest footie game on
PS2 and built up a massive allegiance of die-hard fans. Now this dynamite sequel nutmegs
its predecessor with a flashy array of dazzling new tricks, tweaks and features.
Firstly, control. Players are now startlingly responsive, turning and switching direction faster and more explosively than before. Depending on ability and stats, most players possess impressively intricate dribbling skills and jinking expertise. Plus PES2's fantastic array of player animations means that every twist, turn and kick looks amazingly realistic and fluid.
In the previous game, if you were bombing along at full pelt it would take ages to slow down and skip around an opponent, making it almost impossible to keep possession at high speeds. However, now you can be sprinting down the wing with the R1 button held down, and then suddenly hit the R2 button and push the Dpad to whichever direction you want to sidestep, swiftly jinking past your opponent. Have it!
Don't worry; PES2 hasn't turned into a dribble-intensive footie game filled with one-man Maradona-style wonder runs. The improved player control and dribbling finesse simply helps you hold onto the ball for those crucial extra seconds while you're trying to build up an attack on goal. Its still all about team play.
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
Masterminding intricate moves in and around your opponent's 18-yard box
and scoring goals feels brilliantly challenging and rewarding. But whether you're playing
against a mate or 11 AI players, penetrating the defence of any half-decent team and
sinking one in their onion bag is rock 'ard. You have to think creatively, play skilfully,
and be hungry for goals if you're going to break down the other team's back line.
The key to success is to build from the midfield and relentlessly attempt to outfox the other team with imaginative passes and unpredictable moves. But the beauty of PES2 is that you're equipped with all the freedom and flexibility you could dream of to pull off elaborate attacks on goal.
Anything's possible here. Nail amazing cross-pitch passes to switch
play, dart the ball around the box to break up defences, drop in short and long crosses, or watch for the runners and stab through-balls between any gaps in at the back. Just keep mixing it up.However, you'll have to possess mad skills to instinctively string together seamless and inventive attacks. See, the quality of a pass will now seriously affect how long it takes the receiving player to get the ball under control. Keeping possession is damn hard, because opponents are aggressive and super-fast, meaning that they can easily dart in and wrestle you off the ball.
Playing mates and computer teams will hone your abilities, but to really sharpen your skills, you'll have to enter the updated Training mode. You can vastly improve every element of your game by taking up the all-new UMBRO Pro Training Centre training challenges. Dribbling, free kick, long pass, short pass, manual pass and ball possession tests are all on the agenda. But they're not for the faint-hearted: try hitting a target in the goal from a series of five increasingly difficult free-kicks. And to complete a challenge you have to nail an amazing score to earn a place on the Rankings leader board. When you do, strut around proudly with Cantona-like arrogance because you da man!
CUTTING KILLER DEALS
