Reviews
It’s that time of year again to enjoy the beautiful game. After a trial run out on the Xbox 360 last year with what was essentially a basic bare bones port of the PS2 version, this years effort from Konami is finally what the fans have been waiting for, a true HD version of the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise. Written from the ground up to make full use of the new generation platforms, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 sports a new front end lick of paint, improved graphical flair and a fair amount of tweaks under the hood to easily make this the best title yet in the series.
In the run up to release I’ve personally been fortunate enough to sample an early preview code of the game (you can read my initial hands-on preview here) which for all intents and purposes only contained half of what is on offer in the final code. An experience which left me wondering exactly how representative that particular build was going to be compared to the final release of the game. The demo available later on the Xbox LIVE marketplace was also still only a glimpse of an still in progress title so for those that were initially put off by the game play contained within that please dismiss your initial opinions for a moment, read on and recalibrate… what we have here in Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is a complete turnaround and a return to form for the series.
It’s fair to say a lot has changed in the last few months of development and all for the better, the aforementioned tweaks under the hood all corresponding to a totally different experience out on the pitch. The over the top speed shown in the demo for one has returned to a more realistic pace, though still slightly faster all round compared to Pro Evolution Soccer 6 last year. Though the player speed on the pitch is nigh on identical in this iteration the improvements in overall control that were apparent in the preview build are retained and make the precise movements on field much easier to perform this time around that the whole effort of passing, closing down attackers and shooting a little easier to perform. Whether you choose to use the Dpad or the analog stick now control is infinitely more precise allowing you to much more easily round opponents and make space in attack, the result is a faster but more fluid sensation on the pitch but one which is not overly emphasised or unrealistic.
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