Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Review
Soccer flipped upside down
by Dynamo
reviewed on WII
Whiteboard defense (cntd.)
Holding down Z will cause defenders marking a man to attempt and between their opponents and the ball. If used effectively, this will allow the defender to intercept a pass to his opponent.
Overall, while defensive play is somewhat enjoyable in its own right, it falls short when compared to the offensive aspects of the game. While offense is about positioning teammates and clever play to break through the opposition, defense is more about setting the pieces and hoping for the best. After man-marking is complete, defense can become a tad tedious as there isn’t much left to do but wait for the result. You might have to send a player running here or there, attempt a slide tackle or send the goal keeper running towards the ball dribbler, but it ends up feeling somewhat random and unstructured when compared to the tactical play required in offense.
Naturally, with this game playing radically different to any other soccer game, there is quite a learning curve involved as gamers are forced to see the game from an overall team perspective. I’d suggest the first thing anyone does is run through the practice tutorials. The first few matches felt strange although it didn’t take very long to get used to using the pointer to control almost everything happening in the match. It is easy to neglect positioning and sending teammates running up the field or to forget to man-mark opposition players. However after overcoming the awkwardness of controlling so many players at once, it becomes truly apparent just how much the new control schemes put into your hands.
Balancing modes
You no longer have to play dependant on the computer AI or obscure button presses to get players in a good position. The power rests in your hands, giving you unprecedented control over the positioning of your teammates. Of course, seeing as you can’t control everything at once, there are still plenty of circumstances where you are dependant on the AI. There are a couple of hiccups here and there. I’ve encountered a scenario a few times, where I’ve made a bad pass to no one in particular and the ball ending up loose near to two of my players. For one reason or another, the players made no attempt to retrieve the ball and just stood idly while an opponent came past and took the ball from under their noses. Other than that though, there really isn’t too much trouble in regards to the team AI.
The difficulty is well-balanced with a good spread of options to choose from. Enemy AI is pretty stupid at the lower levels, making a lot of idiotic choices, especially when defending around goals. As the difficulty increases, the AI becomes a lot smarter and very enjoyable to play against; opposition teams will begin to play to their strengths, slowly working their way down the field or playing quick down the wings, depending on their formation.
In terms of game modes, Pro Evo offers the usual quick match, season (or league) and cup games mode. The Master League game mode, found in other versions of the game, has been replaced with a Wii-specific game mode known as Champions Road. This basically gives players the chance to participate in tournaments around the world. After winning the Practice League, gamers are able to participate in four different 4-team leagues with each successful completion branching into another league to take part in. For example, winning the North European League Stage 1 will allow players to scroll further up the map and take part in the North European League Stage 2. While not given as much options as the Master League, this new mode still has a respectable amount of features and is certainly fun to take part in.
Trading and experience
Champions Road doesn’t have a traditional trading system, however after each match - win or lose- the player is able to select some random players from the opponent (each player being represented by a card, face-down). Early on these players have a 1-star rating but it’s possible to acquire players with up to 5-stars. The quality and quantity of players you can choose depends on how well you have performed in the match.
9.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
