Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Got mine last night for £31 via my mate in Blockbuster. It is so good I had a little cry. Here is my OFFICIAL VERDICT.
My left thumb is killing me, feels like it needs a blood transfusion. But its worth it.
As with PES2 to PES3, at first glance there doesn't seem to be much difference between the new and the old, but after a few minutes play, the refinements and subtleties begin to reveal themselves. The pace of the game is quicker - the ball flies around the screen and the players movement is a shade swifter. This adds to a more 'hurly burly' kind of a game, it just feels more slick and more real - I'm sure if I played PES3 straight after it would feel quite sedate by comparison. You're kind of flying by the seat of your pants, and after a while the tricks n' flicks become instinctive, so when it comes off it just looks great.
The controls are the same, and all the moves you could do in PES3 still seem to be there. You can also stop dead and trap the ball under your foot (R1 and L1), then just give it a tiny little nudge forward with the outside of the boot (R2) to set the ball for a cross or shot, it looks EXACLTY how it should when a player does that. A little tap down and then up with the right analogue stick will see your player scoop the ball in the air a short distance, which is great to use when your winger is attacking the full-back, as it kind of dinks it past him, allowing you to run round. Swirl the right analogue stick and you will perform one of those "Zidane" pirouettes, turning 360 degrees whilst dragging the ball under your foot (clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on which way you spin the stick). Simply beautiful when it comes off. Passing is improved - as usual you you can tap the x to do short ground passes, or hold it down and they will pick a longer ground pass. Shooting is similar to previous, but the volleying is better. If the ball is dropping and you time it right, they are more inclined to do a straightforward standing volley rather than a 20 yard diving header (which always used to irritate me).
Oh yes, slide tackling. Thank GOD they've finally got this right. One of the biggest irritations of PES3 was executing a perfect sliding tackle, getting the ball, but being pulled up for a foul just because you touched the player. Not in this - as long as you get the ball first but bring down the player in the process, then 9 times out of 10 its NO foul. However JOHN - this is not a "Hackers Charter". There are so many ways the ball reacts in a tackle as well - sometimes you come out with it at your feet or stuck underneath them, sometimes it flies off at all angles, sometimes the other player still gets up with the ball. In other words, its bl00dy realistic. The ref plays the advantage rule and it works much better in this version - if you get hold of the ball while the "advantage" sign is still up, then the ref always brings it back for a free kick to the opposition (this always seemed a bit hit and miss on the other one).
The little touches are wonderful. The animation on the players is so spot on. Do a bad foul, and while the player is on the floor writhing, sometimes his team-mates march over for a ruck, and the ref has to get in between them to hold them apart. I scored a goal which was ruled narrowly offside - my player carried on celebrating till he saw the lino with his flag up and then berated him, the camera cuts to all this perfectly. Players get stretchered off for treatment, sometimes they come back on, sometimes they don't. You actually SEE the substitutions, your player comes trotting off, brief handshake with the sub while the 4th official is holding up the board, and on he comes (with tannoy announcement). The ref sometimes "has a word" after giving a free kick, kind of a warning to calm down or its a booking next time. The animation of the goal nets has been taken up a notch as well, they look even better. The new stadiums look great - St James Park is immediatly recognisable and there are LOADS more.
All that is peripheral though to the game itself though, which really is splendid. Its hard to define precisely, it just feels superior to the previous one. Passes you want to do seem to come off - spraying that lofted through-ball (L1 and triangle) can be done in any direction and you can send some splendid first-time balls down the flanks for your winger to chase - do it with a first touch and it looks brilliant. Love it.
My left thumb is killing me, feels like it needs a blood transfusion. But its worth it.
As with PES2 to PES3, at first glance there doesn't seem to be much difference between the new and the old, but after a few minutes play, the refinements and subtleties begin to reveal themselves. The pace of the game is quicker - the ball flies around the screen and the players movement is a shade swifter. This adds to a more 'hurly burly' kind of a game, it just feels more slick and more real - I'm sure if I played PES3 straight after it would feel quite sedate by comparison. You're kind of flying by the seat of your pants, and after a while the tricks n' flicks become instinctive, so when it comes off it just looks great.
The controls are the same, and all the moves you could do in PES3 still seem to be there. You can also stop dead and trap the ball under your foot (R1 and L1), then just give it a tiny little nudge forward with the outside of the boot (R2) to set the ball for a cross or shot, it looks EXACLTY how it should when a player does that. A little tap down and then up with the right analogue stick will see your player scoop the ball in the air a short distance, which is great to use when your winger is attacking the full-back, as it kind of dinks it past him, allowing you to run round. Swirl the right analogue stick and you will perform one of those "Zidane" pirouettes, turning 360 degrees whilst dragging the ball under your foot (clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on which way you spin the stick). Simply beautiful when it comes off. Passing is improved - as usual you you can tap the x to do short ground passes, or hold it down and they will pick a longer ground pass. Shooting is similar to previous, but the volleying is better. If the ball is dropping and you time it right, they are more inclined to do a straightforward standing volley rather than a 20 yard diving header (which always used to irritate me).
Oh yes, slide tackling. Thank GOD they've finally got this right. One of the biggest irritations of PES3 was executing a perfect sliding tackle, getting the ball, but being pulled up for a foul just because you touched the player. Not in this - as long as you get the ball first but bring down the player in the process, then 9 times out of 10 its NO foul. However JOHN - this is not a "Hackers Charter". There are so many ways the ball reacts in a tackle as well - sometimes you come out with it at your feet or stuck underneath them, sometimes it flies off at all angles, sometimes the other player still gets up with the ball. In other words, its bl00dy realistic. The ref plays the advantage rule and it works much better in this version - if you get hold of the ball while the "advantage" sign is still up, then the ref always brings it back for a free kick to the opposition (this always seemed a bit hit and miss on the other one).
The little touches are wonderful. The animation on the players is so spot on. Do a bad foul, and while the player is on the floor writhing, sometimes his team-mates march over for a ruck, and the ref has to get in between them to hold them apart. I scored a goal which was ruled narrowly offside - my player carried on celebrating till he saw the lino with his flag up and then berated him, the camera cuts to all this perfectly. Players get stretchered off for treatment, sometimes they come back on, sometimes they don't. You actually SEE the substitutions, your player comes trotting off, brief handshake with the sub while the 4th official is holding up the board, and on he comes (with tannoy announcement). The ref sometimes "has a word" after giving a free kick, kind of a warning to calm down or its a booking next time. The animation of the goal nets has been taken up a notch as well, they look even better. The new stadiums look great - St James Park is immediatly recognisable and there are LOADS more.
All that is peripheral though to the game itself though, which really is splendid. Its hard to define precisely, it just feels superior to the previous one. Passes you want to do seem to come off - spraying that lofted through-ball (L1 and triangle) can be done in any direction and you can send some splendid first-time balls down the flanks for your winger to chase - do it with a first touch and it looks brilliant. Love it.
