In recent years games within the Pro Evolution Soccer series have struggled, with other providers taking the domination of the football genre. EA’s FIFA 10 seems to dominate this title hands down upon first glance, and even first play with incredible graphics and feature set reeling in its audience. However, PES cannot be so easily dismissed as, following considerable amounts of time playing it, you might begin to realise that while it can’t dominate graphically, it might well be the most fun that you can have with a football game on any console today.
PES 2010’s changes from its predecessor don’t seem to mount up to a lot on paper, but the many tweaks here and there dramatically improve the overall gaming experience. Everything from the efficiency of the goalkeepers to the speed of the game have been altered, producing an experience that appears more true to life with less ridiculously high-scoring results. You’ll now be able to control your players with glorious 360-degree movement with sharp and responsive reactions from your team. This should create a more natural playing environment though, unfortunately, issues with repeated and poor animations may remove some of the realism from your experience.
The graphics within PES 2010 are a mixed bag; while some animations fall under par the representations of your favourite players are simply stunning in places. Many famous faces could easily be picked from a line-up of your electronic teammates, however in some of the lower distinctions you might find that less effort has been spent.
Fans of this particular soccer-simulation series will notice the most dramatic changes within the options. Statistics feeding you relevant information about your team are now clearly displayed and greatly informative, as you alter the position of a specific player’s position you’ll notice their ratings changing. This makes it an easy and enjoyable process to find the best spots for all of your players. A new Team Style feature also allows for the simple adjustment of strategy via a selection of sliders. This combines with the familiar Player Cards that are used to mould and shape specific players on your team, providing you with all the functionality that you need to develop your team without the stress commonly associated with other games within the PES series.
Unfortunately not all elements to the game have been given the same level of improvement. Take the commentary for example. Recorded by John Champion and Martin Lawrenson, the individual lines may well have seemed appropriate within the recording studio. It’s the endless repetition and inappropriate timing with which these lines are actually delivered that causes the problems, reducing any immersion within a match that could have been building.
While Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 might struggle to fight for the number one spot when it comes to football games, it certainly provides plenty of entertainment for fans of the series or of football in general. Vastly improved online play featuring a less complicated interface and dramatic lag reduction, a compelling campaign mode allowing for youth teams, scouting, management and more and the opportunity to compete for the elusive Champions League crown combine to make this a game worth playing.