PES returned with almost the same as last year, but with some good improvements which will make you buy it.
Firstly, what does PES 2009 have that the last year's PES doesn't have? Actually, the gameplay stills the same, but we can see some good improvements on shooting and a better AI for players and goalkeepers. There are some new clubs: and the PSP's version is more recent than the next-gen's versions. Updated transfers, rosters, etc. (That is no more a problem because Konami have made some patches to correct it) But the real reason that will make you buy this game is the Become A Legend mode. It does copy the Be A Pro of FIFA - actually years before of that "idea" there were some games who had this mode - but the gameplay is different. Even if you start with a simple reserve team player in FIFA 09, he can easily be the team capitain with just a few games. In PES, you will make a career starting in the poorest clubs, making your way through the Europe's best, and then, when you're finishing your career, you'll have the chance to be a capitain. Much harder than EA's game. The camera is not much a helping one: it is too much closed to the player, which make your goal harder. But when you're playing real football do you have a bird's eye camera to see all pitch? No! FIFA just don't understand that. And PES next-gen's versions thinks as well.
Talking about the improvements, we can see the team's kits much more real, and the way it stays in the player's body is more realistic.
The Master League, way far the best mode in PES, is now relegated by BAL mode. Konami did just nothing about it this year, just made a new improvement called Loyalty. Players like Fletcher or Carragher are now much more "linked" to their clubs, and they won't go out of them just as easy as last year's PES.
The rest is the same as 2008's. PES transformed very well his game for the portable version, making it really cool to play and to watch. FIFA's graphics are very, very, very annoying, and scoring goals is as easy as drinking milk every morning. In PES, we just have 2 stadiums (poor) but they are well made (not just like FIFA, some kind of paper).
Up
- Become A Legend mode, the best between FIFA and PES;
- Vicious gameplay;
- Good Graphics;
- Styling menus
Down
- Almost the same as last years';
- Same Master League;
- Lack of UEFA Champions League Mode
Things easily improved to next year:
- Comnmunity mode;
- UEFA Champions League
- Better Master League
- More things to do in Become a Legend
Critic: It can be almost the same as last year, but Become A Legend and great gameplay and graphics will make you spend 40 euros on that one.