A Die-Hard PES fan I now write my first review on Gamespot after being a member for 5 years. PES fans read here.
The simple answer is: PES08 arcade, FIFA simulation. Now previously I would have had PES down as a simulation of the beauitful game and FIFA as neither as it has never been fun or responsive in any form to actually enjoy it. PES08 has made me realise (or more FIFA08 has!) just how much PES has gone in the arcade direction, all the passes goto feet, the players run around like they are on speed and not realistically either, and I cant describe it, but it is just very, very unrealistic, the presentation is still old and the gameplay has moved completely in wrong direction, but FIFA...oh my god, this is the game! Now dont get me wrong its not without its faults the Manager mode is still a little rough round the edges and the transfer system very messy as the AI is signing amazing players to small clubs etc, but the gameplay is just well, the best footie gaming experince out there, now heed my words to understand where I am coming from you MUST turn off all assistance in settings, and then master it and play it, yes it is tough at first but I can remember thinking that I hated the first PES at first as it was tough to play after playing years of stick to your feet FIFA games! Practice makes perfect and once you do this game is the best bar none, seriously! The first night I had it I thought here we go FIFA again, it was so frustrating, but I stuck at it, and I seriously LOVE this game, the controls are responsive, and it IS simply football, build up, carving out chances, patience etc. Cant praise it enough I really cant, and as I have said there are faults, but this time EA have the gameplay spot on, and I would suggest that they keep the game engine for the next FIFA and simply work at getting all the game modes completely right, and then we have it the perfect footballing game, this is a game you MUST stick with, play and practice in the same way that PES made you all those years ago, and you too will come to love it, I promise (from one of the BIGGEST PES fans there ever was! And to was is a shame!) it will not let you down. Finally EA have presented me (almost) with my perfect football gaming dream, maybe they did kidnap the Konami developers after all, because if the Demo is how PES08 plays then unfortunately they have appeared to have gone AWOL in amazing fashion, I will not be purchasing this years PES which is my first EVER year not to, and I will look to see if they learn anything from this year and improve next year, but I feel they will not because the loyal fan base (once me) will not purchase FIFA08 or try and stick with it (ignore all the reviews about through balls and non-responsiveness, they simply have not turned off the pass assistance settings, you MUST turn this off to manual to eventually enjoy this game or at least set it to Semi at first but through balls MUST be set to manual!!!), and therefore PES will pretty much just be the same game next year. But I urge all those PES fans who dismiss all the FIFA lovers and FIFA itself do so at your peril this year, and also bear in mind this is the FIRST review I have ever written on Gamespot (Been member since 2002), that is how much this has shocked me, mark my words PES has been my favourite gaming experince for every year since its inception, I am sad to say it is no longer.